Islamophobia

http://www.michellemalkin.com/archives/004413.htm

Looking back over the past year, I am reminded about the joke about the paranoid individual who thought they were all out to get him, but it was all a delusion, which was why the men in white coats turned up to take him to a mental institution!

We are repeatly told that we live in a society where Islamophobia is becoming rife, and it is only a vocal minority who engage in acts of violence, flag burning, or chanting and waving placards about beheading or otherwise removing infidels on a permanent basis.

Maybe so, perhaps it is extremes. But - apart from the lunatic posturing of George Bush and some Americans and their talk of "axis of evil", we do not have Christians out issuing death threats against anyone who mocks Christianity, in such a visible and vocal manner.

Perhaps it is because Jesus notably spoke of not returning violence with violence, of turning the other cheek, of not giving persecutors the satisfaction of triggering anger. Christian martyrdom has been seen not with killing others for your faith and dying yourself, but with refusing to give up faith, and suffering persecution and death as a result. It is true there have been bloody eras of violence - as with the crusaders -

The cry of the Popes was:

"All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins"


This is pretty appalling, and shows the depths of degradation which the Church had decended.

There were Crusader saints, such as Gerard Mecatti of Villamagna. But he is rare for having a church dedicated to him, with a statue of him in armour.

There were none classed as Crusader martyrs; how could there be? A martyr dies for his faith; he doesn't kill for it.

Paul speaks of "put on the armour of God", and we have a hymn (among several) drawing on that "onward Christian soldiers". But the whole point of Paul's imagery was to state in visual terms what that armour was, and how it was so completely different from the armour of the Roman soldiers.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints...."


This uses military imagery - easily seen in towns and villages in the Empire - and subverts it to great effect.