Love vs retaliation

Yesterday a 28-year old Dane of Somali origin broke into the home of Mr. Kurt Westergaard, intent on killing the Danish political cartoon artist - famous for his depiction of the prophet Muhammed in terrorist garb.

Mr. Westergaard escaped death by a narrow margin, while his assailant was shot by police in the arms and legs. A motive for the attempted murder has already been clearly established: the ageing Dane was to be promptly done away with for his alleged grave sin of dishounoring the key prophet of Islam. Islamic tradtion lays down that under no circumstances are Allah and Muhammed to be portrayed on canvas, or in any type of printed media.

THE PROOF IS IN THE......EXPLOSIVES

The incident says little of the political and religious sentiments of ordinary Danish Muslims, but it speaks volumes about a very disturbing facet of Islamist ideas, and - by extension - of the religion they fervently seek to propagate and follow. Being infidels, or unbelievers, Westerners of non-Muslim persuasion are by the Quran targeted as enemies of Allah. And if we do not willingly embrace the basic tenets of this holy book and submit to the requirements of the Muslim God, we really only deserve to be punished in whatever way the divine mind dictates (consult the Quran in e.g. Dawood's English translation).

The Quran has no place for unmerited divine forgiveness towards those who have not been enlightened by Muslim thought. There is no mention of fatherly love being expressed towards the disobedient and ignorant through a conscious decision to delay just punishment. There is no shred of evidence on its pages of a compassionate God who in earnest directs his followers to love and extend a helping hand to any unbeliever who hates and resists them.

On the other hand, there is rich mention of Allah's readiness to retaliate when people dishonour or affront him. How does this compare with the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Bible?

A VERY DIFFERENT STORY

In all of the gospels, e.g. in Matthew chapter 6, the ethics of this Nazarene come clearly through. Believers aren't only expected to refrain from resorting to retaliation and hateful behaviour towards those who have abused, persecuted or tortured them; they are only really commended for their actions if and when they actively seek to do good towards their enemies, of whatever category they may be.

To further underline how strongly God feels about this, the entire Bible is lined with passages that never beat about the bush: revenge is God's prerogative. We are never to avenge ourselves on anyone seeking to harm or hurt us. But is that a tenable position? Are we simply to stand by passively like silly donkeys, applauding the ice-cold evil of terrorists?

Of course not. Defending our land, our families and our property isn't contrary to what Jesus says. But what he does prohibit is acting presumptuously in God's place, inflicting pain, damage or injury on those who disobey, desecrate or ridicule our faith. We may certainly feel righteous anger pumping through our veins, but we are never told it is allright to lash out against 'God's enemies' indiscriminately, or otherwise:

HE EVEN LOVES THE EVIL

God puts up with those who hate and abuse his people. He even feeds them, protects them, responds by lovingly intervening for their good when the obscurest of saints intercedes for them. God is a God of salvation. Yes, there will be divine retribution one day, but only as a last resort. As Ezekiel has it:

"I (God) take no pleasure in the death of the wicked".

How amazingly different. What a stark contrast to the retaliations of the religiously inflamed Islamists, as witnessed in the case involving the 28-years old Dane of Somali origin. Not all ideas are, clearly, equally good. Not all religions are equally good, either.

I know which one I desire to follow. And it's not Muhammed.