…of Tavis Smiley. I was amazed when I hear that the only actual example he had of Christian violence was Columbine. In fact, the killers offered to spare the life of one of the students if she would renounce her faith in God (though I doubt if they’d have kept the promise if she’d done so). She refused, and they shot her.
Of course, this moron probably believes that Tim McVeigh was a Christian, too. I know that if I were a Christian I would be ashamed to hear Tavis Smiley declare himself one.
Oh, and slightly related: memo to Helen Thomas — the Jews in Israel are already home.
I have an answer to this question…
“The trouble with today’s science is that it’s today’s science. If everybody stands up and trumpets it, and then tomorrow they say something else, what are we going to say?”
The truth is what it is and we should never be afraid of it. Tomorrows science could be wrong and the day after corrects it.
Or Asimov’s view (with which I do not entirely agree) science approaches the truth asymptotically.
Azimov was a “progressive” type and that colored a lot of his social commentary. “Asymptoically” implies that every movement approaches closer to “the truth”. More likely it’s more of a biased “random walk”, or “Brownian motion” where any given movement appears to be in any direction, but the overall direction, given enough time, is more toward than away from “the truth.”
(And given the way some sciences have been captured by the pseudo-scientific dogmas esposed by Gaian dirt-worshippers, occasionally we can get huge “away” movements from “the truth.)
Erm, I’m pretty sure that “renounce or die” thing was made up by the girl’s father then promoted the heck out of by the pop. Christian community, I haven’t heard of any of the survivors who saw her die confirming it. Besides the Columbine kids seemed more driven by wanting to create a spectacle than any particular ideological, their writings were more ‘whiny teen nihilist’ than anything.
Whether that story is true or not, it remains a vicious slander to Christians to claim that they murdered in the name of Christianity, or were Christian at all.
Yeah, with or without the story, it’s down right stupid to claim the columbine boys were pursuing some Christian supremacist agenda, they left a large amount of (poorly written even by high school standards) documents outlining the many perceived slights and thoughts that they used choose to do what they did, and yeah there wasn’t any “do it for God” in that mess. (I was a high school student myself at the time and targeted by the admin’s “abnormal kids are all going to shoot-up the school!!” crap in the wake so I read up on it a bunch)
Having watched his show a few timesI didn’t need this little bit of “wisdom” to convince me that Tavis Smiley is a “:moron. ” Maybe “moron” is too strong a word, but definitely one of those most intellectually shallow and least educated among talk-show hosts. Is it wrong of me to suspect that he got his job as a result of affirmative action?
Tavis Smiley seems to think that just being born in this country makes you a Christian. He is wrong. As the preachers like to say, just because you live in a barn doesn’t make you a horse. It’s easy to say you’re a Christian, but Jesus gave us a better way to tell if someone is really his disciple:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:15-17)
You will know them by their fruits.
If you want some good examples of Christian Violence,
in contemporary times in the US, I would suggest citing
Eric Rudolph or Scott Roeder.
Now the Christian Identity Movement has been somewhat quiescent
lately, but their people were killing sheriffs in the 1980s.
If you want some good examples of Christian Violence,
in contemporary times in the US, I would suggest citing
Eric Rudolph or Scott Roeder.
I’m not looking for any. Are you aware of any Christian congregations who, upon hearing of the exploits of those two, stood up and said, “Praise Jesus for Eric Rudolf?”
Is it wrong of me to suspect that he got his job as a result of affirmative action?
I don’t know if it’s wrong, but it’s certainly not politically correct. Didn’t you know? No one ever gets a job for which he is unqualified as a result of affirmative action.
Except for the occasional Harvard Law Review editor, Constitutional lecturer, state or US senator, or president.
All this makes me quite glad that I don’t “do religion” in any form. I’m with Arther C. Clarke (No relative as far as I know) in this and I firmly believe that religion is a very perverse mind virus.
Rand
“It is thought that Rudolph had the assistance of sympathizers while evading capture. Some in the area were vocal in support of him. Two country music songs were written about him and a locally top-selling T-shirt read: “Run Rudolph Run.” The Anti-Defamation League noted that “extremist chatter on the Internet has praised Rudolph as ‘a hero’ and some followers of hate groups are calling for further acts of violence to be modeled after the bombings he is accused of committing”
is that adequate?
http://www.scottroeder.org/#purpose
Our purpose is to be a blessing to our dear brother Scott and biblically defend his actions.
Mr. Roeder acted in defense of innocent babies that were being brutally murdered in Wichita, Kansas. His actions were biblical and just.
Now is this a congregation?
a handful of religious zealots, who call themselves Christians, lend support to another lone nutball zealot, also calling himself a Christian, who killed TWO people and jack equates this to a worldwide network of islamic terrorists who have killed 10’s of thousands.
anyone need further evidence of jacks delusional state?
Cecil, you could be next! Stop laughing!
