No Christian Killers? Has Bill O'Reilly Heard of Crusades, Witch Hunts?
Since the tragic double terrorist attack in Oslo, Norway, we are seeing shooter Anders Behring Breivik's right wing affiliations and Christian religion called into question, ridiculed and in some cases ignored by conservative media outlets.
There was no doubt that, after incorrectly trying to link the incident to Islamic terrorism, many conservative reporters and commentators would attempt to distance the alleged shooter from both the religious and political views he so obviously held. I figured we would see the religious-rightists say that "this is not a real Christian," even if Breivik referred to himself as Christian in his writings, under the guise that no one who commits mass murder could be a Christian.
However, I must admit I'm surprised about the lack of discretion and tact with which wild claims are being made. At the top of the list is Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who is outraged that media outlets are accurately portraying Breivik as a Christian and a right winger.
O'Reilly made the statement that "no one who believes in Jesus would commit mass murder." This is an outrageous supposition, not only because in this case the alleged shooter is both a Christian and a political conservative, but because even a casual look at American prisons would confirm there are many Jesus-believing Christians who have not only committed mass murder, but have been convicted of it by juries of their peers.
Has O'Reilly ever heard of the Crusades, the Inquisition, or witch hunts?
O'Reilly and many other conservatives in the media aren't showing the slightest hesitation to defend Christianity in a way that is indefensible – that is, preemptively stating that anyone committing certain crimes would by definition not be Christian.
On a recent broadcast of "The O'Reilly Factor," the host added that "Breivik is also not attached to any church" as evidence that he couldn't possibly be a Christian. At face value, this claim couldn't be more absurd. To look at one anecdotal example exposing the illogic of this argument, I am Jewish. I have been Jewish my entire life. No one has ever questioned my Judaism. However, I'm also not "attached" to any synagogue, and the argument that as a result I could not possibly be Jewish doesn't stand up to the slightest scrutiny.
There is, however, some brilliance to the idea that anyone, whether they claim to be a Christian or not, fails to meet the standard of being a "true" Christian if they commit mass murder. While bizarre to clear-thinking individuals, many will fall for this preemptive exculpation of "bad" acts that anyone calling themselves "Christian" might commit. You can be a Christian all your life, and O'Reilly will accept it, but if you commit mass murder, it turns out you weren't really a Christian all along.
What we do know is that this is the same argument many conservatives rejected when it came from Muslims in discussions about Islamic extremism. When guest after guest on radio and television programs explained that reasonable Muslims # which are almost all of them - neither support nor condone terrorist acts, and that those acts are in no way representative of Islam, conservatives laughed, denied, insulted and often attempted to embarrass those making the claims. This confirms the hypocrisy and lack of substance in the assertions now being made in the context of the Norway terrorist attacks.
Beyond being an interesting discussion topic, the lack of focus on right wing terrorism not perpetrated by people with darker-than-white skin, regardless of religion, could be quite the danger.
On "The David Pakman Show," we've often discussed the obsessive, near frantic focus on Islamic terror, including U.S. Rep. Peter King's "American Muslim hearings," designed to focus discussions of terrorism solely on one group. However, as we've also discussed, right wing terror is becoming an increasingly significant problem in the U.S. and around the world, with over 20 right wing terror incidents in the U.S. in recent history, and over 60 that were foiled by law enforcement.
If conservatives are successful in keeping the discussion of terrorism away from all sources other than Muslims, it will not only be incredibly disrespectful to almost all followers of Islam, but will put Americans and citizens of the world at risk by ignoring the real threats that have nothing to do with Mohammed or the Koran.
David Pakman of Northampton, host of the internationally syndicated political talk radio and television program, "The David Pakman Show," writes a monthly column. He can be reached at www.davidpakman.com
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@olderman:
On April 20, 1939, Archbishop Orsenigo celebrated Hitler's birthday. The celebrations, initiated by Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) became a tradition. Each April 20, Cardinal Bertram of Berlin was to send "warmest congratulations to the Fuëhrer in the name of the bishops and the dioceses in Germany" and added with "fervent prayers which the Catholics of Germany are sending to heaven on their altars." (from Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII, by John Cornwell ) "During Hitler's fiftieth birthday celebration (1939), special votive masses were held in every German church "to implore God's blessing upon Fuhrer and people," and the Bishop of Mainz called upon Catholics in his diocese to pray specifically for "the Fuhrer and Chancellor, the inspirer, enlarger and protector of the Reich."
