I have received a lot of messages asking me to post something about my thoughts on the situation regarding “Islamic Terrorism,” so – here we are.
Most of you know that I am not a fan of organized religion of any sort. Although I definitely support everyone’s right to believe anything they want, I also believe that, in general, religion causes far more harm than any so-called good it does. I also believe that if some type of creative force or entity does exist, it is not likely to be of an angry, vain, jealous, murderous, or evil nature. So, that pretty much rules out most all the deities of the world’s major religions. Nevertheless, that is not what this post is about.
Should everyone who considers themselves a member of the Islamic faith – be considered a terrorist? No, of course not.
Do we consider all Caucasian American citizens to be racist simply because the Ku Klux Klan is racist? Of course not.
Select Christian zealots of the Middle Ages persecuted Muslims and other minorities during the Crusades. Does this mean that all Christians were or are zealots and murderers? Of course not.
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is left-handed. Does that make all left-handed people serial killers? Of course not.
Being of the Islamic faith holds no lesser or no greater meaning than any of these things. Each person is an individual and interprets his / her religion in their own way. It is obviously those who take every element and statement within their religion as literal, that we should be concerned about. This does not apply just to Islam, but also to Christianity, and all religions. Granted that Islam is a bit more vehement than most, but zealotry and literality can and does apply to all religions.
For example, take a look at some of the things that Islam and Christianity advocate – in a literal sense.
From the Muslim holy book, the Koran:
Sura 5:51, “O you who believe, do not take certain Jews and Christians as allies…GOD does not guide the transgressors.”
Sura 5:33, “{Jews & Christians} are the ones whom God has cursed, and he whom God excludes from His mercy, you shall never find one to help and save him.”
Sura 9:5, “Kill the infidels, [Christians & Jews] wherever you may come upon them and seize them and confine them, and lie in wait for them at every conceivable place.”
Sura 9:12, “Fight with the leaders of unbelief.”
Sura 47:4, “When you meet those who disbelieve (in war), smite them at their necks.”
From the Christian holy book, the Bible:
Zephaniah 3:6-10 “I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their cities are now deserted; their streets are in silent ruin. There are no survivors to even tell what happened. I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings, so I won’t need to strike again.’ But no; however much I punish them, they continue their evil practices from dawn till dusk and dusk till dawn.” So now the LORD says: “Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision to gather together the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. “On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the LORD together. My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings.”
Psalm 137: 9 “Blessed are they that dasheth the heads of thy little children against the rocks.”
Matthew 10:34-36 [Jesus said] “34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but rather to put the world to the sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”
Luke 14:26 [Jesus said] “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters and yes, even himself, he is not able to be a disciple of mine.”
Again, my point here is that we need to be concerned with religious zealots, regardless of which religion they hail from. There is no need to be afraid of all religious people, or all people from any specific religion. We must always remember that we are all individuals and we must treat people as such.
Sandra Lynn Sandavol 