Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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The Blame Game of Fort Hood: Christians Should Stay Out
Do any Google news search for “religion,” “faith,” or “christianity” and you'll find articles written about what occurred at Fort Hood, Texas, last week. It is a tragedy that all of America is trying to understand and come to terms with, and we all have different ways of coping with tragedy. A seemingly more common coping mechanism for this tragedy is that of placing blame. One entity being harshly criticized is the US government. “Finger-pointing erupted between federal agencies Tuesday over Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan,” reads a recent Associated Press article. “Government officials said a Defense Department terrorism investigator looked into Hasan's contacts with a radical imam months ago, but a military official denied prior knowledge of the Army psychiatrist's contacts with any Muslim extremists.”
Even the soldiers at Fort Hood, some of whom were likely the shooter's victims, are being blamed for the massacre. According to ABC News, “his cousin says he was the target of constant harassment from others in the military. His tormentors called him a 'camel jockey,' said his cousin, Nader Hasan.”
Of course a more obvious scapegoat is the Muslim faith. The New York Daily News reports that “Sen. Joe Lieberman called the Fort Hood massacre an act of 'Islamist extremism' - even as top Army brass warned Sunday against guessing at a motive, fearing backlash against Muslim soldiers.” Some have even suggested screening Muslim-Americans before they enter the military. Jon Soltz, a veteran of the Iraq war, writes in his Huffington Post blog:
Brian Kilmeade asked if it's time to have "special debriefings" or "special screenings" of all Muslims in the military. Because, as he said, "If I'm gonna be deployed in a foxhole, if I'm gonna be deployed in an outpost, I'm gonna want to know that the guy next to me isn't gonna want to kill me."
He concludes by saying that “trying to blame this on his religion isn't just offensive to the thousands of Muslims who fight to defend people of all faiths in this great nation, but is the height of media malpractice.”
I don't pretend to know why what happened at Fort Hood occurred, but I do know one thing: it's not going to help the Christian cause to place blame on anyone prematurely. We all want to know what happened, but the majority of us were not there, and therefore we can't make an accurate conclusion. If we point fingers at any other entity, we should also point the fingers at ourselves. For when we harshly judge and accuse groups for the actions of one person, we perpetuate the hostility.
As Christians, we are called to love, not hate. Instead of being angry and blaming the president, the government, and other religions, we can treat those involved with these entities with love and respect. If we disagree with them or their actions, we can disagree gracefully and mercifully, living an example of peace and compassion in the same way Jesus did.
We all agree that Fort Hood was a tragic incident, but the hostility that caused it will only persist if we get suckered into the blame game.
What do you think? How do Christians act gracefully when faced with these situations?
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- From: modernmelody
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Comments (84)
People are to be blamed for what they do.
We must struggle to hold individuals responsible for their own actions and or lack of action. Blaming a large group for what is done by one or some is wrong.
Jumping to conclusions helps no one, especially if those conclusions rely on stereotypes. I really wish people could just gather the facts instead of blaming and scapegoating those of the Muslim faith (or any specific group really). They too are a religion of peace and love after all.
Saying Islam is violent based off of the actions of a few would mean that Christianity is hyper-violent. Look at Christianity's history, a long with the actions of a so-called "Christian nation" that is the largest military power in the world.
And you're right, don't play the blame game. Play the forgive game.
it seems to me that this American soldier suffered because some people like to view the conflict as a war on Islam as a whole. i cannot begin to imagine how horrible it must have been for him to be told that he's fighting the people he's fighting because of their faith... a faith he shares with them.
continuing to stereotype all Muslims in such ways is just going to create more scenarios like this.
A person is always responsible for their own actions and that person alone. However, whatever the motive behind the murders, should not be denied for the sake of political correctness.
Our military is not fighting anyone because of their faith. They are fighting people because of their actions. If their actions are dictated by their faith, that is their decision, but doesn't change the fight to a religious one.
I heard he said something before shooting, like "Allah is great" or along those lines.
That could be easily taken as an act on his religion (note that I do not mean that Islam is inherently violent- only that this man takes it to a violent and extreme level, as one could do with any religion). He opened fire on a bunch of people; whether or not it was organized by a larger group, or by foreigners, it is still an act of terrorism. (Or may be, depending on his goals. Because the military is govt.- related, it could certainly be taken as such.)
I believe that if there was reason enough to believe it may have been religiously motivated, it should not be protested for a person to say so. It may offend people- but it is not a criticism of the religion itself, simply those who use it as a scapegoat to meet their own ends. Those who say it was an act of religious terrorism are saying so because many past acts of terrorism have been caused by Islam extremists, and because he took note of his religion during (and/or directly before) the attack. It's an easy connection to make.
Blame lies where it is due. The only person it can really lie with now, as far as we know, is the man who committed the act. I think it is right to say that he is at fault, because he certainly is. We don't have to be hateful in regards to it, but we should recognize guilt when we see it rather than disregard it. People must take responsibility for what they have done.
We mourn with those who mourn and bring healing wherever possible through Christ-like love. Sin and corruption are nothing new and we need not be threatened. We need to be strong in love, powerful in prayer. We set aside our temptation to play the blame game and play the truth game instead, only giving in to what is true.
My buddy and I sat watching the news that day and asked ourselves "If we were in Fort Hood or Austin, what would we do? If we were the pastors of congregations, what would be our first steps of action and what would we tell our family of faith that week about this?" It was a good discussion. Another good discussion would have been (and will be) "What do we do about this here in Vancouver, WA?"
