A little tepid condemnation always hurt someone.

From CNN: A body hung on a cross in Raqqa, Syria, April 29. The message attached to him reads "This man fought Muslims and detonated an IED here." See and read more here >

I'm fully convinced that passionate fundamentalist Christians could easily transform into Christian jihadists that saw off heads, if given enough anger, liberty, and tepid condemnation.

Just spend a little time online in Christian forums. Some few will invariably describe contentious doctrines as "from the pits of hell" or something similarly hyperbolic. The vitriol is so exaggerated, you have to wonder if they hear the excess in their own words.

But they're not just words, they're the tip of a pathological iceberg.

If you're a fundamentalist Christian and think you're not prone to some shade of this, consider: When radical Christians were shooting abortion doctors and burning abortion clinics, how did you respond? I know how I did. I said some something like "I don't condone their actions, but I understand their anger."

That's in fact how President Obama responded, almost verbatim, to the rioting in Ferguson.

It's how moderate Muslims respond to radical Muslims and allow movements like the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL to gain a footing.

"I don't condone, but…" is little more than symbolic pandering. We need to vigorously, unequivocally, and plurally condemn and restrain extremists in our circles, our clubs, our churches, our communities, our government.

[2014-11-07]

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