Same Difference

I never understood why people would use that phrase, "same difference". If something is the same, it is not different, no? But I thought of it when I read a somewhat snarky Washington Post article today on a new web-based newscast by some al-Qaida wannabes called Voice of the Caliphate. It's filled with several weird vignettes, but the real kicker comes near the end of the article:

The final segment was about Hurricane Katrina. "The whole Muslim world was filled with joy" at the disaster, the anchorman said. He went on to say that President Bush was "completely humiliated by his obvious incapacity to face the wrath of God, who battered New Orleans, city of homosexuals." Hurricane Ophelia's brush with North Carolina was also mentioned.

The over the top language is kind of funny, or at least silly. It makes these guys sound like twelve year old boys trying to sound tough. But sadly, it also reminded me of the kind of thing many Christians, including some rather prominent leaders and writers were saying after December's tsunami devastated the Aceh region of Indonesia.

When the tone and level of analysis of supposedly seasoned Christian leaders and young Islamists playing dress up start to sound alike, something has clearly gone wrong.