On Nov 6, 2009, at 12:23 PM, Fred B. Ellison wrote:
> > > The massacre at Ft. Hood yesterday has stunned and grieved America. > Everywhere people are asking questions. How could this happen on a > secure military installation? What drove him to do it? > > Our heavy hearts go out to the families who have suffered this > shocking loss. > > What is not shocking is the spin the “establishment media” is trying > to put on this horrific massacre. For instance, Fox News this > morning interviewed a “criminal profiler” who asserted definitively > that this attack had nothing to do with religion, that the man was > “troubled.” (In fairness to Fox News, they are at least raising the > questions about jihadism as a motive.) etc. First of all, we have no idea why this man did what he allegedly did. After 16 years and even the opportunity to talk to the shooter, I still do not know precisely why the shooter at my college did what he did. He does not precisely know himself. What I would like people to consider, however (not necessarily accept, but "consider") is that this may have to do with religion but not in the way this email suggested. Several years back, we had an incident on base in (I believe) Kuwait, where a Muslim US soldier attacked his own unit with a pair of hand grenades. He had been deeply disturbed by the training he was given to go into Iraq and "shoot ragheads", that it was perfectly OK to torture "stinking ragheads", and that things would not be OK until the last Muslim was dead. He sought a conscience discharge because of the pervasive religious discrimination in his unit. This was a man who volunteered to serve his s country, the "Land of the Free," and was persecuted for his religion. His request for discharge (or transfer) was denied and the persecution continued until he snapped. We do not know that anything like this happened with Major Hassan, but it is certainly as possible as any other motive. Is it right for "Protestant American" soldiers to persecute "Muslim American" soldiers? How do we "preach to the Gentiles" if we are too busy trying to shoot them all? He "handed out Korans" the day of the attack? And? Is this not legal in this country? If I hand out Christian literature on a street corner, am I a "terrorist"? Maybe he did this every morning for the past ten years! If you want to know why Muslims (in America or otherwise) hate "us", look no further than this email from "ACT America." In my mind, it is not Christian behavior to hate members of any religion (or of no religion). How clear does the Bible make it that not one of us is "righteous"? Attempt to lead by example and convert people through compassion. If someone physically assaults us, then certainly we respond, but there is no need for hate or persecution before or after. The continued frothing at the mouth about all and any Muslims being demonically possessed makes me sick. According to my religion, I believe them to be mistaken, but that does not mean that they are evil or more prone to evil than we are. Certainly we can all think of examples of evil people who have labelled themselves as "Christian", such as, for instance, the Nazis (a Gnostic Christian cult), or the Catholics who slaughtered the Albagensians (my ancestors), the horrendously violent Knights Templar, or the warfare/terrorism in England, Ireland, and Scotland between different sects of Christianity, etc... We need to get a grip and realize that evil does not come with consumer-friendly labels. None of us have a monopoly on truth, Sincerely, Eric Vought "Faith does not absolve us from trying to understand our world and make moral distinctions with the eyes and brain given us. Religion is as much responsibility as direction: Duty not Distinction." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This is a Free Speech forum. The owner of this list assumes no responsibility for the intellectual or emotional maturity of its members. If you do not like what is being said here, filter it to trash, ignore it or leave. If you leave, learn how to do this for yourself. If you do not, you will be here forever. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
