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Christian terrorism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
url http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism
Christian terrorism
isterrorismby those whose motivations and aims have a predominantChristian character or influence
[1]
; to be considered religious terrorism the perpetrators must usereligious scriptures to justify or explain their violent acts or to gain recruits and there must besome sort of clerical figures involved in some leadership roles.
[2]
"Although religion is not asingle, simple causal factor in terrorist violence, religious elements often feature strongly in the belief systems associated with terrorist violence, and can also feature in other important fosteringfactors for terrorist violence, such as the use of rhetoric."
[3]
In recent periods, examples of Christian terrorism are overwhelmingly tied to individuals andsmall groups, drawing condemnation from various institutional church bodies.
[4]
Ambassador Sheehan who headed an office that develops, coordinates and implements U.S. counterterrorism policy stated in a review covering the threat of terrorism stated in 2000 "A number of terroristgroups have portrayed their causes in religious and cultural terms. This is often a transparenttactic designed to conceal political goals, generate popular support and silence opposition."
[5]
Contents
•
1 Inter-religious violence in Poso, Indonesia
•
2 Christian terrorist organizations
o
2.1 National Liberation Front of Tripura
o
2.2 Freedomites
o
2.3 Christian Identity, White Supremacy, and the ARA
o
2.4 Christian Patriots
•
3 "Christian Terrorism": Pejorative or Descriptive Term?
•
4 Anti-abortion
•
5 See also
•
6 References
Inter-religious violence in Poso, Indonesia
OnJuly 26,2007, 17 Christians were convicted of religion-inspired terrorism under  Indonesian law. A Christian mob attacked, murdered, and beheaded twoMuslimfishermen in September 2006, reportedly as retaliation for the execution in 2006 of three Christian farmers, who wereconvicted of leading a militant group which killed hundreds of Muslims in Posoin 2000, an
 
execution that attracted a plea for clemency from the pope, and accusations from AmnestyInternational that the trial was unfair.
[6]
 [4]The convictions come in the context of seven years of violence between Christian and Muslimgroups in the province, including the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls on the way toschool [5]and the deaths of hundreds of Muslims and Christians, and campaigns of religious cleansing on each side. As part of the conflict numerous individual acts of terror have been perpetrated by both sides.
Christian terrorist organizations
National Liberation Front of Tripura
The National Liberation Front of Tripura is aFundamentalist Christianmilitant group inIndia, demanding a separate Christian state. Allegedly funded by the Baptist Church of Tripura,it is accused of ethnic cleansing
[7]
 and bombings that have killed hundreds, as well as forcinggunpoint conversions. They were declared aterroristorganization under the Prevention of  Terrorism Actin 2002.
[8]
Freedomites
Freedomites (also Svobodniki or Sons of Freedom, Canada, 1902-present)
[9]
Christian Identity, White Supremacy, and the ARA
Peter Kevin McGregor Langan and Richard "Wild Bill" Guthrie, founders of the AryanRepublican Army (ARA) and their paramilitary gang have been connected to hate fueled terroristattacks involving train derailments, assassinations, bombings and a string of professionallyexecuted armed bank robberies planned to finance an overthrow of the US Federal government.Similar social, cultural, and personal motivations have linked the ARA to a loose network of extreme radical right paramilitary cells including the White Supremacy movement and ChristianIdentity, a theology that supports a racist cause.
[10]
Brothers Jacob Albert Laskey, age 25, and Gabriel Doyle Laskey, age 21, both self-avowed whitesupremacists, pleaded guilty in United States District Court in a Federal hate crime case tocharges of conspiracy to deprive individuals of their civil rights and intentionally damagingreligious property for an attack on October 25, 2002 in which a group of men threw stonesetched with swastikas through a Jewish synagogue's windows during religious services inEugene, Oregon. Defendants admitted to intent to commit acts of violence and destructionagainst Jews, African-Americans, and members of other ethnic and racial groups. Jacob Laskeyalso pled guilty to solicitation to murder witnesses, soliciting a bomb threat against a federalcourthouse, two counts of obstruction of justice, and being a felon in possession of a firearm andammunition.
[11]
Christian Patriots
The anti-federalist, extremist tax-resistance movements, seditious beliefs, religious and racialhatred of the American militia movement and other contemporary white supremacist
 
organizations in association with the broader Christian Patriot movement actively incorporateChristian scripture and biblical liturgy to justify and support violent activities.
[12]
TimothyMcVeigh who, along with his accomplice Terry L. Nichols, was involved in the Oklahoma Cityterrorist attack on April 19, 1995, has admitted to a belief in Christian Patriotism andinvolvement in Patriot activities.
[13]
"Christian Terrorism": Pejorative or Descriptive Term?
Syndicated journalist and radio talk show host Lowell Ponte has stated: "Watch closely and seehow the Leftist media raises up the image of [Eric] Rudolphas a 'Christian terrorist' as its latesttactic to damage and discredit Christianity." Press)ISBN 0231114699</ref>; to be consideredreligious terrorism the perpetrators must use religious scriptures to justify or explain their violentacts or to gain recruits and there must be some sort of clerical figures involved in someleadership roles.
[14]
In recent periods, examples of Christian terrorism are overwhelmingly tied to individuals andsmall groups, drawing condemnation from various institutional church bodies.
[15]
Many contemporary allegations of Christian terrorism are closely tied to American Protestant  white supremacy organizations, such as theKu Klux Klan
[
citation needed 
 
]
. Other groups, such as theChristian Identity movement bridge the gap between racism and religious theology by targetingracial and religious minorities, immigrants, gays and lesbians,and women. White supremacists in America often believe that the United States is a "Christian" nation as they define it.
[16][17][18]
Anti-abortion
One of the most widely-reported Christian terrorists isEric Robert Rudolph,
[19]
an American whocommitted a series of  bombings across thesouthern United Statesin the 1990s, killing three  people and injuring at least 150 others, because he violently opposedabortion and homosexuality as contrary to Christian doctrine.
[20]
 He has been associated with the Christian Identity movement by many and the movement may have influenced his actions,
[21]
though he has specifically statedthat he is not a member of this group. Rudolph stated: "They (Christians) have been so nice Iwould hate to break it to them that I really prefer Nietzsche to the Bible."
[22]
Idaho StateUniversity sociology professor James A. Aho has said: "I would prefer to say that Rudolph is areligiously inspired terrorist, because most mainstream Christians consider Christian Identity to be a heresy."
[23]
See also
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Vigilantes
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Anti-abortion violence
•
Christian patriot
•
Domestic terrorism in the United States
•
Hate groups
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