By Jim Spencer
SpencerSpeaks.com
July 15, 2007
At the University of Colorado in Boulder, religious extremism came in the form of threatening emails and packages left for professors who teach evolution. In the U.S. Senate, it came as cat calls from the gallery trying to drown out a Hindu prayer.
Americans worry so much about religious extremism in other countries. Perhaps we should keep an eye on our own house.
I know; I know. America’s religious nut jobs usually use words, not stick and stones, much less explosives-laden suicide vests. But events in the past week remind us how religious zealotry can lead to ugly outbursts and possibly violence.
I have a friend whose father is a retired obstetrician and gynecologist from upstate New York. Her dad performed abortions on women who chose to end pregnancies. For offering that legal, necessary and safe medical procedure, he had to worry about his office being attacked by faith-based anti-abortionists of the type who shot a doctor in nearby Buffalo.
When the crazies think God is on their side, they know few limits.
Just ask the University of Colorado’s Michael Grant. The 65-year-old professor of ecology and evolutionary biology doesn’t shy from what he calls “reasonable and rational debate” about evolution. To give you an idea just how elastic his definition is, he includes an appearance on The O’Reilly Factor in the category of reasonable and rational.
But what has happened in the last year to teachers of evolution at CU qualifies as little more than a crazed rant. Campus police are investigating angry emails from a man who Grant says signs his correspondence as Michael Korn and is linked to three web sites: JesusOverIsrael.blogspot.com, JesusFactorFiction.com and ScienceAgainstEvolution.org.
Grant doesn’t know anyone named Michael Korn. Grant also has never seen the person who keeps sending him packages and emails with veiled threats. I couldn’t find a phone number for Korn.
Whoever is sending the correspondence “is escalating the intensity of his language,” Grant told me. “It’s interfering with our work. We’ve got a faculty member and a graduate student who are afraid to come in the building.”
It’s not hard to see why. The professor read to me from one of his recent messages. Here’s what it said:
“Every true Christian should be ready and willing to take up arms to kill the enemies of Christian society.”
Just substitute the word Muslim for Christian and you got yourself a call to jihad.
The call in the U. S. Senate gallery Thursday was for God to visit wrath on a Hindu holy man.
The Senate situation was more of an embarrassment than a threat. As the Hindu man began to give the invocation, a couple of Christian zealots in the gallery tried to shout down his prayer.
“Lord Jesus,” one of them yelled, “forgive us, Father, for allowing the prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight.”
I’m not sure what deity this guy thought was looking down on the Capitol. It was not a God most Christians recognize. Senate security personnel stepped in, and after a couple of false starts, the Hindu prayer became part of what ought to be a proud public record for tolerance and diversity.
But the battle against religious extremism must continue.
I got a taste of it a couple of years ago, when I wrote a column about a “Biblically correct” tour of the Denver Nature and Science Museum for home-schooled children. Among other things, the kiddies learned that the earth was 6,000 years old and dinosaurs co-habited the world with man.
When I criticized this attack on science by religion, the ever-righteous creationists were on me like magnets to metal.
Now, at least one true believer is trying to prove his point with threats at CU.
All of it, of course, in the name of Jesus.
So maybe the best question to ask as America’s religious extremists strut their stuff is this:
What would Jesus do?
I’m pretty sure he would not drown out the incantations of another faith by shouting.
I’m pretty sure he would not menace university faculty for teaching science. I’m pretty sure Jesus would try to explain a peace that passes understanding.
A large measure of that peace depends on forgiveness and tolerance. So even if Christians believe Jesus is the way, the truth and the light, even if they believe accepting Christ as savior is the only way to eternal salvation, true Christians will have a hard time justifying threats to scholars or insults to Hindus.
Jesus, you see, was about convincing people, not intimidating them.
Copyright 2007 by Jim Spencer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
14 users commented in " Religious Extremism Knows No National Boundaries "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThis new forum feels good. I always read your column in the Denver Post, but generally have not liked the paper. I definitely like the new format and still very much appreciate what you have to say.
Wonderful speech today. Tolerance, Peace, Understanding and Truth, most likely the best sermon from any pulpit today, Rev. Jim.
For many of us who felt the invasion of Iraq was not justified and watched it happen anyway under protest, the date certain should have been some time shortly after shock and awe ran out of steam and the occupation began.
It is so necessary to realize that this country was founded on FREEDOM of religion. I believe that means people may worship or not in whatever way they choose as long as they don’t force others to do the same. That is freedom. Tolerance is key; separation of church and state an important component. I want to live in a country that continues to allow differences and doesn’t ask us to all be the same.
Great topic. Nice to have you on line!
You write, “America’s religious nut jobs usually use words, not stick and stones, much less explosives-laden suicide vests.” I imagine that’s how it began in the Middle East with Muslim extremists. The growing intollerence in America will surely lead to Christian extremists resorting to the same kind of violence we see happening today in the Middle East. The book, “Letter to a Christian Nation” opened my eyes to the truth that all religions are nothing more than elaborate fairy tales. I highly recommend the book.
Jim, Thank you for your column on religious extremism. It is so very important to identify this kind of fascist zealotry no matter the face one puts on it. This country has largely been free of religious strife because our Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee freedom FROM religion as well as freedom OF religion. The separation of Church and State is integral to our Democracy. Thank you for exposing this decidedly un-Christian behavior.
“Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.”
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787
This is a good column - wish it was in the Post instead of Harsanyi’s latest arrogant, shrill and cynical rant. There is no reasoning with the “nut jobs” because they claim everything they do is in God’s name, so end of discussion. “Letter to a Christian Nation” is a great book on this same subject. Newsweek recently ran a great debate between its author Sam Harris and Christian, Rick Warren, who is the guy who wrote the Purpose Driven Life Series. It’s worth checking out if it’s still on their website.
The voters at the polls must be made to realize that the religious right wants to make our democracy into a theocracy. We can not let that happen! Vote at the next election and continue to vote to oppose this.
It is great that you are continuing your columns on line!
Before I retired from teaching, I used to tell the students in my Western Civ. classes, “Never trust a zealot.” As your examples show, tolerance is not really part of ANY absolutist view of religion, and one of your previous commentators has already said it well: the Constitution was intended to provide us with protection FROM religion as well as providing protection FOR religion. That separation of church and State that Mr. Dobson and his Colorado Springs disciples would like to eliminate is one of the essential ingredients of democracy.
Well, here we go again. I just saw the news on t.v. an anti-abortion group is trying to pass a law in this state to stop abortion.
How long has it been, 30 or 35 years since women fought this battle in this state to have control over their own bodies? It was pointed out to me the people interviewed didn’t mention any religious organization so they might not be. Yeah right, if you believe that you’ll believe anything. If the Bush administration would just listen to the medical profession they could stop their costly “abstinence” program and dispense real birth control information and abortion wouldn’t be a concern to them.I hope this doesn’t pass. Do they really want our young women bleeding to death in a back alley again?
What is so hard for the religious right to understand that each person has the right to NOT believe their religious views?
What has happened to Science and Medicine, looks like we’re heading back to the Stone Age.
I fear you have too much faith in the image of a kind and loving Jesus. Look at Matthew 10:34-36 for his direct quote (King James version):
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”
Of course, our Bible does not exhort violence against “infidels” anywhere near as vehemently as does The Koran. Apologists who believe Islamists are tolerant people should read with what relish The Prophet encouraged slaughter.
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