"Anders Behring Breivik Doesn't Represent True Christianity"
By John W. Loftus at 7/23/2011
So say various Christians about right-wing fundamentalist Anders Behring Breivik, suspected of the bombings in Norway that killed more than 90 people. Naw, of course not. Your Christianity is the true one.
PZ Myers, who’s reputed to be less than sympathetic to the Christian faith, skimmed Breivik’s 1500 page manifesto. Here are some of the quotes:
I'm not going to pretend I'm a very religious person as that would be a lie. I've always been very pragmatic and influenced by my secular surroundings and environment.
Religion is a crutch for many weak people and many embrace religion for self serving reasons as a source for drawing mental strength (to feed their weak emotional state for example during illness, death, poverty etc.). Since I am not a hypocrite, I'll say directly that this is my agenda as well.
If praying will act as an additional mental boost/soothing it is the pragmatical thing to do. I guess I will find out... If there is a God I will be allowed to enter heaven as all other martyrs for the Church in the past. I am pursuing religion for this very reason and everyone else should as well, providing it will give you a mental boost.
No, those are not the statements of a professing Christian, much less a credible profession of faith.
Thank goodness he's not a true Scotsman. Wait....
ReplyDeleteWait, so this much-touted "Christian" extremist turns out to be just like other domestic terrorists, such as Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph: basically a secularist with a vestigial religion of his own devising?
ReplyDeleteWell. Knock me over with a feather.
David,
ReplyDeleteI realize that having to think for yourself is unexplored territory for an atheist. However, just citing the no-true-Scotsman fallacy does not a fallacy make. You actually need to provide a supporting argument to show that said fallacy applies in the particular denial in question.
Can I call 'em or can I call 'em?
ReplyDeleteOf course it isn't very hard to discern that someone who blows up buildings and goes on wild shooting sprees isn't dying to self, taking up his cross, and following the Christ of Scripture...
In Him,
CD
If you guys read the news carefully, you will see that Breivik stated on his FB account (that was taken down) that he is into freemasonry, which is a form of witchcraft. A true Christian would not be excersising witchcraft.
ReplyDeleteOn page 1403 of his manifesto, Breivik flatly states: "At the age of 15 I chose to be baptised and confirmed in the Norwegian State Church. I consider myself to be 100% Christian." That is a direct quote.
ReplyDeleteAnd as we all know, claiming something makes it so.
ReplyDeleteWalter,
ReplyDeleteHas it not occurred to you that he's made conflicting statements about himself?
I am Ironman.
ReplyDelete