Last Friday (July 22, 2011), a bomb went off in Oslo killing eight people and injuring many more. Soon afterward, a gunman went on a shooting spree at an island youth camp in Norway, killing 68 people. The gunman was arrested and later claimed responsibility for both attacks. When interviewed by the police, Breivik claimed that his actions were intended to save his country and all of Europe from Marxist and Muslim infiltration. Because of his belief that it is failing on the issue of immigration, he wanted to create as much loss as he could for Norway’s Labour Party. The bomb, therefore, was placed near buildings occupied by Labour Party members, and the shooting occurred at a Labour Party youth camp.
Political terrorism has not been unusual in the twentieth and twenty-first century, but this attack hits home for those of us who claim to be Christian because Breivik has identified himself as one of us on his Facebook page. He claims to be a Christian. This has raised important questions in the minds of many. First and foremost, does Christianity promote such politically inspired violence? Some would say yes, pointing to the Crusades as an example.
In the following article, however, Dr. Robert Godfrey says no: He rightly points out that it is a betrayal of Christ to “identify Him with the slaughter of political enemies. As Christians, we must seek always to advance Christ’s cause through truth joined by love and self-sacrifice, not through violence.”
The Bible can be a dangerous book if misused and abused. In the history of the church, the misunderstanding of the Bible has led to many serious problems, ranging from false doctrine to legalistic customs and misdirected lives. One of the most blatant examples of this is the Crusades: a series of wars led by Europeans in the name of Christ against Islamic states in the Near East during the Middle Ages… (Continue reading “The Crusades” by W. Robert Godfrey)
"If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness."
Self Sacrifice? Or stupidity?
Who would not defend themselves, their families?
Some Italian politicians spoke (ABC):
“Speroni said he condemned the attack itself but was coming to the defense of Mario Borghezio, a fellow member of the Northern League and member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, who previously said some of Breivik’s ideas were “great.”
“Some of the ideas [Breivik] expressed are good, barring the violence. Some of them are great,” Borghezio said also in a radio interview, according to the BBC and The Guardian. “Christians ought not to be animals to be sacrificed. We have to defend them.” ”
I agree.
Randy, So far you have not presented one biblical example to support this. Not one. Some of the apostles carried swords. So what? People carry weapons to protect themselves from wild animals or criminals. If you are attacked by a criminal, you are free to defend yourself. But NO ONE was attacking Anders Breivik. NO ONE! All this garbage about Islamization in Europe and the US is just that, garbage. No one in Europe is being forced to practice Islam. No one in Europe is being persecuted by Muslims. And there is no biblical basis whatsoever for a “crusade” against Islam or any other false religion. I find it amazing that many of the very people who rail against Islam have no problem cozying up to the Mormons. The whole thing stinks of being more about race and culture than religious conviction. The history of the true church is a history of martyrs. The crusaders and the promoters of the inquisition were not martyrs OR Christians. They were just thugs in a religious disguise.
There is something about this manner of thinking that is VERY Islam like. There were droves of Muslims pontificating over how horrified they were over the Twin Towers attack and yet if you were around them very long, you just knew they were rejoicing on the inside at the same time they were trying to disassociate themselves on the outside. The mentality is the same. Now we have “Christians” horrified at the thing in Norway and yet they REALLY LOVE the very AGENDA that led directly to the crime. AND they secretly rejoice that a blow was struck against the perceived enemy. The hypocrisy is just bleeding out all over the place. Believe me, Mr Breivik has a lot of open and not so open sympathizers both in the EU AND in the US. If I were as paranoid and spiritually dead as these people are, I would be gunning for them, since I consider them a bigger potential danger to me and my family than the Islamists.
Thankfully you’re not George.
Yes, and it leaves me flabbergasted. This week i’ve read accounts of Christians agreeing with “many things” this man wrote in his manifesto (that is, cultural Christians, not truly born-again Christians).
One example,
link
have you seen this article pj
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/20117259426336524.html
No i hadn’t seen that Jan…thanks for posting the link!
Its refreshing to see a few news organizations have noticed the NAR and its members, also that they (too) see the dangers presented by their warped theology.
I read it, but also sent it to myself so as to re-read it more slowly later.
One point i noticed is very true: this heretical group has grown in political power & acceptance, within the US, significantly since 2008.
Here is another great article from Aljazeera:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/2011726131835154941.html