There is a post on facebook going around now with, as of this moment, 109,701 likes and 82,579 shares. The post reads: “SHARE AND PRAY FOR THE CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA!” Then when you click on it, it reads: “ISIS terrorists have now captured Christians in Syria and told them that if they don’t deny their faith they will be decapitated and their children ‘burned alive in cages’. We must stop the ISIS terrorists!” I found this somewhat disturbing for one reason but then after reading many of the comments made by my fellow Americans, I was beyond being disturbed and found myself shifting between anger and sorrow. But first, the primary reason I was disturbed in the first place.
Why does it take the threat of beheading Christians who won’t convert and the burning of their children in cages to get people in America angry? Where have these people been? Don’t they read the news? Aren’t they aware of the thousands of innocent men, women, and children already slaughtered by ISIS and the over 4 million displaced refugees from Syria that have flooded across the borders of both Turkey and Lebanon because they did not want to be murdered, too? And those refugees in Turkey and Lebanon are not just Muslims but Syrian Christians, as well as Jews who were living there and those Muslims are a mixed bag of Sunni, Shia, and Kurds because ISIS does not descriminate in their killing but kill anyone who does not swear allegiance to their lust for power and land. Where was the prayer campaign for them? Why wasn’t there outrage and a demand to stop ISIS before?
So, what got me upset in the first place is the call to prayer for the Syrian Christians and, by exclusion, no one else. Prayer is needed for everyone suffering in that war-torn region. Not just Christians. We, as thinking, feeling, compassionate human beings (and let me stress the word human) should be up in arms to protect every innocent person in harm’s way, regardless of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, age, hair color, height, weight, and shoe size. It is an outrage what is happening just over my adopted country’s border right now and all the nations of the world should, as one person commented to this post, “BAN together to stamp out ISIS.” They are, at this very moment, THE common enemy to us all. And it amazes me when leaders of nations bicker over who should fight them and how. Everyone should fight with everything in their arsenals right now!
My initial reaction, though, to that post was overshadowed by the sheer anger and incredulity I felt as I read the comments people were making. Here are some samples:
“But the children and the true Christians will not be his. . .they’re spoken for by our Lord Jesus Christ!”
”Thank you for posting. . .Islam religion of peace!”
“May God bless and protect Christians!”
“My prayers for my brothers in need.”
“Lord, we pray for these and all Christians who are persecuted and for our country taking You and prayer out of as much as they can get away with! Christians, STAND UP & BE COUNTED!”
“Stop Obama first before we can stop ISIS. . .Obama is ISIS.”
Strange logic that last one. Someone also referred to the Crusaders, which if they read more than the page and a half in their junior high school history textbook about the Crusades would have realized that those opportunists weren’t much different than the warmongers in the US who have made a huge profit from the unrest and warfare in the Middle East ever since the former Republican president George W. Bush decided to topple Saddam Hussein and bring democracy to Iraq. Iraqi Freedom, remember? All under the auspices of hidden weapons of mass destruction, not unlike the current campaign of fear being waged now over Iran by once again a Republican Congress. But this isn’t about that. This is about the same narrow, self-serving thinking that is typlified by this post. It’s okay if Muslim fanatics are killing innocent Muslims, but once they start killing Christians, well then it’s “awful.”
But there were some other comments like these:
“Pray for all humans regardless of race!”
“Pray for everyone in Syria.”
Of course not only Christian Americans think in such exclusive terms regarding atrocities. There are Shias who only care about other Shias, and Sunnis who only care about other Sunnis, and Kurds who only care about other Kurds, and Jews who only care about other Jews, just as there are people from every nation that only care about their country. And it is that thinking that mostly upsets me. Where is the humanity that ALL religions teach? Religions don’t preach indiscriminate killing (though there have been too many times past & present when people have done just that in the name of religion), only franatics do. And there are franatics in every religion, unfortunately. Franatics like those in ISIS. They are the enemy of us all.
And it seems to me there is a basic misconception of Islam by many Westerners. They are confused by its many sects or branches, yet how many sects are there in Christianity? And don’t all those various Christian religions differ in their interpretation of the bible? But what is truly sad in my opinion is this prejudice many Christian American seem to have regarding anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ.
As for Islam being a religion of violence, if that person who made that comment actually sat down and read the Qur’an he would see it is quite clear on this. When mentioning the murder of Abel by Cain, for instance, it says: “Because of this did We ordain unto the children of Israel that if anyone slays a human being—unless it be (in punishment) for murder or for spreading corruption on earth—it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if he saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind.” (Chapter 5, Verse 32).
And when the Qur’an speaks of charity and compassion, it does not segregate people into groups of those who deserve it and those who do not but says: “And do good unto your parents, and near of kin, and unto orphans, and the needy, and the neighbour from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the friend by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom you rightfully possess.” (Chapter 4, Verse 36). Which is why both Turkey and Lebanon have opened their borders to over 4 million refugees from Syria without stopping them to ask if they are Shia or Sunni or Kurd or Christian or Jew. And the prayers here in Turkey are for all the dispossessed and the dead who have been ravaged by the wars that plague this land regardless of religious beliefs.
So Christian Americans please follow the teachings of that Jewish rabbi from an Arab nation who you claim to follow as your savior. Would he only pray for Christians? Was his heart so small as that?
Leonard Durso 
Beautifully put.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Reblogged this on errinspelling.
Thank you.
thank-you very much leonard!
Thank you for reblogging.
Amen! Great post.
Thanks, Amy.