Why should Christians stay out? Are Christians less intelligent than everyone else and incapable of understanding the facts?
What happened at Fort Hood was a clear cut case of Islamic terrorism. Whether a person is Christian has nothing to do with the facts of the case.
@foxes_have_holes@xanga - The forgive game. The best game ever. You're spot on brother!
Saying Maj. Hasan acted out of Muslim extremism is hate...?
@LoBornlyte@xanga - You are dead on. This limp-wristed, "let's-not-blame-anyone" attitude is what will ultimately be our undoing. Have the balls to call a spade a spade. This guy got up and shot people. His fellow soldiers he was supposed to defend, support, and counsel. His superiors were afraid to bring him into the spolight for fear of appearing biased against Islam. And as a result, 13 people are dead, over two dozen more wounded, some so critically they may never recover. If his superiors weren't so concerned about appearing politically incorrect, this tragedy could have been avoided. If they guy wanted out because of his religious convictions, then let him out. Seems to me he decided to renew, no one forced him to re-up. As for Islam, what other religion promotes hatred, killing "infidels" etc.? Islam is like a cancer, it warps the minds of the weak, preaches hate and death. All the while the politically correct whitewash it so they will appear "enlightened". What a crock of shit. Who flew the planes into the buildings, blows up women and children in the markets, etc? The Boy Scouts? The Adventists with the latest copy of the "Watchtower" they are trying to give you? The Quilting club? No, young Islamic extremists who have been brainwashed by their "Imam's" to do this crap, promised "riches and virgins" in heaven. Blow yourself up for a piece of tail? Why don't the Imam's blow themselves up?
Hasan's gun and clips were loaded with armor piercing rounds, not regular rounds. This was deliberately planned and carried out. He gave all kinds of signs that he was up to something. Giving away his belongings. Calling friends to say goodbye. Military staff don't do that when they get deployed, they put their stuff in storage or their mother's basement, and exchange e-mail addresses and promise to post to Facebook or Twitter when they get a chance. People have got to stop making excuses for this guy and call him what he is. A terrorist. An Islamic extremist who deliberately planned to kill as many of his fellow soldiers as he could, screaming "God is great" in Arabic, before someone took him out. And you'd think they'd allow soldiers to carry their sidearms on base. This is a great case for the Right to Carry. How many of those who died would still be alive if they'd have all been armed? Or perhaps he would't have shot at all, knowing he would get taken out quickly. That's what cowards and terrorists do, open fire on unarmed, where they know they can inflict the maximum damage before being taken out. And his "Imam" praises him as a hero? I say let's try the Imam for treason. Kudos to the policewoman who shot him and stopped him. "Gun Control" means hitting your target...
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2 Peter 3:3-7
3First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Every time a new terror attack happens around the world, it just coincendetally tied to Muslem extremism. But hey, kiss them on the mouth. Until the western world is a Muslem world, they will not relent. And yet somehow we speak as if all they want is a little love. Time to wake up. The West needs to either clean house or move.
The facts have been gathered and it turns out that mass murderer Nidal Hasan is an Islamic Terrorist.
But while the facts were being gathered I searched and searched to see if OJ Simpson had ever found out who really killed his wife.
I also searched high and low for all those gun toting Baptist terrorists who fly airliners into skyscrapers, snipe and kill ten people at a time from the trunk of a car, strap bombs on their kids' back and send them to explode on crowded busses.
Damned if I could find any.
HOT DAMN you non-judgemental dummies! It's only Muslims who do that kind of thing as a matter of routine! And Muslims have been doing that very same kind of thing to the West ever since their bloody Islamic Jihad poured out of Arabia in the 7th century.
@foxes_have_holes@xanga - "...don't play the blame game. Play the forgive game."
I have not read where the alleged butcher has asked for forgiveness. Has he sought such? If he were to do so, then are you saying we should set him free with no repercussions?
Christians ought to love, but that does not mean we must permit murder and place others in harm's way just so we can show how 'loving' we are. Sometimes love involves inflicting punishment for wrongs committed.
Politicians will always use events like this for personal gain. Big church ministers are not much different than politicians in this regard. When a religion/denomination becomes soo powerful then it becomes more about increasing that power than following Yeshua.
@S_K_O_T@xanga - The best response on here. Thanks!
@HLPU@xanga - i thought Christians believed that said punishment should be left to God's judgment.
@HLPU@xanga - Did Yeshua command us not to forgive those who have not asked for forgiveness?
This was a crime against the government, the government will deal out it's punishment. For the crime against God, God will give judgement.
What would Yeshua like YOU to do?
It was a terrible tragedy. Think of a school shooting- are the children who bullied the shooter partially responsible? Is the shooter partially responsible?
Though I believe that the shooter is responsible, I also think that the military should be held accountable. Perhaps if all soldiers were better screened for mental illness, this tragedy could have been avoided. Maybe if the military took a stronger stance against bullying, hazing, and harassment, this tragedy could have been avoided as well.
@HLPU@xanga - I recommend you read the book "Amish Grace" by Donald Kraybill
@LoBornlyte@xanga - Amen!
@HLPU@xanga -
@HLPU@xanga - Christians forgiving criminals doesn't mean they won't still be punished by the state. Forgiving people doesn't mean permitting murder.