Jack – Biblical, yes. Just, no. Scott Roeder is (from available evidence) murdering scum who deserves the rope or the chair, and his apologists and defenders should be investigated as to whether they attempted to obstruct justice – and tried and, if convicted, jailed. Incidentally, Roeder has not only confessed to but boasted of his crime.
Admittedly in Wichita, Kansas it might be a little difficult to find a jury that will try such a case on its merits.
Admittedly in Wichita, Kansas it might be a little difficult to find a jury that will try such a case on its merits.
Please stop displaying your profound ignorance of America.
Yes Christian, please keep your simplistic characteur and your bad oral hygine to yourself.
It is ironic that, when pointed to an actual “Christian terrorist” like Roeder, a man who claims to kill on behalf of God, one hears the same sort of arguments that moderate Muslims use against Al Qaeda. Specifically, arguments that Roeder doesn’t actually speak for God or themselves and represents a tiny minority.
“Christian terrorists” are not the same level of threat as Islamic terrorists. But they do exist, and both are minorities in their own religion.
There are people who think Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck tells them to kill people too Chris. Proabally about as many as ther are of these so-called Christian Terrorists.
Do you also live in fear of the People’s Front for the Liberation of Disneyland?
Do you cower at mention of these Disneyan terrorists?
M Puckett – no, but then there aren’t (admittedly small) groups of people actively supporting them either.
Cecil
The question from Rand was “Are there any Congregations cheering
at the actions of roeder or rudolph”. 90 seconds of google
brought these citations up, and, it was fairly obvious by the link order
that a Google gives a lot of weight to these.
The US has christian terrorists, now where the nuttiness comes from
in believing that a man who preached peace embraces war, violence,
murder and terror, I don’t know. Merely that one can find “Christian”
terrorists.
Of course every “Christian” who repeats “Let them Hate, as long as they
Fear” has taken the first crucial step to being a terrorist.
Christianity is about love, and peace, I haven’t found any new testament
books that speak about Smiting,and vengeance, and wrath. That’s Old Testament stuff, and belongs to the Jews and the Muslims.
“I haven’t found any new testament
books that speak about Smiting,and vengeance, and wrath. ”
Jesus smote the moneychangers in the Temple.
The USA has Christian terrorists. Israel has Jewish terrorists. The Muslim world has Islamic terrorists.
Which of these groups are culturally marginal, with few members, almost no support from the broader religious community, and commit few acts of violence that affect at most a handful of people? And which of these groups has tens or hundreds of thousands of members worldwide, the support of tens of millions of their coreligionists, and commits acts of violence that kill hundreds or thousands of people annually?
But because some psycho murdered an abortionist, Christian terrorism is as much of a problem as Islamic terrorism. Sure it is.
The Left protests too much.
Jesus smote the moneychangers in the Temple.
The New Testament a) claims that Jesus is the boss of the temple, and b) doesn’t delegate temple-smiting to anyone.
(The temple was retired from service, anyway…)
Jesus also smites big-time in Revelation, and he does that solo, too.
Abortionists get shot once every Democratic administration, so vote Republican. 🙂
Jonathan – I for one am not saying that Christian terrorists are as much of a problem as Islamic terrorists. Islamic terrorism is clearly a larger and more serious threat. But “not as big a problem” is not the same as “not a problem.”
The difference between Christian terrorism and Islamic terrorism is that if you are a Christian, you have to search long and hard in scripture and mainstream Christian theology for any justification for acts of terrorism or violence. For the Islamic terrorist all he has to do is read his Koran and take it literally. Mainstream Islamic teaching in every sect provide ample justification for killing infidels.
David Hoffman is correct.
On the other hand… I’m a member of a Minority group not exactly top of the pops with various hard-line Christian churches. I’m Intersexed. That means my existence contradicts the dogma of the Theology of the Body, a doctrine held dear by the more conservative members of the Catholic Church. Including His Holiness.
None have attacked me in any way. Death threats have been few, and none I take seriously.
I’ve had more concrete help than danger from Christians. Actions speak louder than words.
Having said that… the latest stats we have show that over a 2 year period, just under 50% of us get assaulted, and for just under 40%, the assault is with a weapon. Over 95% get verbally abused, usually “in Christ’s name”.
Christian Terrorists exist – but only as a lunatic fringe, a handful of nutters. Those who aid and abet them though are far more numerous, possibly as much as 5% of the total. You don’t have to go very far on FR or any of the Catholic fora to find those who say “Of course murder is wrong, BUT….”
Chris,
I didn’t say Christian terrorism isn’t a problem. I said it’s not as big a problem as Muslim terrorism is. I think that’s clearly true. Yet many people on the Left routinely overemphasize the threat posed by Christian terrorists while underemphasizing the threat posed by Muslim ones.
Zoe Brain,
My cursory reading on the subject suggests that despite the genetic code garbling, the intersexed are still one gender or the other, not a little of both. That’s something that merits a lot of study.