I never intended to blog about what's in the news, but I will make an exception. Like everyone else, I was troubled by what happened on Friday, in Norway. I've never been there, but always thought it would be a nice place to visit given the few Norwegians I have known. So bombings and shootings seemed even more out of place there than in some places where we get a kind of terrorism-fatigue.
The shocking loss of life there was one thing. But there was another layer to what happened that troubled me too.
The BBC News channel reported that the attacker was a "Christian Fundamentalist". I wondered what they meant by that. To me, a Christian Fundamentalist Is someone who has slightly eccentric beliefs - e.g. That the world was created in 6 literal days. - but whom I would agree with on more important points of Christian doctrine. Despite what the BBC were implying, there is no pathway between being a bit dissatisfied with Darwin, and deciding to kill people who disagree with you.
Unfortunately the BBC picked up on one Norwegian policeman who put together the words "Christian" and "fundamentalist", at a time when most people, if we're honest, were thinking "Islamic" and "Terrorism". And so we had a link made that should not be made. As usual, TV seems more influenced by The God Delusion than by God.
It seems that the policeman had been looking for a motive, and was just repeating something that was known from a Facebook page. For the uninitiated, Facebook profiles have a box for "religion" - in which Anders Behring Breivik had put "Christian". Not altogether surprising for someone living in a Christian country who had a deep hatred of Islam.
According to this blog, his religious views were that the Protestant church had failed (to keep out Islam?) and should get back to Rome. Breivik was also a freemason, which Christian fundamentalists are not, on principle. His link with Christianity is tenuous at best - despite conspiracy theories, the Knights Templar and the crusades are not currently supported by any Christians I know, or any church I've ever heard of.
It's worrying that for people outside religion, Christian fundamentalism and Islamic fundamentalism seem to be seen as the same thing - just with different religions.
Christian fundamentalism came from a desire to go back to the fundamentals of the faith. None of which involve violence.
Matthew 5:44
“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers”
Location:Shed
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