I agree with you on many things. I’ve drifted further and further from organized religion as I realized much of the their attention was only to organize hatred. However, I do not think christian stupidity stops at the American border, Judging by the headlines of other countries, stupidity is an international epidemic. Whether it be in Bosnia, Israel, Gambia, Kenya, India, China or Canada – I see wars being fought over the “One True God” everywhere.
I totally agree with you. There has been too much bloodshed in the name of God throughout the centuries on every continent.
Very well said
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.
Fantastic, Len.
Thanks, Emily.
Yes, the Qur’an is very similar to the Christian Bible in what it teaches. Pity more of us don’t see that the overall message is one of love. In the Bible it says ‘and what does the Lord desire of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.’ I agree with what you have said – but somehow Facebook seems to generate a lot of those slanted messages.
Thanks. And you’re right, of course, about facebook.
Most religions are exclusive clubs. “If you don’t believe as I do, you are going to hell. You do not exist in my God’s eyes.” Why is that? Yes, most of the faithful preach the love, but there is also the One True Way that is unavoidable in almost any conversation. As William Stafford said: “I can’t eat that bread.”
Eloquent and thought provoking post.
A thought provoking comment. Thank you.
Reblogged this on Refractory Ramblings From The Darkside and commented:
Beautifully written piece on humanity. A true honor to share. -CC
Thank you for sharing it.
Stafford may have been echoing an earlier line from Cummings from his poem about Olaf.
Thanks for writing this, Leonard. It speaks to, and for, many of us.
Thanks, Jeff. That means a lot to me.
A beautiful piece. Its definitely worth a thought and you have managed to portray it in just the right sense. Good job!
Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.
Love and Peace to you, and all to who you speak of in this post which seems to be everyone on the planet. ♡
Thank you, Resa. Peace & Love to you and yours, too.
Ok. I am really behind this week.
All I can say is – Ugh! There is too much to say!!
I could give you a few other examples of American-speak that are just as idiotic and harmful (to the world, to human beings, to Americans themselves, even to those people that America-speak woohoos want to help!). I am sure between us we could make a long, long list.
Thanks for “representin'”!
Thank you for this comment. It saddens me that America is not the America I grew up believing in. Perhaps it never was, which would sadden me even more.
I think there are many Americas within our country. The one you believe in is still here, it just doesn’t get as much air play. And sometimes I wonder which one is in charge. Usually, it is not this ugly one, but since Sept 11, the balance has shifted. It has been a hard 15 years for people like us. I worry we are losing exactly what the Sept 11 hijackers wanted to destroy. Peace —
There are many Americas. This one is just a particularly ugly one. The one you believe is still here. It just feels a little beleaguered now and then — and a lot more often these days.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Thank you so much.
I agree wholeheartedly. The whole point of religion is developing compassion, not groupthink.
Thank you. We naturally agree.
Wonderful perspective! Yes, I pray for all including the unjust to change their hearts. I shared on my social media sites. Do you mind if I reblog this post? Thanks, Hadel
Thank you for this. Yes, you may reblog it.
One more thing to add; I usually tell people who wish to remain ignorant… I say: “Ask three people, one of the Jewish faith, 2nd of the Christian faith and 3rd of the Muslim faith, do you worship the God of Abraham?… and see what their answer is.”
I would guess only two would answer yes to that. I admire your passion in your beliefs. I look forward to reading more of your words on your blog.
No, actually Yes by all. I am Christian (Greek Orthodox)
Also, Kurds (Kurdish) is a nationality and their faith are either Jewish, Christian or Muslim faiths plus other minority faiths. I have Kurdish friends of the Christian Greek-Orthodox faith.
Yes, I mentioned Kurds, too, As for your question about who would say they are followers of Abraham, I think I took it to mean who would know that. Of course all are followers of all the prophets but sometimes not all members of all faiths acknowledge them all. There is, unfortunately, in the minds of many that they only follow one without realizing that there have been many over the centuries who have basically preached the same things. Many people focus on the differences in the actual acts of worship without focusing on the similarities of what we all believe. That causes division rather than unity and leads to much misunderstanding. And the people who share that post would, I think, not know very much about any religion but their own.
Reblogged this on Hadel.
Thank you. That is kind of you.
You are most welcome. I like your perspective.
I think there are many Americas within our country. The one you believe in is still here, it just doesn’t get as much air play. And sometimes I wonder which one is in charge. Usually, it is not this ugly one, but since Sept 11, the balance has shifted. It has been a hard 15 years for people like us. I worry we are losing exactly what the Sept 11 hijackers wanted to destroy. Peace —
I worry about the same thing.
Well said! Thanks for sharing this thoughtful post – Anita
Thank you.
Humanity needs all the prayers we can send. No one excluded. Beautifully written.
Thank you. So true.
Christians can be among the most narrow-minded of peoples.
Yes, unfortunately true.
This really needed to be said and you did it so well.
Thank you, Shirley.
Late to reading this — never to late to say Amen.
On this, the weekend before the Boston Marathon, time of reflection, evil overcome, and prayers of thanksgiving for the indomitable human spirit so alive during and since the marathon bombing, this post is right in tune. And the NaPoWriMo writing prompt on this 240th anniversary of Paul Revere — to write a poem of urgency, an important message, rings true!
lillian
Thank you. This is very kind of you to say.
great! i think you should be taking notes if you are still there.
Still here and yes, I’m taking notes, saving articles.
There is no religion of terrorist.
Well they use religion as an excuse to do what they do but there is no God in their souls.
Yeah.they donn’t know about humanity n human’s love.