Internet Cowards

Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@lazarusunbound.com

Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

November 1, 2006 - When I was traveling the country on speaking tours, I encountered about every kind of professing "christian" you can imagine... Papists, Arminians, Charismatics, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists and those of a hundred other sects. I have stood for hours answering questions from hostile crowds of over 300 people. In hundreds of speaking engagements I encountered 10's of thousands of people in over 80 cities in America and several foreign countries. During that time I received dozens and dozens of anonymous death threats that continue to this day; I have had people drive thousands of miles to show up unannounced at our farm just to "look me in the eye", and I have had organized campaigns designed to keep me off the radio, or to cancel my speaking engagements. I have had "churches" who had invited me to speak - subsequently kick me out and disfellowship their own members because I taught on the Doctrines of Grace openly. I have been assured that if I ever travel to Northern Ireland that I won't live through the first day (by the way, I'm still looking forward to an invitation to Ireland so I can take them up on that). In Australia our enemies anonymously canceled our meeting room at a Perth University, and plastered professional "cancelled" stickers on all of our posters. When we carried on with the meeting, they smashed out windows in several of the vehicles in the parking lots. I was told in an e-mail that if I ever came back to Kansas City, I would regret it. The next meeting I had in Kansas City was attended by over 400 people, including about 20 FEMA employees who videotaped my accusations against them. The man who made the anonymous threat didn't show. I was publicly threatened with bodily harm in front of about 40 people in Denver, Colorado by a fire-breathing maniac who threatened to end my meeting if I dared go on... but he left in a huff without doing anything.

These are all signs of the times. But there is no more evident sign of the degradation of man and his hopeless condition than the proliferation and even exaltation of cowardice via the Internet.

I get beat up on the Internet almost every day, and I expect it and don't lose a bit of sleep over it. Most of the time I don't even take the time to reply, because simple ad hominem attacks are usually the last refuge of those who are bereft of ideas and who cannot win in a debate over the actual things that I teach, write, or say. The Internet is an interesting phenomenon in history because for the first time literally MILLIONS of anonymous and honourless gnats have the opportunity to puff out their chests and wag their fingers in public without the threat of having to face the men they attack. Once upon a time a man, during his formative years, had to actually choose whether, in his life, he would be honourable or a coward, a man or a mouse:

"I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave." E. M. Forster (1879 - 1970)

Honour once was the sign of manhood and defined who was, and who was not, worthy of our time and energy.

"Mine honour is my life, both grow in one. Take honour from me, and my life is done. Then, dear my liege, mine honour let me try; In that I live, and for that I will die." — William Shakespeare, Richard II (1.1.182-18)

The formation of the American Republic involved a bunch of outmatched but brave white guys who pledged to one another their lives, their fortunes and their "sacred Honour". The warning I have given to some is echoed by C.S. Lewis who said, "We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."

In the South, particularly, where chivalry and honour were not dead, men were raised to never say behind a man's back, what you will not say to his face. Three of the most oft' quoted "rules" of chivalry were:

These "rules" have been replaced by the new code of the Internet:

The great Southern General Robert E. Lee said,

"There is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man's face and another behind his back."

To that I would add that the only man more scurrilous than the one who speaks daggers behind a man's back, is the one who does so but is afraid to show his face.

Some will reply that anonymity is necessary, because "the cause is important, and to speak out puts our families at risk", which is to say, "bravery, honour, and courage are great, so long as they don't get you hurt". Defenders of the anonymous want honour without suffering, and war without risk. "I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity" (Robert E. Lee). The problem is not that these men are concerned about the safety of their families, because even brave, honourable and very public men have these concerns; the problem is that these men are without conscience, and desire to lie without repurcussion, and slander without risk. It is laughable and sad (and a sign of the times) that any man would dare put "Confederate" on a website that defends lying, slander, and anonymous bomb throwing without responsibility.

"What is life without honor? Degradation is worse than death." (Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson).

"Never take counsel of your fears." (Stonewall Jackson)

"Duty is ours: consequences are God's" (Stonewall Jackson)

Unhappily there are neo-confederate movements afoot that lack the honour and integrity of Jackson and Lee. It is easy to post the word "confederate" on your blog, and to sprinkle it with copious pictures and quotes of the honoured dead, but a thorough review of many of these sites wouldn't uncover a teaspoon of testosterone in the lot.

A man should apologize and repent when he is proven wrong, stand up when he thinks he is right, hold up his head even when many want to take it off, "never do a wrong thing to make a friend or keep one" (R.E. Lee), and if a man is willing to repent, then he that has been wronged should "not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He can not only forgive; he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which imparts sufficient strength to let the past be put the past." (R.E. Lee)

I am convinced that the Internet will be the downfall of many souls who otherwise would have never been willing to voice their lies and slanders, slanders for which they will one day give an account; and I am further convinced that many others are being led astray in honouring or following the anonymous siren songs of comfortable cowards who, in another age, would not have dared to lift their heads or their voices before real men of honour. Sadly, today's honoured confederate poet is but a teenaged Star Wars dreamer, lost in fantasy, wielding a light-sabre on YouTube.

It is a Sign of the Times, and it is sad to behold.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker