It seems you can’t turn around anymore without hearing every possible media outlet launch into something about terrorism. There are the obvious war references, but more and more there are a growing number focusing on domestic or “homegrown” terrorism. While I don’t have a problem with that, given it’s an issue of the times, I feel that there’s a glaring omission in these reports.
Christian-faith extremists.
If you really want to talk about homegrown terrorism, why are people so shy about attaching the label where it fits? The very definition for terrorism is the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce (esp. bombing, kidnapping, and assassination) carried out for political and/or religious purposes. So why with all the abortion clinic bombings, the murders of doctors providing safe, LEGAL medical service to consenting patients, and a number of other atrocities committed under the guise of “doing God’s Work,” has that label not been used ONCE in media?
Because they’re “Christian?”
Religious extremists are religious extremists regardless of which religion is involved, so why do Christian fanatics get special consideration when it comes to their behavior? And before anyone pulls out the freedom of religion card, maybe my legal knowledge is shoddy, but last time I checked, it was still illegal to kill. Even if it’s supposedly part of your religious beliefs.
Where’s the logic behind this disconnect?
We denounce all terror! … Except when it’s Christians performing terrorist acts and spewing hate and intolerance under the guise of obeying the “Word of God!” Because that’s a good and righteous cause!
Really?
Really?
Then how can anyone possibly take all the talk of having a no-tolerance policy towards terrorism seriously? If we can’t even take an objective stance on it happening in our own country just because it’s coming from a group associated with the major religion of our citizens?
Now, I’m not saying ALL Christians are extremists. Just like in all things, there are good people and bad people. My problem lies in the reluctance to actually say the fanatics who are willing to bomb buildings and kill innocent doctors with families and lives simply based on their religious beliefs are terrorists regardless of that religion. In the apparent refusal to believe that Christians are capable of being terrorists.
When it’s some sort of international group, we collectively have no problems talking about the way fanatics are “recruited and brainwashed” from a young age to believe the same hate-filled things as their elders. So what about the children being raised to spew the same hate-filled, intolerant vitriolic nonsense as their parents and religious leaders?
Christians are right about one thing… babies come into the world perfect and without sin. You can tell because you don’t refuse to play with another kid for being different from them. It’s only after the parents and society get into their heads and fill them with their prejudices and hate that they start to reject people for not fitting in to what their parents and leaders have taught them is “right.”
How is that different? Because they’re coming from suburbia, the hate is somehow less hateful? Less dangerous? It’s even more dangerous to have such a blind-eye turned towards the kind of fanaticism it breeds.
There’s no official religion of terrorism. Just like there’s no official ethnicity or gender or age. Terrorism comes from all walks of life, all races, and every belief system. Be it from an organized religion, a group, or even atheists, there are ALWAYS fanatics.
In recent examples, if you search for the violence, destruction, and death left in the wake of Pro-life fanatic groups supposedly doing the Will of God, it reads WORSE than the crimes of some of the internationally recognized terrorist groups. And while there are non-violent Pro-Lifers, how often do you see them come out and sympathize with the fanatics by denouncing the “life choices” of the people killed?
The latest in this line of pointless tragedies is, of course, Dr. George Tiller.
There were PRESS-CONFERENCES talking about how while they don’t condone his murder, he was a murderer, and that’s what you get. They actually suggest there’s justification, and in some cases, a message of approval from God for his death. The only concern was that the murder not be turned "political" and hurt their chances of maintaining their support. And even worse, Jill Stanek, an anti-abortion activist/fanatic, came out and released both pictures as well as addresses for the remaining two late-term specialists.
AFTER Dr. Tiller’s murder.
Rather than acknowledge the tragic, flagrantly unnecessary loss of life, is this some sort of revolting “one down, two to go” to these fanatic organizations? They make no secret that they feel their religious superiority gives them greater rights to life. Time and time again, tragedy after tragedy against those who believe differently from them, they take it as a sign to continue these heinous acts.
But because they wave the banner that they’re good, God-fearing folk, it’s okay? We overlook it until someone else is tragically killed? We let them keep doing this nonsense over and over again without actually punishing them for the fullness of their terrorist crimes?
When did Christianity become a religion with this bizarre blanket immunity to fanaticism and terrorism in the eyes of Americans?
In this day and age, with terrorism so prevalent in our world, in media, in our pop culture; how does this not register as meeting every single point to earn that label? Especially give just how quickly it gets tacked on to just about everything else.
When are we going to get over the irrational refusal to call these acts what they really are?
Christian-Extremist terrorism.
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Me a terrorist?
I only bomb for Jesus.
Plus I am not brown.
It just takes one brave person (much like yourself) who is in a position of power (whether that be through politics, the media, the university, etc) to come out and say this. Perhaps Rachel Maddow could be the one to break the seal? Once it is publicly acknowledged, then everyone else who has been thinking about the way we classify terrorism will feel less pressure to not equate what we have at home to what we are so ineffectively fighting abroad. The meme is out there, it just needs to be spoken aloud.
This also reminds me of when the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said that there were no gay people in Iran. There are no terrorists in America. Riiiiiiiiight. Now stretch that head into the sand a little deeper.