Christians Incensed Over Afghan Trial

And yet another bulletin from the front lines of the Christian War on Morality...

An AP story quotes several Christians who are outraged over the trial of an Afghani man named Abdul Rahman, who stands in violation of Sharia law by converting to Christianity. Apostasy in Islam calls for no less than the death penalty.

Christian Martyr Power, activate!

Naturally, the American Christian powers-that-be are weighing in. Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council:

"That there should even be such a trial is an outrage. How can we congratulate ourselves for liberating Afghanistan from the rule of jihadists only to be ruled by radical Islamists who kill Christians? Americans will not give their blood and treasure to prop up new Islamic fundamentalist regimes. Religious freedom is not just 'an important element' of democracy; it is its cornerstone. Religious persecution leads inevitably to political tyranny. Five hundred years of history confirm this. Americans have not given their lives so that Christians can be put to death."

Former Nixon aide and current minister Chuck Colson said,

"I have supported the Bush administration's foreign policy because I came to believe that the best way to stop Islamo-fascism was by promoting democracy," Colson said. "But if we can't guarantee fundamental religious freedoms in the countries where we establish democratic reforms, then the whole credibility of our foreign policy is thrown into serious question."

Indeed. I find it interesting that it takes a Christian being threatened in another country for American Christians to wax poetic about "religious freedom." I wonder if we'd hear a peep from either of them if the Afghan government wanted to execute an atheist apostate instead. I'm also reminded of the John Walker Lindh case from the beginning of the Afghanistan invasion- I don't recall hearing much sympathy for a Christian apostate-turned Muslim.

Ironically, Mr. Rahman is suspected of being mentally ill, and may not even be capable of standing trial. Of course, since religion is itself a mental illness, that means the whole proceeding and protest is nothing more than the manifestation of insanity.