Abram is a man who believes many things. For example, he believes in a violent deity, “the Lord.” He believes that believing in the “Lord” is “credited to him as an act of righteousness.” He believes the “Lord” rewards his righteousness with “land as a possession.” He will gain a nation. Abram believes killing to get that nation is also righteous. First, he kills animals; he took “a three-year-old heifer, …she-goat, …turtledove, and a young pigeon” and “split them in two.” Next, to inhabit the nation, Abram kills people; in war. Still to this day, Abram and his killer descendants are credited as righteous. For still to this day, millions of people across the world will be sitting in synagogues, churches, and mosques this weekend hearing this and other such stories of righteous killing as ‘the Word of God.’
We needn’t really wonder why some people keep killing other people. It is because they believe violent books like the Old Testament, Bhagavad Gita, and Quran are the Word of God and sanction killers as righteous and killing as holy. We know this is true. Why don’t we say it? We don’t say it because it would be credited to us as blasphemy. Our religions, there is really only one religion – Militarism – is based on sanctified heroes inflicting sanctified violence. To speak the truth that people who kill, such as Abram or Muhammad or U.S. soldiers, are not our heroes, is blasphemous. We are religiously propagandized to sanctify warriors and the killing they do. Thus, as some people credit Abram or Muhammad as righteous for their holy wars, and some people credit U.S. soldiers as righteous for their holy wars, we cannot be surprised some people credit white nationalists as righteous for their holy wars. White nationalist violence is an especially heinous violence made righteous. It was an element in the founding of the U.S. and persists. White nationalist violence is on the rise in the U.S. with the help of the Trump administration. With that same help it is on the rise in other parts of the world. The manifesto by the Islamophobic mass murderer of Muslims in New Zealand proves that fact (03/15/19). Its writer hailed Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.” Trump called the shooting “horrible” but said white nationalists consists of “a small group of people” and then went on to sign a white nationalist document to build a Border Wall. Why did Trump sign it? He said, “People hate the word invasion, but that’s what it is.” Why did the shooter kill? – he said, “We are experiencing an invasion.” Both men belong to the one same religion, Militarism.
Lent is broadcast from church pulpits as a time to give up something. We can all of us give up supporting and, worse, sanctifying killers; ancient and present.
Prayer: Spirit of Oneness, our communion is the power to transform violent supremacists.
Question: Do I condemn all killing or just some killing and why?
March 17, 2019 Gospel Luke 9:28-36 Second Sunday of Lent