Crime in America has been gradually decreasing, with an occasional bump up, since it peaked in the 1990’s, and that is a testimony to the work of politicians, residents, and law enforcement. Religiously based hate crimes are one of the exceptions. Crime against Muslims surged after 9/11, and antisemitism fueled crimes accounted for 70% of religious crime in 2025. In fact, while Jews make up just 2% of the US population, 16% of hate crimes have been perpetrated against them. And while it is very difficult to define who the people committing these crimes are, the fact that they are directed at religious groups can give us some clues.
If we watch the news, especially if it is slanted to one perspective or another, or read online comments, we can feel the visceral fear and anger flowing all around us. It would be easy to point the finger at one person or segment of the population, but the truth is that it comes from every direction; we are a nation filled with angry, fearful people. And while some of the fear and anger can be justified, the way in which people are lashing out should cause alarm. Hate and anger cannot and should not be legislated against – free speech matters. What to do about it when it manifests itself in violence, however, is a problem we all need to work on. From my religious upbringing, learning to love others is the only way to cure our warring madness, to quote Fosdick.
Some years ago, I heard a speaker who said that one of the changes in America since the rise of Christian Fundamentalism in the 1970’s is that the Mainline Protestant religions have receded, leaving room for more strident, hyper-conservative movements to take their place. Religions that focus on pain and suffering in the afterlife for those who disagree. Religions that proudly proclaim other faiths as “demonic”. And while Mainline Protestantism had many faults, recent versions of it have backed off the “sinners in the hands of an angry God” approach, focusing more on justice, peace, and understanding. If we don’t learn how to love, we might easily default to hate. Churches that reject empathy and compassion are getting more attention than those that embrace the teachings of Jesus, and that isn’t just the fault of the media – that’s our fault. All of us – adults and children – need caring faith communities that help us grow spiritually. Secular research affirms our need for spirituality in our lives if we are going to be fully formed. Children who learn that God is about hate grow up to hate, using God to justify their behavior. We might also say the same thing about learning to love.
Prayer – Holy God, guide us away from using You as a weapon for mass destruction, and show us a better way. Amen.
Today’s art is a sculpture by Louise Nevelson, located in the University of Minnesota Landscape garden.