Today's Village Voice question: "Would you call Eric Rudolph a 'Christian terrorist'?"

The Village Voice ^ | 6/4/03

[dead]

The Village Voice question is almost always answered exclusively by liberals (“How can you even ask if Bush is as bad as Hitler?! The question should be asked the other way around!!”) but I thought some conservatives might like to give their views on this question.

Would you call Eric Rudolph a 'Christian terrorist'?

[gov_bean_ counter]

It is odd that many of his beliefs regarding industry and technology seemed to mirror those of Algore and the Unibomber.

[wideawake]

It seems to me that there are only two ways one can be legitimately called a Christian without abusing the word:

(1) If one professes belief in Jesus as Lord, accepting the doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation

or more vaguely:

(2) A person who accepts Jesus' moral teaching as noble, if not divine.

If Rudolph is indeed an adherent of the cult group known as "Christian Identity", he is demonstrably not a Christian in the first sense.

By his actions, particularly his complete disregard of the Beatitudes, he is demonstrably not a Christian in either sense.

[Slyfox]

Eric Rudolph, as I understand it, is a member of the Christian Identity movement which is a neo-Nazi organization. The only connection with 'Christian' is that the neo-Nazi group took the word 'Christian' to make up part of their name.

A funny thing happened on my way to an abortion clinic one time. I was involved in a peaceful protest. A couple of guys, who actually worked at the clinic, dressed up as KKK members, and posed as if the KKK was affiliated with us in some way. They were real friendly at first, but then when we got to questioning them they blew their own cover and never did bother us again. Er, at least at that clinic.

[Slyfox]

It's very interesting that in the first reports about Rudolph we heard that he was a member of 'Christian Identity'. But then, we stopped hearing that and instead we heard that he was just a 'Christian'. Are the media playing fast and loose with out footsies again?

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

The left is loving this as they can play the moral equivalency game.

But anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that Rudolph was working against the teachings and precepts of Chritianity while islamo-nazi terrorists act according to the precepts and tenets of their "religion".

Put another way the words "Christian" and "terrorist" have opposing meanings - the words "islamic" and "terrorist" don't.

These are like SAT questions, which the left probably flunked anyway.

[babygene]

It's not clear to me that he's a terrorist at all. (Assuming he's guilty of bombing the abortion clinics, ostensibly for the purpose of stopping the murder of babies, he’s just as guilty of murder as the abortionists, but that does not equate to terrorism.

Terrorism, as I understand it is perpetrating actions that instill terror in innocent people to advance a political agenda. If his actions were to prevent the murder of innocent babies, this does not fit the definition of terrorist at all

Now if he had bombed some pizza parlor to try to influence public opinion, then he might be considered a terrorist, though it would seem to have little to do with Christianity. Unlike the Moslem religion, Christianity does not condone killing anyone for any reason.

As I stated in the first paragraph, he’s still just as much a murderer as the abortionists are.

[dead]

He wasn't "saving babies" when he blew up the lesbian club or the Olympics.

He was killing people (in a most "unChristian" manner) in order to instill terror because he believed it would advance his twisted agenda.

I don't know how you could fail to see that.

[Guillermo]

accepting the doctrines of the Trinity

Totally off-topic...but, lol, where do you find this in the Bible? FReep mail may be a better way of going about this, if you please.

[Cacophonous]

No. The phrase is a contradiction of itself. A Christian cannot be a terrorist.

[wideawake]

lol

Yes, the central doctrines of Christianity are a laugh riot indeed.

Hardy har har.

[babygene]

Oh, I thought they said Richard Jewel did the Olympic bombing. I guess we are to believe they got it right this time. They were sure then too... And convinced most of us. We'll see how that works out.

If he was indeed the perp in the Olympic and the gay thing, perhaps he could be considered a terrorist, but the gay bombing would still be stretching the definition somewhat.

[joesnuffy]

By their works ye shall know them.......
One can easliy talk the talk
but its the walk that counts

[opus86]

Agreed. I don't see the equivalence. Last I checked there weren't a plethora of Christian schools in America teaching youth to hate Jews and Muslims.

[dead]

Oh, I thought they said Richard Jewel did the Olympic bombing.

That theory was disproved a long time ago.

I guess we are to believe they got it right this time. They were sure then too...

That’s what trials are for.

If he was indeed the perp in the Olympic and the gay thing, perhaps he could be considered a terrorist, but the gay bombing would still be stretching the definition somewhat.

Could? What other motivations could you possibly ascribe to such actions?

[Guillermo]

Where is that "Central Doctrine" located?

[babygene]

Oh, I thought they said Richard Jewel did the Olympic bombing. I guess we are to believe they got it right this time. They were sure then too... And convinced most of us. We'll see how that works out.

If he was indeed the perp in the Olympic and the gay thing, perhaps he could be considered a terrorist, but the gay bombing would still be stretching the definition somewhat.

Seems odd to me that a neo-nazi type would be against abortion, since the overwhelming number of babies killed are black. (percentage wise) The black population, that makes up only 13% of the U.S. population accounts for over 50% of the abortions in this country. Something doesn’t smell right here…

[Publius6961]

Today's Village Voice question: "Would you call Eric Rudolph a 'Christian terrorist'?"

Answer:

Only if youre a terrorist or a pervert.

Strange bedfellows, what?

[Guillermo]

Anyways, I was listening to Glen Beck yesterday and he called Rudolph a "Christian Terrorist."

His point was, this is how Muslims feel when you call Muslim terrorists Muslim terrorists.

I was inclined to call the show, to let him know the difference. When a Muslim terrorist strikes, it seems that there are 2 responses from Muslims worldwide: A) There is no evidence that the act was committed by a Muslim (eg, "There is no evidence that Osama was involved with 9-11, this is a CIA/Mossad plot") or B) The US deserved the attack based on its policies, and the attack was justified (this is a response more common outside the US).

When someone can show me all the preachers/pastors who praise Rudolph, and when the voices from Christendom shout out in support of Rudolph, then we can call them similar.

[babygene]

" Could? What other motivations could you possibly ascribe to such actions?"

Yea, I know, I double posted part of my last response.

In answer to your question though:

There are many murders in this country every year, with many motives. Terrorism is a very specific motive, and I'm not sure that it is correct to attribute them all to terrorism.