Keep the Sabbath, for it is holy.... Anyone who desecrates it must die.' (Exodus 31:12-15)
You see, even our Bible has texts which when misunderstood, misapplied, or used out of context could be used to justify murder. The problem though is not in the text but in its misuse. So taking a single line of text from the Quran and claiming it justifies killing is just as stupid as Christians going around killing people for working on a Saturday claiming that God told us to do it! It's just NUTS.
To put my point a bit more prosaically, instead of cursing the darkness of Muslim extremists misapplying their sacred texts, light a candle and show them the error of their ways. This is what Pope B16 told us to do... and he hardly qualifies as a liberal radical!!
So why not join with me and help bring light into these dark corners where hatred and intolerance festers and breeds? I think it's a great way to help everyone see the truth a little bit better and in doing so, we'll make this world a little better for all of us... believers and non-believers alike.
Every Muslim I know is just as peaceful as the Christians I know. And just as there are lines in the Koran the command violence, the Bible decrees capital punishment for breaking eight of the Ten Commandments.
ReplyDeleteJust as Christians and Jews have learned to ignore those punishments, most Muslims ignore their extremist texts as well. We all must do everything we can to encourage all of us to become moderates.
Happy New Year Fr. Tim.