Keith Olbermann: Today’s Worst Person In The World

I like Keith Olbermann.

I’ve liked him ever since his days as Dan Patrick’s partner on ESPN’s SportsCenter, through his transition to his current role as a Bill-O’Reilly-esque social commentator on MSNBC. Imagine my disappointment, then, when I heard him essentially say that belief there is only one way to God, that person is the “worst person in the world”. Let me explain.

Last night before bed, I was watching a bit of late-night TV with my wife. After flipping around the channels, we settled on Countdown, Olbermann’s show on MSNBC. On it, he offers pithy, provocative, and often insightful opinions on the prominent news stories of the day, featuring in-studio guests, and making jabs at both the left and right of the political spectrum (with a good helping of smackdown reserved for his nemesis, O’Reilly). One of his regular features is a called “Today’s Worst Person in the World”, chronicling the antics of the latest villian du jour. It’s often an honor reserved for O’Reilly, but on last night’s episode it was bestowed upon a former colleague of Keith’s, John Gibson, who’s currently a commentator for Fox News Channel. Gibson’s offense? Believing that religions other than his own (presumably some form of Christianity) are “wrong”, and saying so publically. Scandalous!

Quoting Olbermann . . .

Selling his new book about this phony baloney war on Christmas, John revealed a very ugly side to himself. He is one of those people who think all religions but his are mistaken. You know, the way a lot of these religious nut bag terrorists think. I would think, Gibby said on a syndicated radio show “if somebody is going to be — have to answer for following the wrong religion, they are not going to have to answer to me. We know who they’re going to have to answer to.”

I’d tell you which religion, John thinks is the only one that’s right, but what’s the difference? It’s not the faith that’s the issue. It’s the intolerance. John Gibson, today’s worst person in the world.

Apparently, to KO, the mere belief that there’s only one way to God is akin to the thought of terrorists. I’m aware of the disdain with which such beliefs are often met in this country, but talk about hyperbole. What Keith is apparently saying here is the inverse of what Gibby said: “The only religion that’s ‘wrong’ is that which says other religions are wrong.” I guess it’s not “intolerance” to point to one particular religion as being wrong. Such self-defeating “logic” staggers the mind.

Quoting KO again, this time refuting talk show host Janet Parshall, who was interviewing Gibson . . .

And by the way, don’t you get this creepy feeling of embarrassment when somebody trying desperately to be holier-than-thou, promptly mis-quotes the bible?

“I serve a god who, with a finger of fire,” you just heard Janet Parshall say, “wrote, he will have no other gods before him.

Actually, Ms. Parshall, as any of us who’ve actually read the bible know, the first commandment is “thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

That’s not just a difference in pronouns. He’s demanding exclusivity from those who believe in him. Nothing in there saying other people can’t serve other gods in which they believe.

Could someone please open a Bible (which he’s supposedly read) for Mr. Olbermann and point him to Jesus’ claim of himself being the only way to God in John 14? Perhaps if he wants to stay in the Old Testament, show him the myriad of times YHWH is referred to as “the one true God” or something similar, or when he punished (or even killed) those who bowed before false deities.

If you’re going to call someone out for misrepresenting Scripture, Keith, please make sure you don’t do the very same thing in the next sentence out of your mouth.

To Olbermann’s credit, Gibson did say some things which could truly be seen as “intolerance” during his interview. He stated that as long as people of other religions behave themselves and are civil, then the US should “allow” them to stay here. Well, Gibs . . . contrary to what most of my fellow evangelicals say, this ain’t a “Christian nation”. Sorry. Even if 60% of Americans claim to be “Christians”, it doesn’t quite work out that way in the way people live (which is the true test). Even so, this country was founded on a principle of religious freedom. Part of what makes Americans Americans is the fact that we can practice (or not practice) whatever religion we believe to be true. When it comes down to it, yes, there is truth and there is falsehood . . . but that is not, nor should it be, a litmus test as to one’s suitability to reside in this nation.

Now, do I really think Olbermann to be the “worst person in the world”? Of course not. There are many worse, probably including myself (and even if there weren’t, none have provided me the hours and hours of entertainment that ol’ KO has). He’s an entertainer, just like O’Reilly, and as an entertainer, he will say things that appeal to his existing audience, and that will hook new viewers. Additionally, he’s a Unitarian-Universalist, so one would expect him to believe that any religion that says there’s only one way is eeee-ville. Still, I long for the days when it was his job to talk about baseball, football, and basketball . . . not matters of faith, diversity, and “tolerance”.

But who am I, anyway? Just a 27-year-old kid with a computer, a conviction, and a weblog to tell it. Just a kid who is grateful to God for being gracious and merciful enough to provide some way, even if it’s the only way, to know him.

Even to the worst people in the world.

(Tags: Keith Olbermann, Olbermann, Countdown, MSNBC, John Gibson, Janet Parshall, intolerance, religious intolerance)