J.C Hobbs is guilty of the only real sin of modern Christianity — the refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue or to apply some critical thinking to opinions.

I don’t ascribe deeply to any particular faith, but it has always been my experience that those most concerned with the decline of moral society are the ones that are contributing the most it. Mr. Hobbs’ vaunted opinion of himself and his religion smacks of rhetoric best employed during the “crusades,” that time when the Christians marched into the Middle East to rescue the Holy Land from the heretics/Muslims. It has no place in today’s ongoing discussion where we deal with facts and seek common goals.

The goal of all religion, no matter what is preached, is to become closer to the deity you perceive as being the creator of the universe. There is no “wrong” religion. Even Satanism is less about worshipping Satan than emulating his behavior — overwhelming pride, self-preservation at the behest of others and boundless acquisition, much like our modern day CEOs and the average teenager.

Mr. Hobbs’ “facts” on Islam, which no one in their right mind aside from someone who has never actually read the Quran would state, takes Islam and Muslims and lumps them in with the extremists of their sect using the most vacuous and war-driven rhetoric that can be found in any religious text. This is an absurd use of conventional logic.

The Bible is rife with scripture supporting slavery, subjugation of women and war. To only chop out the portions of the book that will fit in with Mr. Hobbs’ narrow world view and those that think like him is both ludicrous and opportunistic.

Why not stoke the fires of anti-Islamic sentiment sweeping the nation? Its par for the course in a town like  Thomasville where there is no great representation of the Muslim faith to counteract his printed nonsense. I doubt Mr. Hobbs has ever engaged a Muslim in actual dialogue.

In short, Christians are not at war with Islam. Religion isn’t a competition. We are at war with narrow-mindedness, the root of all extremist behavior both Islamic and Christian. The “non-militant” Muslims are just as American as the rest of us.

Mr. Hobbs would do well to apply some critical thinking to his world view. Not all Muslims are bad. Religions are less about the people that practice it and more about the message of brotherhood, peace and personal salvation through their preferred deity.

Perhaps if we removed the veil of persecution that is so prevalent in the South, Mr. Hobbs would realize that his religion is not at war with anyone. Education and the ability to show people at the outset that there are alternatives to extremism, violence and hatred are the greatest tools we have to combat ignorance.

Beware the man that preaches with his religious text in one hand and his gun in the other.

                                                                                       

 

Kellen D. Abrams

Lithia Springs