Randall Terry is running a contest on his website called the “Burn in Hell” Contest and he’s calling on pro-lifers to burn Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in effigy on Halloween, video it, send it to Terry, and win prizes such as books autographed by Terry.
Oh boy. On the video below (available at his site) he gives instructions how to download pictures of Reid and Pelosi and get them all nice and ready for faux fiery perdition and how to get local press to cover it.
Who does this help? Seriously. I mean other than Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. And don’t give me the “oh he’s just raising awareness.” Because there isn’t anybody who’s not hooked up to life support that doesn’t know that abortion is a hot button issue in the Democrat’s healthcare plan.
This kind of thing turns off the very people who we’re trying to convince. But as is typical of Terry’s antics, they appear to be more about Randall Terry getting noticed than shining a spotlight on the issue of abortion.
October 29, 2009 at 8:43 am
Gross. That's really awful. Now I have something else to pray about during "40 days of life"
October 29, 2009 at 11:52 am
Yikes! In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, "What a maroon!"
eh, God bless 'im, poor guy.
October 29, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I definitely agree with you. This is not productive at all. I can't imagine what Randall Terry is thinking, but I believe he is hurting the pro-life cause and not helping with this kind of stunt. Come on Randall, grow up!
October 29, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I agree. Burning people in effigy is not really consistent with loving one's enemies. That's not to say I would be upset if Pelosi and Reid got run over by a bus, but I pray for their conversion.
October 29, 2009 at 1:23 pm
"Burning people in effigy is not really consistent with loving one's enemies."
Right. It's actually more consistent with how the American colonists behaved leading up to the Revolution. And we all know how "productive" that was.
They used to tar and feather people too. Give the man credit for some restraint.
October 29, 2009 at 1:39 pm
David,
I would say these are different times and and we have different resources. Burning folks in effigy is no longer an effective method of communicating a message of frustration with policy makers.
Secondly, although I personally don't believe it is meant to be threatening, burning Pelosi and Reid in effigy has the appearance of being threatening. I really don't believe that appearance helps spread a pro-life message. Sorry, I just don't see how it is helping at all.
October 29, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I do respect this post.
Moreover…
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/doctor-killing-zealots-hold-online-f
October 29, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Okay, so I admit that Neiwert goes a bit over-the-top when he implies that Scalia wants to legalize the shooting of abortionists. I simply wanted to bring up a set of more-or-less relevant facts.
October 29, 2009 at 3:47 pm
"I would say these are different times and and we have different resources."
Why? What resources?
"Burning folks in effigy is no longer an effective method of communicating a message of frustration with policy makers."
What is more effective? How is it working so far?
"Sorry, I just don't see how it is helping at all."
I can see that. And I'm sorry too, but what I can't see is the basis for anything you just wrote.
October 29, 2009 at 4:22 pm
David,
I read your comments on CMR on a regular basis and I normally agree with most of what you write. I happen to disagree with you on this.
Wouldn't you agree we have more effective resources at hand than we did prior to the American Revolution? Technology is one of the resources I was thinking of. Haven't you seen dozens of beautifully produce videos that express our pro-life view better than a burnt effigy? Are these videos effective in converting folks like Pelosi and Reid? I'd say no, but I highly doubt that Pelosi will have a change of heart if she sees an image of herself go up in flames.
I'm an active pro-lifer. I've marched in the March for Life, prayed in front of abortion mills, planted Green Scapulars at Planned Parenthoods, prayed the Rosary for the end to abortion. I think Randall Terry is looking like a nut when he promotes stunts such as this. If a pro-lifer sees it this way, what do you think the average Joe sees? The world paints with a broad brush. If they believe Terry is a nut, they'll believe it of all pro-lifers. How can that possibly help?
I have high regard for you, David. I'm sure you'll pick up on all the holes in my points. This type of stuff is not my forte, but this post really struck a nerve for me, and I really think Randall Terry will do more harm than good with this campaign. That is just my very humble opinion. To be honest, I hope you are right.
October 29, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Desperate times call for desperate measures?
We are sitting here, looking at a national health bill that includes abortion in its services. The one Democrat who seemed to be willing to stand against the tide and rally his cohorts is….drifting? A president who is clearly in favor of just about everything I stand against is willing to sell it all. Will I be paying for some woman's abortion some day?
I can't get too upset with Randall Terry right now – right, wrong, wise, unwise.
October 29, 2009 at 6:10 pm
When I read this, I was tempted to post something on my own blog about it (as we have different "audiences"). But then I thought about it and realized that you're giving this guy just what he wants – attention.
I decided to ignore him. THAT ought to tick him off.
October 29, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I'm not so quick to judge Randall Terry.
