The Religious Mind Of A Terrorist - Could You Have It?

(Part 1)

They were in Florida spending big dollars - tipping up to $12,000 for nudity and sexual favors at strip clubs. They enjoyed the finest vodka at restaurants, traveled by plane across the USA. They were here enjoying the freedoms of our land but with ever increasing intent on destroying the USA. Why? How could they do their evil after being treated so well in a land and society that never interfered with anything they wanted to do?

Pres. Bush said it would be a long war, a hard war, but not a religious war. He got two out of three. It is a religious war! Listen to bin Laden’s words: “The call to wage war against America was made because America has spearheaded the crusade against the Islamic nation, sending tens of thousands of its troops to the land of the two holy mosques over and above its meddling in its affairs and its politics and its support of the oppressive, corrupt and tyrannical regime that is in control” (1998). Note the word “crusade” which is a religious word. Note also that words “Islamic Nation.” There is not such thing as a single “Islamic Nation.” What bin Laden hopes is to rally all Muslims to this religious conflict.

Osama Bin Laden stated that his terrorism was “of the commendable kind, for it is directed at the tyrants and the aggressors and the enemies of Allah” (1998). “Enemies of Allah” means the enemies of God. How strongly can it be said? In their eyes they would be justified to do anything to the enemies of God!

He also said, “Our call is the call of Islam that was revealed to Muhammad. It is a call to all mankind. We have been entrusted with good cause to follow in the footsteps of the messenger and to communicate his message to all nations.”

Bin Laden sees this as a war against unbelief and unbelievers. He has espoused a fundamentalist form of Islam which has been responsible for the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the destruction of ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan, the persecution of women and homosexuals by the Taliban, the attack of the USS Cole, US embassies, and the World Trade Center.

Bin Laden and his fundamentalist religion finds itself running up against a modern world that is changing constantly. The fundamentalists want something stable. They prefer the blind recourse to their ancient texts as literal truth. They subjugate reason, judgment and conscience to the dictates of dogma. They believe that they have the absolute truth! The logic goes like this: Sin begets sin. The sin of others can corrupt you also. The only solution is to retreat to a world in which sin is outlawed, punished and constantly purged - by force if necessary. And it is not crazy to act this way if you believe these things strongly enough. In some ways, it’s crazier to believe these things and not act this way!

In history “Christians” have shed more blood than Muslims. Remember the Inquisition, the religious wars that raged in Europe for nearly three centuries, the many fanatics who burned others at the stake thinking they were doing God’s will. They perverted Christianity more than bin Laden perverted Islam.

Jesus claimed not only that He had the truth. He also said He was the truth. Nevertheless He never forced it on anyone. Consider how many people Jesus talked to, interacted with. He merely preached the truth and gave people the choice. Similar to the statements in the Law: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life…”

There are many passages in the Koran urging mercy toward others, tolerance and respect for life, etc. But, there are also passages as violent as this: “And when the sacred months are passed, kill those who join other gods with God wherever ye shall find them; and seize them, besiege them, and lay wait for them with every kind of ambush.” And this: “Believers! Wage war against such of the infidels as are your neighbors, and let them find you rigorous.”

Unlike Jesus who is looked on by the world as a great teacher and preacher of religious principles, but who was a “humble carpenter” under the rule of the Roman Empire; Muhammad was also a ruler in his own right. Jesus said His disciples would not fight because His kingdom was not of this world. But Muhammad and his followers fought for earthly rulership.

A friend asked a Muslim living here in the USA why his country didn’t allow Christian missionaries simply to preach Christianity in his country without being jailed and persecuted. The Muslim’s answer was this: “Because we have the absolute truth.” Think of it, in a world of absolute truth in matters more important than even life and death, there is no room for dissent or doubt. Error leads to damnation. There has to be the insistence on absolute authority to guarantee infallibility and thus guarantee to preserve the truth.

In the book by Dostoyevsky called The Brothers Karamozov, one of the brothers tells the story about the return of Jesus during the Spanish Inquisition. During a time when hundreds are being burned at the stake (note in religious persecution how often fire is used - for purification and cleansing), Jesus performs miracles for people. The Inquisitor is alarmed and arrests Jesus and imprisons Him with the intention of burning Him at the stake as well.

The Inquisitor accuses Jesus of the crime of revealing that salvation is possible but allowing humans to have the freedom to refuse it. This to the Inquisitor was Jesus’ great crime.

The Inquisitor just could not understand having the truth and not forcing people to accept it. Since Jesus had it He was considered cruel to allow people to reject “so great a salvation.”

In part 2 (the next Sabbath Thoughts) we’ll discuss the mindset that leads to this all or nothing thinking.           
                                                        -- David L. Antion