I’d wear sackcloth if I had any.
It appears I was wrong, and need to apologize to all Muslims.
Current reports tell that the vile, despicable murderer in Norway (current death count 91) is Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian national. He has variously been described as a Freemason, a radicalized former supporter of the conservative Norwegian Fremskritt (Progress) Party, and (according to some accounts) a “conservative Christian.”
If this is true, it makes this already unspeakable act of infamy a cosmic one. It is likely to spell the end of historic Christianity in Norway.
The precise opposite of the burden of my prayers for many years.
Even if it turns out, as in the case of Timothy McVeigh, that he’s not actually a Christian believer, we can expect the “Breivik was a Christian” meme to take hold, as it has with the self-worshiping McVeigh.
This is horrible. Horrible.
Reading the news about Breivik grieved me too. I appreciate the apology, and my Muslim friends appreciate it all the more. Those who live here in the US have to live with the effects of suspicion in times like these. Most I know avoided going out last night after news of the attacks broke, because they are weary and scared of facing the kind of comments and treatment they get when things like this happen.
One thing worth considering, in the interest of fairness, is that most Muslims see “Osama Bin Laden is a Muslim” to be as much of a meme as “Breivik was a Christian.” People characterize terrorists in ways that are expedient and fit their belief system, even if the characterization doesn’t hold up to serious scrutiny. Those with axes to grind against Christianity will find what fodder they can in the current incident, and those with axes to grind against Islam will interpret other terrorist events accordingly.
This is indeed horrible–beyond horrible. But I don’t fear that one man’s evil act can get in the way of God’s work in Norway or elsewhere. The institution of Christianity isn’t faring well in Norway (or Europe in general), but God’s work moves on in the world in ways that we don’t know or see. In that I trust, as I pray for the victims, their families, and all those affected by this sad event. My sincere condolences to all Norwegians.
From an online article;
Norway Killer Cultural Christian, Practical Darwinian [July/24]
‘Initial news reports about mass murderer Anders Breivik, who slew over 90 civilians in his home country on July 23, described him as a “right-wing fundamentalist Christian.” Now that his 1500-page manifesto has been published, it is clear that any associations with Christianity were cultural and political, not personal. His prime motivation was to halt the Islamization of “Christian” Europe brought on by political correctness and multiculturalism. A review of his writings show him closer to secular science and the social Darwinists than to the teachings of Jesus Christ.’
– The opening of an excellent article at Creation/Evolution Headlines;
http://crev.info/content/110724-norway_killer_cultural_christian_practical_darwinian
Whatever one might perceive as a “meme,” there is the objective fact that Bin Laden was, indeed, a Muslim, whereas Breivik in his belief system is not a Christian.
I almost linked to this earlier, but since you note Breivik’s non-Christianity, I’ll point out this post about his relationship to Kaczynski.
Thanks. This guy doesn’t seem to have a consistent philosophy at all. He just picked up whatever seemed useful to him.