Thread by @CaseyMattox_

Soon.

Still coming in.

Sohrab defines David Frenchism as a program for retreat for Christians from the public square.

French: “You torched a mighty fine strawman there.”

“Classical liberalism is a powerful weapon against the illiberal left.” - David French.

Sohrab goes right to the heart of the issue. “Drag queen story hour is a global threat. 35 chapters in the US.”

French: “35 whole chapters?!”

Sohrab refers to Albert Mohler as the closest thing that French has to a Pope. French objects.

“I do not think drag queen story hour is a crisis. It’s the consequence of free people making free choices in a free country of 320 million people.” - French.

French observes “Christians have fought for 4 decades (since Wdmar) for viewpoint neutral access to public spaces. I’m not willing to give that up for drag queen story hour.”

Sohrab’s answer is to have a hearing with Josh Hawley on drag queen story hour.

I’m not kidding.

Sohrab says French should “sit this one out” because he wrote about a lack of concern re same sex marriage in 06. Though French wrote at length soon thereafter about how he was changing his view.

French: “I will never sit out defending the Constitution.”

“Part of my Christian witness in this country is to defend the rights of those I do not agree with.” - French.

Sohrab says too much of the intellectual power of the right has been dedicated on lawyers.

French notes Sohrab also criticized him making cultural arguments.

Sohrab says “we also need a state promoting religious freedom.”

Sohrab says the culture is hostile for everyday Christians to flourish. Elites can do ok. But not others.

Douthat: “There is a lot of space between ‘have Josh Hawley hold a hearing’ and “build a Christian Republic.”

Sohrab gets to the heart of it. “You would have people settle for Bernie and his judges.” Notes French opposes Trump. French concedes he opposes Trump.

French: “Legal battles are not won and lost in a single administration.” Notes abortion rates are below where they were at the post Roe peak.

Douthat says there is an argument that the record of Christian legal advance isn’t felt by people seeing declining religious practice.

Douthat: “Isn’t Trump populism just another version of what you’re criticizing in French”?

Sohrab: “We aren’t of the world, but we are in the world. We should try to forestall the coliseum.”

“And that means not Bernie Sanders.”

French:”Do you think Bernie Sanders would bring the Coliseum? He doesn’t even have a plan to deal with @senatemajldr.”

Sohrab says civility is a secondary value.

French:: “what does this mean? What did you do in the great culture war of 2019? Well, I was an asshole on twitter.”

French: “We are to love our enemies. Is this love?”

Sohrab: “Our constitution assumes God fearing people. What do we do when our enemies are not? Founders wouldn’t say the norms set in place protect porn or drag queen story hour.”

French notes he called for revival and Sohrab called it “an idol wish that men be moral.”

French: “The school prayer cases are garbage constitutional jurisprudence.” But some of the worst days for Liberty, especially for Catholics, was when public schools were essentially sectarian but anti-Catholic. (He’s right).

Sohrab: “The classical liberal position is defensive (if THEY come to power). But a movement can’t win without going on offense.”

French: “You’ve said you would undermine viewpoint neutrality.”

Sohrab: “Yes, I would.”

French: “That’s not going on offense. It’s stupid.”

Douthat: Are there examples of using power to protect religious believers?

French notes laws on campus free speech, religious liberty, etc.

French notes that there has been a bipartisan response to the Title IX due process problem.

Sohrab questions French’s courage, notes he was only JAG. French very rightfully is indignant.

French doesn’t think there is a Protestant-Catholic divide here. Catholics have had to appeal to liberal values often because of Protestant persecution.

Sohrab says there is a difference. Historic Christianity more willing to use state.

*idle.