February 06, 2008

Obey core commands

Taking Vicki Tidwell’s question to heart, I can’t remain silent. (See Thursday letter “Does silence mean approval?”)

For her to suggest that the “left” purveys “hate-America-first propaganda” or that it has a monopoly on hate is pompous and arrogant.

I love America.  The home-grown, misguided, right-wing religious fanatics who govern America are the ones whom I have difficulty loving. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ who stood behind our Christian president in the invasion of Iraq, a sovereign Muslim nation, and who back torture as a means of extracting questionable intelligence.

What must the rest of the world think of us as Tidwell and thousands of other followers of Jesus Christ remain silent — or worse, encourage our continued occupation — as we also export violence?
Islam is not without blood on its hands, having tried and failed since the eighth century to invade Europe and the rest of the world  to spread the Islamic brand of “love.”

But our core commands from Christ — “love one another,” “love your neighbor as yourself” and “love your enemies” — and his Sermon on the Mount must be in our hearts, no matter what Muslims, fanatical or silent, do to us!

David Perkins, Fort Worth