After we were attacked on 9/11, and even before, the response we as a nation have had towards terrorism has been mostly about rage and retribution. I have asked myself and others whether someone who commits an act of violent terrorism has, in some way, lost their humanity. Listening to the stories of how women have been abused by Hamas since their attack last year, and how so many of those innocent victims are still held in captivity, has brought this question back to me again and again. It might make me a bad Christian, but every time I hear that a terrorist has been killed by an avenging response force, I feel no sadness. Try as I might to love my enemies, in these cases, I can’t. Terrorism has always been a one-sided issue for me.
Then I read one study after another linking terrorist and gang activity – which is a form of terrorism – to a need for belonging. A few brave souls asked us, after 9/11, to consider why they attacked us. Those voices were quickly silenced, but they had a valid point. And to be clear; I am in no way condoning what terrorists do, and I know that there are multiple reasons for this kind of evil behavior, but it still makes me wonder about their motivation. I remember some years ago reading about young boys forced to join The Lord’s Resistance Army, a terrorist force in Africa. Some of them were interviewed after being caught, and their reasons for joining ranged from starvation to being forced to join to a need to belong to something greater.
How many times have we read about the young men who commit terrorist attacks in this country who are described as odd, strange, loners, and mentally ill? One of the consistent characteristics is that they have been bullied for being different; rejected by the cool and not-so-cool kids. Again, I am not trying to excuse this heinous behavior, but shouldn’t we be considering the causes of terrorist violence, and not just the outcomes? Do we really think that all the adorable ads about sharing and empathy that show up during the Olympics will cure our madness? And while we might point to the demise of religious participation in America as being part of the problem, studies have shown that one’s level of empathy, as connected to religion, depends on the kind of religion one practices. People who attend church are actually more likely to have views that are racist, sexist, homophobic, and violent. Not all religion teaches kindness.
I have recently started reading Elizabeth Neumann’s new book, The Kingdom of Rage, and she points to this very problem. A community of faith can provide a sense of belonging, but if that community teaches violence and hatred, it might actually reinforce violent and hateful behavior. I was asked by a friend years ago if, given the choice of only a very judgment-focused church to attend, would I go or not. I chose not. Religion is supposed to bring out our best angels, not our worst devils. Belonging to a congregation that preaches hate will not solve our problem of violence; it will make it worse. Not being involved in a congregation is not the answer either; supporting one that makes a positive difference in the world might be. If your community of faith teaches you to hate, you should try to find one that doesn’t. Maybe, if we are part of the solution, we might overcome the problem. At least, a little bit.
Prayer – Holy God, we have received mixed messages from Your words, which can be confusing. Help us to find our way to the words that teach love and empathy so that this world might find its way. Amen.
Today’s art is “Prophet Sparks” by Yoram Raanan.