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Why is Christian terrorism downplayed in the U.S.?
When Muslims commit violence against the innocent to further their ideological or political agenda, they are called, appropriately, Muslim terrorists. But when Christians do the same, they are rarely called Christian terrorists. Why not?
The FBI deems terrorism the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. [Emphasis mine.] By that definition, Robert Lewis Dear, the North Carolina Baptist who is accused of killing three people and wounding nine in a shooting rampage last week at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs with an alleged ideological purpose, should be called a Christian terrorist.
So should many others, like Eric Rudolph, the Olympic Park Bomber who committed a number of anti-abortion and anti-gay-motivated bombings in the 1990s which killed two people and injured over 120 others; Timothy McVeigh, the Roman Catholic who bombed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168 people and wounding more than 600; and Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian Lutheran who killed eight people in 2011 with a bomb in Oslo, then shot dead 69 participants at a youth summer camp in order to protect his country from a Muslim takeover.
But so far, I have not seen anyone in the mainstream media use the phrase Christian terrorist to describe a Protestant or Catholic who commits terrorism.....
<snip>
At the National Prayer Breakfast this year, President Barack Obama said, No God condones terror. He claimed that the Islamic State is warping religion: As people of faith, we are summoned to push back against those who try to distort our religionany religionfor their own nihilistic ends.
But Obama, like most Christians, is the one who is distorting his religion. In the bible, his own deity actually uses the word terror to describe his intentions:
A terror from God fell upon the cities. Genesis 35:5 NRSV
I will send my terror in front of you. Exodus 23:27 NRSV
I will bring terror on you. Leviticus 26:16 NRSV
. . . all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy 34:12 KJV
Hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord. Isaiah 2:105 NRSV
The terrors of God are arrayed against me. Job 6:4 NRSV
I was in terror of calamity from God. Job 31:23 NRSV
They shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous. Psalms 14:5 NRSV
I will make them an object of terror and of plunder. Ezekiel 23:46 NRSV
The God of the bible is a self-confessed terrorist.
Much more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/freethoughtnow/why-is-christian-terrorism-downplayed-in-the-u-s/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pan+Patheos+120215+%281%29&utm_content&spMailingID=50161757&spUserID=MTQxMDAwNzQzMTc2S0&spJobID=820393217&spReportId=ODIwMzkzMjE3S0
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Keep in mind that those making a huge deal of this being a "Muslim problem" are the potentially violent rightwingers who happen to be Christian.
Photographer
(1,142 posts)but with many off the wall evangelicals getting a lot of air time often with politicians, they damage the "brand."
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Last edited Sat Dec 5, 2015, 07:10 PM - Edit history (1)
The only difference at this moment is the lack of an official call for violence by Christian sects. It's happened in the past, and it could happen again.
And it's not like Muslims as a whole are calling of a jihad against all non-Muslims.
niyad
(113,336 posts)abortions, for all women (but not the men) who commit adultery, for obstreperous teens. oh, I guess it doesn't count because the "leadership" isn't doing the calling. ssdd.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)That was my immediate thought also. If nothing else, the unsupported statement, "no organization of Christians is calling..." certainly illustrates how bias can so absolutely blind us to such obvious messages communicated by religious leaders via every mechanism other than verbal (e.g., 'Physician Wanted' posters), or how easily organizations such as The Army of God (an underground terrorist organization as per both Homeland and the DoJ) can be forgotten if we are unable to fit their existence into our prejudices.
onecaliberal
(32,863 posts)linuxman
(2,337 posts)He was born into Christianity and had small interactions with it in his life, but it played zero role in the OKC attack.
Regarding the others, I'm not aware of anyone who doesn't know these guys had Christian ideology behind their crimes. Hardly what I'd call downplayed in that regard.
valerief
(53,235 posts)terrorists. This is not the time.
Cuz it's NEVER the time to say Christian Terrorist in America, no matter how true it is.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)They refuse to acknowledge acts of terror carried out by followers of radical Christianity (because it's their own people who are carrying out those acts).
Photographer
(1,142 posts)+100
napkinz
(17,199 posts)for additional graphics and articles see http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027417248
Photographer
(1,142 posts)haikugal
(6,476 posts)It was a family joke...knowing how to hold your mouth...it helped you get things done.
ileus
(15,396 posts)Hint you have to actually be a practicing christian to be a Christian, and even then 9 or 10 folks that claim to be Christian aren't.
But anyway, you got all those wascally christians with your great biblical knowledge.
If only we could out law Christianity....ammiright?
Photographer
(1,142 posts)Are you the arbiter of who is or isn't a Christian? Besides, if it's only "9 or 10" folks out of the millions here in America that aren't REAL Christians... That's really not that many at all.
You are assuming a lot with your characterization of how well versed I may or may not be in things biblical.
whatthehey
(3,660 posts)Eric Rudolph and Scott Roeder were just closet atheists not at all motivated by belief eh? Arthur Shelton just disagreed with his roommate over sugar in his porridge?
And if you'd like to compare biblical knowledge with me, please tell me when and how you'd like to do that.
xfundy
(5,105 posts)This BS about "True christians" and who is or isn't is just what the christianists put out there. I don't care if they followed all the tenets or did all the rosaries. If they claim to be christian, they are christian. Otherwise, all others who make that claim are lying.
meow2u3
(24,764 posts)Maybe we ought to outlaw right-wing fundamentalism instead. This way, moderate and liberal Christians won't run afoul of the law.
niyad
(113,336 posts)Matrosov
(1,098 posts)McVeigh was an anti-government nut. He wasn't killing in the name of God, in his mind he was killing in the name of freedom.
If Syed Farook had snapped over some work-related issue and then gone and shot up his workplace, he would've been a terrorist who happened to be Muslim.
However, since Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik shot up his workplace in the name of God and to show support for ISIS, they were Muslim terrorists.
GummyBearz
(2,931 posts)LALALALA! WORKPLACE VIOLENCE! I CANT HEAR ANYTHING ELSE! LALALA!
napkinz
(17,199 posts)napkinz
(17,199 posts)Johnyawl
(3,205 posts)The terrorist god of the Christians is the same terrorist god of Islam is the same terrorist god of the Jews.