Art Donart, Ph. D., SFO submitted this essay.
Throughout history, there has been, and continues to be, horrible religious violence. What happened in New Orleans, LA, on New Year’s Eve 2025, was an outburst of religiously-inspired hatred. ISIS propaganda overtook Shamsud-Din Jabbar. His violent action killed ten and injured 35, This “religious” propaganda HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE DANGEROUS TO SOCIETY. If it were tainted beef, our Food and Drug Administration would require it to be pulled off the shelves and properly destroyed, in order to protect the American public. Arguably, ISIS propaganda is much more dangerous than tainted meat! How do we combat that?
In ISIS’s case, such raw violence is religiously inspired. We hold religious freedom dear, but it does have its limits. We hold free speech dear, too, but it also has its limits. We favor a capitalist economy, but we have found that it too must have limits, if it is going to be a fair economic system. As a democracy, we rely on our elected officials to set the limits. It would seem that they have failed us.
However, in the case of ISIS, mainstream Islam, Christianity, and Juadism all have a responsibility to combat the errors in ISIS teachings, by exposing the misguided teachings and–especially–by offering something better.
• If God needs us to defend God, we are not talking about God. God can take care of God’s self.
• God loves all of God’s children–regardless of their religion, race, tribe, or color. We are not doing God a favor by killing God’s loved ones.
• We may see others as foolish, pigheaded, sinners, but they are (as are we) still loved by our infinite, loving, merciful God.
• When ISIS or any other religion fills us with hate, it separates us from God, the God of love, mercy, and compassion.
Violent speech incites violent action. However, we should not wait for our Government to solve this problem. We can speak, too, but preferably after being a good listener. The grievances which proponents of violence hold may have some legitimacy. I remember the mass murder-suicide at Jamestown in Guyana. Throughout history, there has been, and continues to be, horrible religious violence.
The genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is ongoing. Be it a State actor, group actor, or individual actor of violence, we should openly disapprove of the violence. I know it is hard to love our enemies, but it is the only solution.
“Thou shalt not kill” applies to all.