The Huffington Post, an extreme leftist online news site, posted an article by Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, about what he thought should be the Christian response to Bin Laden's death. In the article, "The Christian Response to Bin Laden's Death," he asserted that Christians are required to forgive:
"Osama bin Laden was responsible for the murder thousands of men and women in the United States, for the deaths and misery of millions across the world, and for the death of many servicemen and women, who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives. I am glad he has left the world. And I pray that his departure may lead to peace.
But as a Christian, I am asked to pray for him and, at some point, forgive him. And that command comes to us from Jesus, a man who was beaten, tortured and killed. That command comes from a man who knows a great deal about suffering. It also comes from God."The leftist readers at HuPo pounced on Martin's religious rhetoric and many of the comments were anti-Christian or extremely hateful. You see, tolerance is all the rage in leftist circles, except when it comes to Christians. No tolerance is extended to those the left deems intolerant. Here's a sampling (all misspellings and typos are from the original writers):
"I was a christian during 9/11 somewhere in between sept 11 and now, I had my own transition. Being raised in the bible belt, and forced to have a christian world view, I knew nothing of other religions. After meeting my blood family, that changed. I learned about the No True Scotsman fallacy, which became very popular.
As for Osama Bin Laden, I would be more likely to cheer the death of the Bush Jr regime than Osama. Cheney, Rumsfeld, Tom DeLay, Karl Rove, and Bush JR were not innocent men." foxoftheninetails
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"Even at 1am, there was no shortage of Christian bloggers having their say in how Christians should respond. Almost to ad nauseam onthe issue. At 1am! Frankly, as an American who took great personal offenceto the attack of my fellow Americans on our soil I am sick of peopleslapping up verses to prop up their position whether justifying celebrating the fall of the wicked, or shaming others into conviction for relief that he’s gone. This has got to be more nuanced and thoughtful than we’ve made it out to be thus far. Justice is more nuanced and layered in it’s concept.
And what is this about Christians needing to be told how to react to hisdeath anyway? Why are we so hungry to have someone telling how to behave asa Christian on this issue and less desirous of other news items?" rikkiratliff
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'as a Christian, I am asked to pray for him and, at some point, forgive him.'
I'm glad I don't believe in something so bizarre. I see absolutely no sensible reason to forgive him for slaughtering all those people." johnfromcensornati
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"Not that Fr. Martin shares blame, but this Church that still excommunicates people for what they believe, while proclaiming forgiveness and mercy for heinous criminals. For example, if you are Joe Biden, John Kerry, Kathleen Sebelius, or the late Ted Kennedy, you may be virtually condemned to eternal damnation by our Rustic bishops in places like Kansas City and Denver. But Mehmet Ali Agca, who shoots the Pope, they forgive. It's a tad cannabilistic, eating your own kind, but maybe that's what the Eucharist is all about in the long run - the Apostles betrayed Jesus, and their successors betray the rest of us." jerseypal
Also on the Huffington Post site is an article about actor Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in the movie The Passion of the Christ. Again, the anti-Christian sentiment is vicious:
Jim Caviezel 'Rejected By My Own Industry' For 'Passion Of The Christ':
"Maybe he should understand that it's not the roles that make him unbankable but his ridiculous religious (ie; mental) handicaps... Further proof that religions are wastes of time that destroy lives and cultures. Shoo moonbats, it's time to go away so the rest of the kids can continue to grow." j242
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"Cry me a river. 'We all have our cross to bear.' Well, then bear it and stop complaining. Poor poor pitiful Christians. They run the whole country and yet they always seem to feel so persecuted. I'm sick of hearing about it. Maybe your invisible friend in the sky cares, but I don't." funcrusherplus
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"He's a forgettable actor to be honest. He may also have that creepy, Kirk Cameron vibe working against him." daws
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"Why do I get the feeling that this is just another Christian ranting about their perceived 'persecution'? ' I wonder if any of these persecuted Christians ever read the Bible they profess to love so much? The Bible tells people that if they choose to follow Jesus Christ - they will be persecuted. What part of that do these boo-hooers not understand?" lilaluvr
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It's notable that all these comments were written by people using pseudonyms. Would they be so bold in a face-to-face conversation with a Christian neighbor or co-worker?
Jesus told us we should expect this hatred:
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).As Christians, we can be encouraged that Jesus endured far worse than we will ever experience. As American Christians, we are blessed to live in a country whose founding documents protect our right to free speech and freedom of religion. We must remain vigilant and preserve these rights so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the same freedoms.
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