I am not sure if or how much a part of a church he was, or what kind of church it was. But those who assert that the terrorist was acting consistent with the Bible are potentially as dangerous as he is, and historically, rather than religious violence, many Christian Evangelical fundamentalist have chosen to be complete pacifists.
In contrast, the Qur’an does promote religious violence (http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/JESUS.Vs.Muhammad.html), and its monologue of theology lacks the context and clarity needed to restrict what “war” against Islam is, and religious violence to simply being in a defensive context, while physical retaliation and fighting is clearly sanctioned and commanded, such as until all the religion of the land be of Allah. (Qur’an:8:39) While religious violence was sanctioned for Israel in a limited context, under the New Testament the Bible does not offer any sanction for physical religious violence, such as,
1. killing others due to their contrary views.
2. the church correcting false beliefs among church members
3. the church exercising such to rule over those without (1Cor. 5:12)
4. to expand the church
A possible exception might be in order to save others from being hurt in an immediate situation, but that is hardly a religious context.
While the aforementioned violence has happened in history (Crusades, etc) , that was the result of men assuming superior authority over Scripture, with ignorance of the latter among the laity. The early church and its individual in the New Testament, being under the New Covenant (which Jesus instituted at His death), never used violence. Rather, “we do not war after the flesh, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against..spiritual wickedness..” (2Cor. 10:3,4; Eph. 6:12) Thus “the weapons of our warfare” spiritual, “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left..” (2Cor. 6:7)
The same N.T. does sanction the just use of the sword by the civil government, which is based upon moral views in any country, but the N.T. itself separates the powers.
As for the atheists who love to lump all religions together as blood thirsty, know that more killing and oppression has been done under the recent rise of atheism than by religion, from Mao to PolPot to Communism, as its objectively baseless moral reasoning can easily sanction anything as reasonable to achieve its ends.
Also, “Liberal Violence: Five Names You Should Know” http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2010/03/16/liberal_violence_five_names_you_should_know/page/full/
To those on the left reading this thread:
Those of you blaming Sarah Palin for the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, or any other violent act, especially the one in Norway, shows just how mentally unhinged some of you have become.
Please get psychiatric help.
Openly blaming Sarah Palin for a random shooting is a display that things in your head are not right, and that your thinking and logic, or lack of, has become scrambled to the point of insanity.
Do you see conservatives acting out the way the left does?
No you don’t.
Imagine if someone blamed Barack Obama for the shooting of a political opponent, or 100 innocent children.
That person would likely be committed for a 72 hour observation to determine their sanity, yet the leftist forums are filled with people who blame Palin for anything and everything.
This is nothing new.
Example: Remember the massive power outage in the NorthEast in 2003?
The left wasted no time in blaming then-President GWBush.
Worse, the left, namely Randi Rhodes of the now defunct “Air America” went on the air in 2006 and blamed the deaths of 12 mine workers on then-President GWBush.
The left doesn’t mourn the deaths of innocent people - they immediately exploit the tragic deaths of these people on Conservative politicians and even private citizens such as Palin, whose “crime” is being a conservative who loves her country and doesn’t badmouth it like so many on the left do, including our own President.
Regardless, some of you are insane based on your words and writings.
You are so filled with hate, that you will without hesitation, blame the tragic deaths of an estimated 100 children half-way around the world by a mentally unbalanced man not on him, but on some random conservative in the US
Palin is your favorite target.
The fact that she is breathing air drives many of you to and over the edge of insanity.
Again, seek help if you’re one of those people before we read about you snapping and becoming even more unhinged and acting out the crazy thoughts that are bouncing around in your hate-filled head.