Commentary
By Gary Kopycinski
Why are some Christians such haters?
I know there are other groups that do terrible things, but, face it, some "Christians" win the prize for hate everlasting.
Remember Pastor Terry Jones? Remember his press conferences when he threatened to burn the Holy Qur’an?
Look, I, and many Muslims and Jews, recognize that there are crazy people in the world. There are "loonies," as a local Imam likes to call them, some of them Muslim, who have done terrible things.
Like the "loonies" who pulled off 9/11/2001.
The vast, vast majority of Muslims, Christians and Jews, indeed, the vast majority of people on the planet, have long-since condemned what these "loonies" did on 9/11/2001.
Yet, some haters remain. Some blame all Muslims for the sins of a group even Muhammad (PBUH) would reject.
Many of these haters are, ostensibly, Christian.
Yet they hate.
This evening, I received an email from a now-old friend, one who leads prayers at a Mosque in the South Suburbs where I have taken my students for half a decade now.
He is a wonderful, brilliant, and, yes, very holy man.
Some group stole a picture of him from eNews Park Forest and printed papers with his image and hate-filled words. Against Muslims. Against my friends. Against my friend.
This fringe group claims to follow Jesus Christ (PBUH).
Instead, they follow their own political and warped agenda. They follow their own ideology.
My friends, hate is not a Christian value.
Hate is not a Jewish value.
Hate is not a Muslim value.
Hate is valued by no one who follows one of the world’s religions.
Hate is selfish, conceited, sanctimonious, and proud.
Like those who took the image of my friend and distorted it.
People of faith, be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jainist, Taoist, Hindu, Unitarian, Sikh, or whatever…
People of faith preach and try to follow Love.
Compassion.
The Divine, as they understand the Divine.
And they know best.
