Rushing up the score (Christian Right applaudes)

Ethics Daily's Robert Parham calls Christian Right endorsement of Rush Limbaugh's moral vision "a betrayal of the moral vision found in the biblical witness, " and not "an American value."

Limbaugh told the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference:

See, this is something liberals will never understand about the United States of America and it's right under their noses, right in front of their faces, we are a competitive people. . . . The liberals have made efforts to shut that aspect of our nature down. Wherever you live, I am certain that you, when you were a child or your kids today in youth sports are told not to keep score, because the losers, it's just not fair. They'd be humiliated, especially if one girl's basketball team can defeat another one 100 to nothing. And let's fire the coach who put that game together. It's so unfair. So let's not keep score. Well, here's the dirty little secret. The kids are keeping score. [Applause] . . . We're competitive people. Adults are doing the same thing.

He was referring to a 100-0 win by Dallas-based Covenant School over Dallas Academy: A member of “Council of Exceptional Children, International Dyslexia Association, Learning Disability Association of Texas, and Orton Dyslexia Society."

Specifically, Barry Horn of The Dallas Morning News wrote:

Dallas Academy is known for its work with students who have learning problems, such as short attention spans and concentration. Dallas Academy headmaster Jim Richardson said those problems sometimes manifest themselves on the court.

Where we come from, running up the score is always bad sportsmanship. To offer it in this case as admirable reeks of Social Darwinism.