British reality TV stars are somehow more vulgar and tactless than ours, which is surprising since I’ve seen a few episodes of “Jersey S...
British reality TV stars are somehow more vulgar and tactless than ours, which is surprising since I’ve seen a few episodes of “Jersey Shore” and I know how insipid ours can be.
However, Andy West may have set some sort of new low bar for this sort of thing, all thanks to a vile series of messages on Twitter in which he wrote that the Christian victims of Sunday’s Sri Lankan terror attacks oughtn’t be prayed for because he once saw missionaries try to convert people in the wake of another disaster, or something.
West, according to the New York Post, is a 34-year-old famous for being on the U.K.’s version of “Big Brother.” This is the TV show where you essentially live in a house, get recorded 24 hours a day, complete tasks and win by being the last person not voted out of the domicile by viewers. In other words, this guy is basically famous for, in some sense, being at least somewhat likable (he came in fourth in the competition, according to the Irish Examiner.)
Just keep that in mind for the remainder of this article, difficult though it may be.
So thus it began shortly after the attacks, which have claimed over 300 lives thus far:
“There is no excuse for terror attacks against innocent people but as a journalist I saw Western Christian missionaries unscrupulpusly [sic] converting Buddhist orphans for food and shelter after the Asian tsunami,” he wrote. “Don’t send your prayers.”
This has to be one of the least self-aware tweets I’ve ever seen. Basically, West said, “Christians got killed. But I allegedly saw other Christians do something bad. So don’t pray for the Christians who got killed. They deserved it because of what the other Christians did.”
The rest of the thread devolved into what a monologue by a lead-poisoned Sam Harris must sound like:
Zealotry? Perish the thought, especially when it’s being called out by someone trying to convince the Twitter ether that the Christians who were killed kind of had it coming.
Other Twitter users weren’t terribly impressed with this line of thinking.
“Good lord man have some decency,” one user wrote.
“I hate it when stupid people think they have interesting or informed opinions,” Quillette editor and journalist Andy Ngo wrote. “Over 200 people were killed & hundreds others injured in suicide bombings that ripped limb from limb and this is one of your first thoughts? What the hell is wrong with you?”
The criticism didn’t seem to faze him, however.
And, apparently, this was the message he went to bed on:
And what better place to learn the reason horrible things happen than a guy who thought of belittling Christian missionaries on a day over 300 Christians died.
Again, this guy is partially famous because he’s supposed to be likable. Just saying.
I’m not sure what this man experienced during the Asian tsunami. I know enough from this odious thread that I would question the veracity of his observations, but whatever — let’s believe him, every word. Let’s assume that he witnessed Christians, in the aftermath of one of the worst tragedies of this century, doing something absolutely horrible.
How does this make it acceptable for him to apply this limited sample to all Christians and say the whole isn’t deserving of prayers (which don’t work anyway)?
How is this not hatred?
Pray not just for the victims of the Sri Lanka attacks, Christian and non-Christian.
Pray, too, for Andy West. From looking at his Twitter feed, God knows he needs it.
Last times I looked Catholics ARE CHRISTIAN!!!! duh
ReplyDelete...they could be any kind of person...(except the sociopath political, military and religious leadership)...and it's still a sick comment. Imagine for a moment...if all of the divisiveness, anger, hatred and killing that humans are encouraged to engage in just stopped fora few days. Imagine looking at our..."leaders"... who are thugs...and just have everyone say..."no, go do it yourself...go kill everyone yourself, leave us out of it". Too bad humanity is not genetically programed to be so.
ReplyDeleteRJ O'Guillory
...his 15 minutes of fame is fading, he is begging for likes or re-tweets...(as though they define him as a person)...and he is desperate to keep his fading light shining. Thus the ignorant...and cruel comments. I make ignorant and cruel comments against those who try to condemn me, make fun of me, or are attempting to steal my freedoms and liberties. I consider those people my enemy in a war designed to steal my rights, and country. I make hateful comments about my corrupt government and the people who occupy those positions of power. I hate the corrupt ones...(meaning most)...and wouldn't mind if their planes accidentally hit the side of a mountain. I'm not even religious. But to have that demeanor...and to write those words in the aftermath of 300 dead...and so much carnage...is a pretty sick action. It's like..."The 5 Dancing Israelis"...they caught on 911 over in New Jersey filming, with prior knowledge of the event, who were celebrating and dancing as the towers imploded. Sick, treasonous people.
ReplyDeleteRJ O'Guillory
Fk you Andy West....I hope you die a wonderfully painful death of your faggot induced AIDS....
ReplyDeleteBTW, the victims were Catholic, not Christian. Sad loss either way.
ReplyDeleteI can see it isn't charity. I was being sarcastic. Your comment shows the cruelty and general nastiness that we see so often from people who declare themselves to be Christians.
ReplyDeleteThere's that wonderful, loving, Christian charity again.
ReplyDeleteOnly members of your sect are real Christians?
ReplyDeleteThe followers of Jesus have such generosity of spirit!
It's not charity....it's the fking TRUTH!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis punk would be the first to tell you not to judge all of the people of a group by the actions of individuals within the group who make a mistake .Except Christians of course!
ReplyDeleteWe're just standing up for ourselves....what's wrong with that?
ReplyDeleteThat you see wishing someone a painful death, and coupling it with the abusive term "faggot", as "standing up for yourself" shows that cruelty again.
ReplyDelete(Standing up for yourselves? What happened to "turn the other cheek"?)
The writer of the article really is standing up for Christians by showing how illogical it is for West to withhold sympathy on the basis of the bad actions of the Christian missionaries, and, although I agree that prayer does nothing for those prayed for (it may comfort those who are praying), his final wish that you pray for Andy West is much closer to the proclaimed Christian ideal.