The Manifestation of Evil

Last Thursday, we were reminded again that an ideology exists in this world that teaches people to hate someone so much that it drives them to the kill others. Because of one person's hatred for Americans, thirteen people were gunned down and killed, with many more wounded. Because of one person's hatred, many families are now left longing for loved ones, taken mercilessly and prematurely from them. Because of one person's hatred, there are children without fathers or mothers, parents without daughters or sons, husbands and wives without spouses.

Of course, the shooter was shot, but he still lives. Part of me wishes that the shot that wounded him would have taken his life. It serves him right to have his life taken for what he did. Why does this man, full of rage and hate, get to live, while innocent people have to die because of his hatred? Why do things happen this way? It's only right for him to die for this. But vengeance is not ours to give. Vengeance ultimately belongs to God. But the government is able to punish him for what he did, and his punishment should be to the fullest extent of the law.

In looking at all of this, from a distance, I see a man full of rage and hatred. But I must ask why he is this way. What is it about his beliefs that drove him to commit such heinous acts? How could one person reach this far into the depths of depravity to hate people to this extent? Did his religion play a part in this act? Were there any indications that he was going to act in this extreme way? Why was nothing done to stop him?

When an abortion provider was shot and killed a few months ago, he was killed by someone full of hate and rage. But the left, and the media, declared that this man was a right-wing religious person, and they attempted to show some sort of moral equivalency between conservatives and this nut job. Yet, when a Muslim kills others around him, in the name of Allah, we are not supposed to question the motives and beliefs of their religion? This is considered bigoted?

We have seen many incidents of terrorism over the last 15 years, committed in the name of Allah and the religion of Islam, and we should not question the religion and what they are teaching? We are not supposed to profile, so as not to upset people of the Muslim religion? The last time I checked, it was not Americans, or Chinese, or Africans, or Europeans that committed these acts. It was Muslims. It was their extreme beliefs that drove them to commit these acts.

The left, and the media, would have us believe that we caused these terrorist acts because of something that we did. Somehow, maybe we mistreated them or hindered them in some way, thus driving them to commit acts of terrorism. Maybe they are George Bush's fault (after all, isn't he the cause of everything wrong in this world today?). However, let us remember that they attacked us during the Clinton Administration. They continue to attack us during the Obama Administration, even though everybody is supposed to worship and adore the current President. These people need to realize that this has nothing to do with who is in office. Terrorists don't care. They hate us because of who we are, not who our President is. It has everything to do with their hatred for anything that does not agree with their religion. This is what the Koran teaches.

We do, however, need to be careful, not to lump all Muslims into this extremist group. I do not believe that they all hold these views. In fact, I believe it is the minority of them that hold to these extremist views. But we cannot be too vigilant in guarding against these kind of attacks in the future. Rather than being mad at us, the law-abiding Muslims ought to direct their anger to the extremists of their religion who hold to these views and seek to destroy those who do not agree.

We should not take it on ourselves to combat terrorism by ourselves. If we go out and kill someone for the cause of ridding the world of terrorists and in the name of vigilante justice, then we are no better than they are. Our government exists to fight terrorism. Our military is fighting terrorists and extremists overseas so we do not need to fear them here.

And we can help them. Some may choose to volunteer for military service. Some may work for companies that act as support for the military. We may choose to donate to military causes or help with families whose loved ones are overseas serving our country. But one thing we can all do is pray for them. They are fighting a dangerous battle so that we do not have to face the enemy here. They deserve our respect. They deserve the honor due to them. They deserve our thanks. And they definitely deserve and merit our prayers. Let us not forget them.