Chuck
In the events leading up to Hitler's election, the primary one was the great depression caused by the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler promised to end the depression and bring Germany into economic prosperity. This he did, with great acclaim from the population in general. Yet, he and the Nazi party were never able to garner 50 or more percent of the voters, primarily due to Hitler's past events; the murder of his opposition in the early days of the Nazi's. During this time period,1930-1934 - the death of President Von Hindenburg - Hitler kept his nose clean. Once von Hindenburg passed, Hitler began showing his true colors. Prior to this, some saw Hitler as he really was; very few attempted to do anything.
It should be noted that although Hitler was nominally a Catholic, he never personally received sacraments after his childhood. Nor was there any real attempt by the Catholic Church to instill sacraments most especially post 1938.
Islam Pakistan Muslim who murdered politician for opposing blasphemy law showered with Valentine's Day gifts AP says he killed the "apostate" in accord with "his interpretation of Islamic law," but actually there is no traditional or mainstream formulation of Islamic law that does not call for the killing of apostates. Tiny Minority of Extremists™ Update: "Admitted Pakistani assassin gets Valentine's love," by Asif Shahzad for Associated Press, February 14 (thanks to David): ISLAMABAD - The confessed killer of a liberal Pakistani governor pleaded guilty to murder Monday, telling a judge he had no regrets because he killed "an apostate" as required under his interpretation of Islamic law, lawyers said. Mumtaz Qadri shot dead Punjab province Gov. Salman Taseer in January while serving as a bodyguard. Qadri has told authorities he killed Taseer because the governor spoke out against harsh Pakistani blasphemy laws that impose the death sentence for insulting Islam.... Qadri was indicted Monday on a murder charge by an anti-terrorism court in the city of Rawalpindi. Outside the court, dozens of Islamic activists carried banners saluting Qadri and demanded his immediate release. A small group of college students gave police flowers and a Valentine's Day card they wanted delivered to the defendant. "Happy Valentine!" read one of the banners.... When the judge asked Mumtaz Qadri if he'd intentionally killed Taseer, the 26-year-old said he didn't consider his actions illegal, said defense lawyer Shuja-ur-Rehman Raja. The lawyer quoted his client as saying he dealt with "an apostate" as required under Quranic and Islamic laws.... No one has been put to death for blasphemy because courts typically throw out the cases or commute the sentences. Still, some who are released are later killed by extremists or must go into hiding. Others accused of blasphemy spend long periods in prison while waiting for their cases to wind through the courts. Taseer, a prominent member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, campaigned for a reform of the laws after a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to death last year for allegedly insulting Islam's prophet, Muhammad. But in a sign of how scared the largely secular ruling party is of Islamist street power, party leaders didn't support Taseer's move and, since his killing, have said they would not touch the existing laws.
Just a quick comment to the author (David) about this article.
Put you're Packman paddles down, go buy some History books.
Have a nice day
The religion called Islam is a veneer for a sociopathic political ideology that is out for world conquest, just as the Commies were and as the Nazis were. The only thing the Commies and Nazis forgot to do was to call themselves a religion. In Islam, it is convert, die or be very second-class citizens. One is amazed that any Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc., have survived in the Middle East? Let's take a peak at today's news, shall we?
Wow, wasn't there just an article called "Muslims Behaving Badly"? And another article called "Islam Expert Not Shocked by Disappearance of 'Draw Muhammad' Cartoonist"?
And another called "Christians Warn Against Double Standard in Wake of Quran Burning Row"?
And another "Koran Burning: How Dare the Muslim World Lecture America on Religious Tolerance"?
And another "Muslims Resume Building on Christian Graveyard in Pakistan"?
And another "NYC Mosque Rhetoric May Harm Persecuted Christians"?
And another "Controversial Jesus TV Show Canceled in Lebanon"?
And another "Pakistani Court Acquits Christian Woman of 'Blasphemy"?
And another "Prospects of Religious Freedom Appear Grim in Islamic Maldives"?
And another "Poll: 3 in 5 New Yorkers Oppose Ground Zero Mosque"?
And another "Muslim Protesters Surround Worshippers in Indonesia"?
