Topic: WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily published an excerpt from WND managing editor David Kupelian's new book "How Evil Works" in which he explores "what causes an innocent child to morph into an instrument of great evil":
Let's understand, even a violent philosophy like that of radical Islam isn't necessarily sufficient, by itself, to create a rage-fueled jihadist. No, you become full of hate and driven to violate others only when someone else first violates you – when a parent, older sibling, teacher, cleric or other authority figure intimidates, frightens, degrades, bullies, humiliates or perhaps sexually abuses you. And such cruelty and degradation are, unfortunately, endemic in much of the Islamic world. Its rigid, authoritarian religious system, the near-slave status and abuse of women, the suffocating sexual repression, the widespread incidence of what can only be called the world's most flagrant child abuse (where even toddlers are groomed for future "martyrdom operations"), and the pervasive fear of flogging, amputation or stoning if one runs afoul of the ultra-strict Sharia legal code – all this creates an environment reeking of quiet terror. No wonder its victims take to terrorism so readily.
Yet WND once defended a man calling himself a Christian who behaved in a very similar way.
As we detailed, WND repeatedly lionized a man who, according to court records, "has a long history of physically abusing the children." More evidence of the man's authoritarianism from the court records:
He will not permit the children to attend school. He will not permit them to receive childhood vaccinations. He will not permit the girls to wear pants at home. He will not permit birth certificates. There is evidence that mother does not interfere with his discipline of the children and his rules. There is evidence she does not make even tentative decisions in dependency matters but rather defers issues until father can make decisions on them. Several of the children gave answers to the social worker, forensic evaluator, and the court that have all the appearance of reflecting what the children were told to say or believed father would want them to say or not say.
And yes, there was sexual abuse -- one of the children was allegedly abused by a family friend.
Why did WND praise such a vile man? Because he claimd to be a Christian and he homeschooled his (terrified) children -- never mind that the court found the "education" being provided to be horribly inadequate. Even after these revelations about this man were made public by ConWebWatch, WND continued to defend him -- because he homeschooled. The man claimed he homeschooled because, in WND reporter Bob Unruh's words, "he won't allow the pro-homosexual, pro-bisexual, pro-transgender agenda of California's public schools ... to indoctrinate his children."
(WND's defense of a man who refused to provide his children with birth certificates is highly ironic given WND's current obsession with Barack Obama's certificate.)
Is there any real difference between this man Kupelian's organization defended and the Islamic extremism Kupelian claims to deplore? We don't see it. If there is one, perhaps Kupelian can enlighten us.
UPDATE: Kupelian also purports to condemn the "toxic programming" of indoctrination, adding that "for such outrageous and counter-intuitive falsehoods to be both believed and acted upon, those being indoctrinated must be kept in a very emotional state." That's something Kupelian's website has regularly done by repeatedly likening President Obama to Nazis and even the Antichrist -- not to mention the incessant hate WND's columnists spew (prison rapist, anyone?).
Could it be that Kupelian is such an expert on the subject of dehumanizing indoctrination because his entire career is built on disseminating it?
