Is Breivik a ‘Christian’ terrorist?

Norway attacks a wakeup call for a world

Islamophobia, like anti-Semitism, will not be eradicated easily or soon.

Terrorism, faith and fear

Anders Behring Breivik ought not to be called a Christian terrorist. There is no God is such mass murderous insanity.

Christianity’s complex history shapes debate

The question of whether Anders Behring Breivik should be called a Christian terrorist presupposes that he is a Christian. And Christians are not of one mind about that presupposition, about the content of his faith.

Don’t give religious legitimacy to violent criminals

To the extent that criminals attempt to create a religious framework for their activities, the rest of us should refuse to give their religious expression any legitimacy

Breivik a Christian, terrorist but not ‘Christian terrorist’

By distancing Breivik from Christianity, those who do so are simply looking for an easy way out - one which refuses to take responsibility for Christianity capacity to generate terror.

Separate true religion and terrorism

Frankly, so many in the media have spent the last decade using the term “Muslim terrorist” to reference any terrorist act committed in the name of Islam, by that standard, it seems only fair to call Breivik a “Christian terrorist.” Fair is fair.

American inconsistencies on terror

We should not brand terrorist actions by the religious affiliations of the perpetrators

Terror in the name of religion is not confined to Islam

As the Salem witch hunt reminds us, many Christians in the past believed that to show love to the soul, one had to separate it from the sinning body. This is exactly what a great number of terrorists are doing.

Breivik betrays Christianity

No matter how carefully Christians try to explain the faith and how virtuous our use of language might be, a fallen or lunatic fringe can still twist the Gospel of Love to hatred and evil.

And Jesus wept ...

But so is "Jewish terrorist," "Muslim terrorist," "Hindu terrorist," or terrorist identified by just about any religious tag.  The teachings of the world's great wisdom traditions uniformly encourage what Christians call "the Golden Rule." 

False faith: Beware the corrupters of Christianity

It useless to pretend that some people don’t claim the mantle of Christianity to do wicked things.

A too-familiar tension between religion and terrorism

The three steps of religious reaction too terrorism.

A conservative Christian engaged in a Christian war

The Bible and other holy books have passages encouraging the murder of infidels.

Brevik: A terrorist who claims roots in crusader Christianity

Call Brevik an ‘anti-Muslim terrorist’

Rather than arguing which kind of Christianity we ought to tarnish by attaching its name to his, let’s call him an “anti-Muslim terrorist” and have done with it.

Breivik had no religious faith

People can label someone any way they wish, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true.

Is Anders Behring Breivik a Christian terrorist? Let’s not mince words

If people kill in the name of religion should they be identified by their religion?

When Christianity becomes lethal

Christians are often reluctant to see these connections between their religion and extreme violence. They will dismiss it as “madness” rather than confront the Christian element directly.

Anders Behring Breivik: Christian terrorist? Right-wing extremist? Madman?

The Christian history that Breivik seeks to reenact is not the passion of Jesus Christ, but the narrative of the Crusades.