Gee, for so few radicals out there in the world, they sure get around, don't they? But, they told us their religion was peaceful? You mean they lied to us? And we Socialist Progessive's (I mean Democrat American's) believed them? I guess I should stop watching the Main, I mean Lame-Stream Media? Oh my God, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NPR, and PBS and David (Fidel) Letterman have all become Pravda America?
@Call me Roy:
Christian terrorists kills two in Pensacola family panning clinic.
Christian terrorist Kills Dr. Tiller.
Christian terrorists sets of bombs at Olympics in Atlanta.
Christian terrorists kills doctor in Toronto, Canada.
Christian terrorists kill government solders in the Sudan.
Christian terrorist Joseph Kony put on most wanted list for war criminals.
Christian terrorists continue to harass people and block entrance to family panning clinics.
Chuck
Thank you Mr. Obvious, for shining a little truth out there for the weak and drugged. A little more for them:
Islam / The Sharia-Compliant American Left By George Neumayr
Vladimir Lenin said that westerners too dumb to recognize his plans to "hang them" would "sell me the rope -- on credit." And they did, engaging in decades of excuse-making for Communist totalitarianism. But without the Soviets around, the American left needed new anti-western totalitarians to mollify, and the leaders of militant Islam satisfied that itch.
In the 1970s, the American left embraced the Ayatollah Khomeini. Jimmy Carter's United Nations representative, Andrew Young, said that in time Khomeini would be seen as "some kind of saint." The BBC and New York Times defended Khomeini as a potential progressive during his days as a Parisian layabout in exile. Carter's ambassador to Iran assured the skeptical that "Khomeini is a Gandhi-like figure."
Today's American left displays its useful idiocy by insisting after each new act of Islamic terrorism that "Islam is a religion of peace." MSNBC is the unofficial headquarters for these useful idiots and now numbers the mugging and giggling morning host and "Republican" lightweight Joe Scarborough as a member in good standing. In between goofing around with Carter adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski's stuck-up daughter Mika, Scarborough often shills for the Gandhi-like figures of Islam today. He longs for that glorious day when fellow Republicans abandon their bigotry and see a mosque near the ruins of the World Trade Center as American as apple pie. Eugene Robinson, whom MSNBC hosts incessantly introduce as a "Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist" before his insight-free appearances, wrote a column this week titled "Sharia the new Red menace?" Robinson chuckled at Newt Gingrich's recent comment that Sharia law is seeping into western countries through "stealth jihadis."
"The 'stealth jihadis,' I suppose, must be like the 'known communists' on the list in Sen. Joseph McCarthy's hand," wrote Robinson, a gibe sure to impress peers at the Post and New York Times who for years insisted Alger Hiss wasn't a Communist. Robinson appears oblivious to the fact that western liberals themselves have endorsed the spread of Sharia law. In 2008, Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, supported the adoption of elements of Sharia law in Britain. "It seems unavoidable and, as a matter of fact, certain conditions of Sharia are already recognized in our society," he said. Williams called for "plural jurisdiction" and "constructive accommodation." The American left's face of moderate Islam, the Ground Zero mosque imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, wrote for Eugene Robinson's own employer in 2008 that Rowan Williams "was right": "The addition of Sharia law to 'the law of the land,' in this case British law, complements, rather than undermines, existing legal frameworks. The Archbishop was right. It is time for Britain to integrate aspects of Islamic law."
Robinson finds it absurd that Gingrich would say, "How we don't have some kind of movement in this country on the left that understands that sharia is a direct mortal threat to virtually every value that the left has is really one of the most interesting historical questions." But Gingrich is hardly the first person to make this point. Liberals such as the late Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci and Salman Rushdie complained about the obtuseness of progressive Islamophiles long before Gingrich talked about it. When Tony Blair wowed progressives in 2005 by naming Sir Iqbal Sacranie as the face of moderate Islam in the U.K, Rushdie had to remind his peers that Sacranie approved of the fatwa on his head (saying "death is perhaps too easy" for Rushdie) and had boycotted a Holocaust remembrance.
Communism's useful idiots sold Lenin and his successors the rope to hang them. Islam's apologists will not only sell the jihadists the rope to hang westerners but will acquit them through Sharia law after they do.
@ call me Roy While where at it why not mention the Christian Terrorists here in the USA. Their actions of murder and intimidation are well documented.
Chuck
Hey..author....are ya living in the past, fool?
Hitler was a Roman Catholic.
Chuck