Perhaps, you are like me and the mere thought of this makes you shudder. However, we need to wake up to this reality and danger. In the past couple of months, one man went to the pentagon with a gun because of his hate for the government; another man flew his plane into the federal building. Ministers have been calling on the death of their political opponents. Right-wing extremist groups are on the extreme rise, and the tone against Obama is getting stronger and stronger….including some talk that he is the Anti-Christ. Before you dismiss is this as some radical non-significant minority…consider a recent national poll, where 24% of Republicans think that Obama may be the anti-Christ. We also have recently learned about the members of the “Christian” militia based out of Michigan who were arrested for plans of violence against the government.
If you truly believed that Obama was the ultimate “evil” of history and the actual incarnation of Satan himself, wouldn’t you try to kill him? I would. I mean, what motivation would you not have to do this? I am not saying that any pastor or minister is actively saying to kill Obama, but all it takes is one crazy person in the crowd who takes the fear, hatred, and paranoia to heart and does something about it. As a Christian, it scares me beyond belief.
There are many ways that faith can be destroyed in a nation. However, the fastest way that you could guarantee people to flee from the faith and the message become irrelevant is to have extremism and violence arise from the faith. We cannot think that it could not happen to the Christian faith. It has happened in the past, and as we know..history has a way of repeating itself. My suggestion for Christian leaders would be to do the following:
1. Preach the message of the non-violence resistance of Jesus
This is an underlying problem in our society; we have justified violence for so long. In our history books, we seem to justify every war that has ever been launched. Even in modern day wars, we always find a justice for violence. With this built in justification for violence, instead of the path of non-violence resistance, we are setting up justifications for assassinations, terrorism, etc. Whether there are issues you disagree with on the right or left, conservative or liberal, the only way they can be confronted as Christians is through the path of peaceful resistance and protest.
2. Stop Extremism and Conspiracy in Its Tracks
Christian leaders, conservative and liberal, should stand up to the extremism and blatant falsehoods that are presented by both religious and secular voices, whether it is Glenn Beck somehow comparing Obama to the next Hitler or Stalin or the local pastor who gives great consideration that Obama is the actual anti-Christ. This kind of stupidity and extremism only leads to problems and for Christians, shame to the Christian faith. On a more somber note, it could truly lead to violence.
3. Practice Love and Prayer for All Leaders
Whether it was liberals who hated Bush or conservatives who hate Obama, the church has to stand up and be the voice of love and the group who chooses to pray and bless their leaders whether they agree with them or not. To do any less is to deny the whole essence of the Christian faith. Speak out all you can on the issues, but show love, grace, and compassion to all of God’s children.
I am too young to remember the assassinations of JFK or Dr. King. I do remember seeing footage from the Oklahoma City Bombing. We are naive to believe the same forces are not still alive today, and that they couldn’t be carried out by someone who is professing to do so in the name of God, and even unthinkably, in the name of the Prince of Peace. As a Christian community, let’s stop the extremism from growing before the faith is held up to public shame.