Having spoken with several ('on the ground'/not bloggers) prolife leaders in the DC area, leaders of Operation Outcry (post abortive women), I re-considered my initial outrage about these seemingly awful, honestly outrageous tactics.
Abortion is outrageous, awful; still going on. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with doing EVERYTHING, absolutely EVERYTHING you can think of that you think (outside of intrinsically evil acts), that might work.
Examine your conscience tonight–"Have I done everything I can within my station in life to save the unborn and their mothers from abortion?" "I spent time complaining about Randall Terry. No I didn't call my congressman, no I didn't pray for the unborn, no I didn't recieve our Lord in the Eucharist, didn't pray the Rosary, didn't call Randall per his website to tell him what I think…I just complained"
"Encourage each other while it is still today." Office of Readings
October 30, 2009 at 3:07 am
Thank you, Randall Terry,
You have given me proof once again that the pro-life movement is full of nut jobs who should be stopped at any cost.
October 30, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I am the woman in the “Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid Burn in Hell Protest” training video. I'd like to say why I did the video and why we think it is effective. First, it's a Christian imperative to admonish sinners; so warning Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid of the eternal consequence of their actions is a duty that we all have. A visual like this is often more effective than words alone, because the visuals stay in someone's mind longer and thereby make a more powerful impact on their soul. Our intention was to give them a warning so that they could repent, and so that TAX-PAYER FUNDED BABY-KILLING WOULD BE TAKEN OUT OF THE HEALTH CARE BILL.
Second, while we do not know who is or who is not moved to reconsider their pro-child-killing position because of the controversial activities we do, we do know that it continues the debate — on the street, in the halls of the Congress and Senate, and in the press. People talk about what we do because it is controversial, and in doing so they talk about baby-killing; baby-killing then ceases to be the "settled issue" they want it to be.
Finally, the fact that what we are doing is effective is proved by the fact that people complain about it. How many pro-life activities get complaints the way ours do? If your enemies aren't complaining about what you are doing, it might mean that those activities are not a threat to them. A pro-child-killing
Senate staffer complained to me once regarding our preaching and lobbying efforts in the morning outside the Congressional office buildings: "These pro-lifers are outside my building every morning on the way to work…I don't want to see all these dead baby pictures when I'm going to work every morning — why can't they be like those other pro-lifers who just politely converse with others about their position?"
It's not that the group of us who do these things think that these actions alone are going to bring about an end to legalized-child-killing — but we do hope that they create the controversy and tension necessary (as Martin Luther King spoke about in his "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" which I recommend you read) to end it. To see more of our efforts and philosophy go to http://www.OverturnRoe.com and http://www.InsurrectaNex.com.
October 30, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Diana,
Out of curiosity, when did Martin Luther King Jr. burn anyone in effigy?
If nothing else, people like you are useful for a good laugh.
October 31, 2009 at 4:15 am
All things in truth and charity… even for our 'enemies'… damning people to hell won't save babies (or mothers). Let's pray for Pelosi and Reid, as tough as that may be… In the words of Fr. Frank Pavone after infamous abortionist Tiller's death, "we want their conversion, not their death." If we are truly TRULY pro-life, then we even respect the lives and souls of Pelosi and Reid (and other pro-death politicians.) After all, it wasn't the zealots who overthrew Rome… but sacrificial love.
October 31, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I agree – truth and love are both for us and for our enemies; however, I am reluctant to decide who is showing sacrificial love and who is not, and who is truly, truly pro-life and who is not. Only God knows what is in men's (and women's:-) hearts, and I don't think that it looks the same for all of us, or at least, that is my experience.
October 31, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Sometimes good intentions are not good enough. If it is counterproductive, then it hurts the unborn rather than help them. There are the human virtues of prudence and temperance that needs to be utilized specially by people who are serving God in the public square. I know that God can fix our faux pas but sometimes we're just giving Him too much work unnecessarily. There's also fraternal correction and that needs to be employed in this case. We don't want to turn him off but just redirect his energies.
November 1, 2009 at 2:18 am
A few months ago, the Washington Post ran a rather lengthy article about pro-abortion med school students who are questioning whether they really want to be involved in abortion, at all. It isn't that they don't believe in "choice", but rather that they are concerned about the climate in our country regarding abortion. In other words, they are scared, and that fear is impacting their decision to practice abortions. After the few clips that I saw from Law and Order online and the outrage that is pouring from feminist and anti-abortion websites over that episode, I don't believe that I can judge what works and what doesn't. Or what God uses and what He doesn't. I don't think we know the impact, nor can we know the impact, of elements of the pro-life movement with whom we may differ, in terms of method. Does it look good? No. Is that the final determination? Probably not. Did I burn Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in effigy? No – not my gig, but this feels like it borders on a freedom of speech thing to me.