cognitive dissident

Glenn Greenwald writes about the inability of some right-wing commentators to handle religious criticism directed at themselves (Glenn Reynolds and Ann Althouse, in this instance) and their compatriots. Reynolds whines about the use of the word Christianist, but, as Greenwald observes, "routinely -- meaning on a weekly basis, at least -- refers to whole groups of people as ‘Islamists’ and ‘Islamofascists.’” Greenwald goes on to note that:

People like Althouse and Reynolds love to complain about the supposed religious hostility which exists towards Christians -- a whine triggered so easily that the mere use of the word "Christianist" is sufficient for us to be subjected to it -- because feeling persecuted is an insatiable need they have.

And their "evidence" for anti-Christian "bigotry" consists of nothing more than statements and sentiments that are indescribably benign and innocuous, especially compared to the hostility and scorn that spews forth from them towards "Islamists," "Islamofascists," and similar terms. In their world, referring to people who believe that the law should comport to their Christian religious beliefs as "Christianists" is "sanctimonious," "snide" and "hostile" "bigotry" -- even though they are people who use exactly the same terms, and (in Reynolds' case) much worse, to refer to Muslims.

We are now headed into the season where this type of petulant hypocrisy flows abundantly -- it is, after all, the Season of the War on Christmas -- and it's good to see these two nonpartisan, above-it-all, "swing-voter"/professors are getting such an early start on the persecution festivities. [emphasis added]

update (11/26 @ 9:27am):
Greenwald has updated the original post five separate times, both to demolish several responses to his piece and to briefly discuss the history of the word Christianism.