Once again, self-described co-founder of the Evangelical conservative “movement,” turned liberal author and speaker, Frank Schaeffer has made wild claims about what is supposedly motivating the “religious right.” On Tuesday, August 14th, Schaeffer was featured on Ian Masters’s nationally syndicated radio show, “Background Briefing” to discuss Paul Ryan and the “War on Women.”
According to Schaeffer, “We have a Republican ticket with probably the most brutal far right economic policy, coming from the same man who’s got the most anti-woman policy.” He claimed Ryan is “a real extremist … a person who is brutal toward women and equally brutal to the poor.” Even more hyperbolic, he stated “women are second class citizens in his world, as are the poor.” Merriam Webster defines the word “brutal” as “grossly ruthless or unfeeling,” or “cruel, cold-blooded.” Schaeffer may disagree sharply with Ryan, but is it appropriate to call him “brutal?”
As someone who was once deeply involved with conservative Christians and politics, it seems Schaeffer should know that opposition to abortion is not really about oppressing women, or that free-market economic policies are not motivated by a deep-seeded desire to oppress the poor. It is certainly possible to disagree with Ryan’s views without accusing him of sinister motivations. But often when a news outlet like MSNBC or CNN wants “analysis” on conservative Christian politics, they call in Schaeffer.
As the son of prominent evangelical leaders Francis and Edith Schaeffer, he has a veneer of legitimacy in his claims. Schaeffer accuses conservatives of the same things the liberal media already accuses them of, yet goes further, with the “inside scoop” on the supposed evil motivations driving conservatives.
Schaeffer alleged that Ryan “does not believe in the rights of all human beings,” and “he holds up only one part of Roman Catholic teaching faithfully and has dismissed the rest of it on the basis of being an Ayn Rand disciple, not a disciple of Jesus Christ.” He said Ryan would “attack programs for the poor that are the safety net that keep people from a miserable fate, defund Medicare … and attack Social Security.”
Speculating about the chance of Ryan making it to the White House, he said if Americans knew of “Ryan’s anti-woman, war on women record when it comes to abortion, contraceptives, towing the Vatican line to the extreme,” then there would be no chance of he and Romney’s election. He further accused Ryan of having a “preoccupation with other people’s sexuality … [and] is the only part of Roman Catholic teaching which has actually transferred into Ryan’s agenda. The rest of it, when it comes to compassion for the poor, serving others, following Jesus Christ when it comes to the view of wealth as opposed to sharing, in those areas he’s totally departed and … is a disciple of Ayn Rand.”
Schaeffer’s comments don’t contribute to a productive discussion on the actual important issues, like sanctity of life or poverty. It wouldn’t be worth noticing, but because he keeps finding an audience and media outlets, I have to conclude, sadly, that some people believe what he says. Rather than acknowledging that conservatives do want a good life for others, but they simply believe in different means to achieve that outcome, Schaeffer muddies the already murky waters of public discourse with his wild assertions.
Comment by Donnie on August 21, 2012 at 2:48 pm
I never understood how somebody could call themselves a Christian and believe in abortion. I might be able to concede on “life of the mother” issues (Paul Ryan actually supports this exemption, for the record), but any Christian who wants blanket abortion rights is doing the work of the devil. Frank Schaeffer included.
Comment by Pudentiana on August 21, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Mr. Schaeffer is so angry he can’t figure out where to turn next. I hope he can overcome his rabid fury
Comment by cynthia curran on August 21, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Well, occupy that Frank might support has a history of raping women.
Comment by cynthia curran on August 21, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Even Frank book about his son was full of the F word. People might used the F word but to write it a book about your son joining the Marines more than once doesn’t have class. Frank is similar to Bishops in the Greek Orthodox Church back east that consider Paul Ryan a social Darwinism. What is interesting is both the Eastern Roman Empire has a Gini measurement of equality worst then the us and i’m certain that the average peasant in most of the Russian Empire was much poorer than the average American. Frank might still tend to believe that Orthodox Civilization good and Catholic and Protestant civilization bad.
Comment by freedomactionnow on August 22, 2012 at 12:43 am
I’m disappointed, but not surprised, that attacks on Romney and Ryan are escalating. The simple fact is that Obama has nothing to campaign on, other than that Romney should not be President.
Schaeffer’s anti-Catholic venom reminds me of those who worried that JFK would be “taking orders from the Vatican”.
I would be delightful to watch liberals self-destruct with both a Mormon and a Catholic in the White House. It would certainly be preferable to having a man who spent about 20 years in a church run by Jeremiah Wright.
Donnie: “I never understood how somebody could call themselves a Christian and believe in abortion.”
The 220th PC(USA) GA decided that abortion is perfectly OK, but corporal punishment of your children (e.g., spanking) is not.
cynthia: “’m certain that the average peasant in most of the Russian Empire was much poorer than the average American”
I’m sure you meant “than the average poor American”. Ours is the only country whose poor have cell phones, wide-screen TVs, and an obesity problem.
Comment by Bill B on August 22, 2012 at 8:48 am
You wrote, “Once again, self-described “founder” of the Evangelical conservative “movement”: not to defend Franky Schaeffer or anything, but aren’t you confusing him with his father?
Comment by Kristin Rudolph on August 22, 2012 at 9:12 am
Frank Schaeffer has often described his role in the early “Religious Right” movement as a “founder” and “co-founder” alongside his father. Honestly, I think his regret over his role (however small or large it was in reality) it’s what drives his vitriol toward Christian conservatives today.
Comment by Mick Lee on August 22, 2012 at 11:00 am
There is nothing the media loves more then a conservative turncoat. That he has essentially pissed on his father’s memory is the cherry on top.
Comment by cynthia curran on August 22, 2012 at 11:23 am
Frank is an interesting case, a lot of eastern orthodox politically are on the left but they don’t make a career of bashing conservative Catholics and Protestants. They are more concern in about the Franks-Roman Catholics sacking Constantinople in the 4th Crusade. England supporting the Ottoman Turks against Russia. Us supporting Turkey instead of Greece.
Comment by John Lofton on August 22, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Schaeffer truly IS an idiot who demonstrates, with a vengeance, that a mind IS a terrible thing to waste! Here’s my interview of him:
http://archive.theamericanview.com/index.php?id=1241
John Lofton, Editor
Archive.TheAmericanView.com
JohnLofton.com
Recovering Republicam
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JLof@aol.com
Comment by Kenneth Brinzer on August 23, 2012 at 6:39 am
It’s funny he should use the word “brutal” to describe the Republican Ryan who wants more diversity in our economic structure, not less. It’s not Ryan and it’s Romney who support a health care plan that would penalize or tax for non compliance. Nor is it Romney or Ryan who advocate a one-size fits all, repressive, top-down economic policy that is essentially at odds with free market activity.
Comment by J S Lang on August 27, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Back in the 1980s, Franky (as he was called then) published some evangelical books, probably expecting to be a best-selling author as his father Francis had been. For those not familiar with Francis Schaeffer, his books on theology and modernism were spiritual banquets for those of us coming of age in the 1970s. But Franky’s books didn’t sell well, and I can’t help but wonder if he felt rejected by the evangelicals, hence his present malice. His move to the Greek Orthodox church, which in his view was “more Christian” than the evangelical churches, seems to have had the same motivation. I hope dear old Francis, whom I assume to be in heaven, isn’t aware that his son and namesake seems to find pleasure in smearing the faith that Francis devoted his life to nourishing.
Comment by Mames D. Berkley on August 28, 2012 at 12:37 am
“Towing the Vatican line…”–is that like “yanking the Vatican chain”? I believe the term “toe the line,” as to stand with one’s toes right on the line perfectly, is what he intended.
I knew the Schaeffers and loved their books. I spent some time at L’Abri. Franky is a mess of a person and a disgrace to all that his parents stood for. It is a crying shame that he is the kind of person the press goes to repeatedly, as if he had any integrity or insight at all. Don’t their filters detect even the least bombast and depravity among all the sour grapes?
Comment by James D. Berkley on August 28, 2012 at 12:38 am
Chuckle. Make that James D. Berkley on the previous post.