June 26 - Why do religious people murder and ravage?

How do religious people get to the point of

approving murder and ravaging other religions?

Love your enemies and

pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:44

EVERYONE in the world is religious.

Do you agree with that?

Here’s what I mean … Millions may not believe in a god or participate in a religion; nevertheless, look at how we ought to define “religious.” What if it rightly means: “a person’s way of make sensing of the world.” With that in mind, then EVERYONE is religious. EVERYONE has things they believe are true. It is their way of making sense of the world. It, therefore, is their foundation. It defines them. It determines the way they think and act and react.

In general, most people are willing to stand up for what they believe. Now, standing up for what we believe can be noble. It also can turn firm. And that firmness can occasionally become rigid. And rigidity can even turn violent, when we feel that our religion, our identity, and especially our god is being attacked.

Every religion has a few misguided souls. Let’s exclude the fringe from the scope of our discussion.

Let’s focus instead on religions that have tenets that can be construed as condoning violence. And it’s not just strains of Muslims that condone killing “infidels.” We’re talking about this because some first century Jews picked up stones too, and even “Saul [who would become the Apostle Paul] approved of their killing [Stephen, the first Christian martyr] [which prompted] a severe persecution … against the church in Jerusalem.”

Those are our roots. Nevertheless, as Christians, we should always remember that violence is neither noble nor prescribed. On the contrary, Jesus calls us to love our enemies.

That’s hard.

So is praying for those who persecute us.

But Jesus is our absolute model. Rather than responding violently to his arrest, Jesus loved even his persecutors and prayed for God to forgive those who literally crucified him.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’ll rise up for what he believes …

… but might I have to rise up

on a sacrificial cross in love

instead of in anger?

(Yes)