It does not matter if it is Muslims, Jews, Christians, or any other religion; it is the absence of faith which leads many to commit acts of violence and leads the rest to tremble in fear.
Recently, we have seen Terrorist in the name of Islam strike out against innocent people in different venues in Paris, France. And, in response to those terrorist acts, we have also seen many right here in America show their fear of these terrorist, especially Republican governors, refusing to allow refugees from Syria into their states, afraid that terrorist might hide among them to infiltrate our nation. Most likely, many of those who are so afraid are the same people who are so quick remind us that “This is a Christian nation”.
The thing about faith is that if you actually believe in God, though you call him Jehovah, Allah or Yahweh, you also believe He is a protector and a provider of those who worship Him. Without faith, then you stand for a religion that means nothing at all to you.
Those who commit violent acts in the name of a religion do so not out of their faith in God but out of their lack of faith in God. The question I would pose to them would be, “Is your god weak and unable to defend himself?” Or, “Is your god so weak that he needs you to help him to take vengeance on those who do not worship him?” In other words, “Where is your faith in this god of yours?”
I am a Christian and I have been taught that faith without works is dead. When I say “works” I mean acts that show I believe in my God to answer my prayers and to take care of me. And, I refuse to live in fear of terrorist or of anything that can harm me. My faith teaches me that even if I die, I will live again in paradise, so I have no reason to even fear death.
Yet here we are; on one side we have these Muslims who out of the absence of faith in their lives, they commit acts of violence, perhaps hoping those acts of violence will win them a special spot in paradise, yet even their own religion teaches them that there is only Hell for those who spill innocent blood. And on the other side we have those who proudly claim their Christianity and yet have so much fear that they refuse to show compassion to men, women and children who have lost everything to those same Muslim terrorist, which would be an exercise of their faith. By not doing so, they show their lack of faith in the very same Jesus who made it clear to them to be compassionate to strangers.
However, there are those of true faith in all religions; who believe in their hearts that there is a god who loves them and cares for them, and they trust him for everything. These are not the same people who commit violent acts in the name of their religion and these are not the same people who tremble in fear of those who might do them harm so much that they throw up walls to protect themselves from harm.
Of course, a terrorist might somehow get through by pretending to be just a refugee seeking asylum, and then, a terrorist might get through by other means as many manage to get across our borders undetected, and that same terrorist might kill a lot of people. But then, we can also do as some are suggesting; only help the Christians who need help and refuse help to Muslims. That will then send a clear message about Christianity, which is that Christianity is not about compassion and it’s not about faith, it’s about xenophobia and fear and our god is just as weak as the god of the terrorist we so fear. In doing so we will also help those terrorist spread their message of hate concerning us, and help their recruiting efforts tremendously.
Or we can be the Christian nation so many Republicans – such as all the governors who wish to block these refugees from their states – claim we are and show the same compassion and the same fearlessness that Jesus showed when he walked this earth and to open our hearts to those who need us and in doing so, win the hearts we supposedly sought to win when we first started our war in Iraq several years ago.
Instead of war; bring peace, instead of hunger; bring food, instead of homelessness; provide shelter, instead of hate, show love and compassion, instead of fear, show faith. This is the stuff of miracles, the stuff that perhaps many of those who claim so loudly when arguing their so-called sincere beliefs, “This is a Christian nation” is so absent of, abundantly.