A word in favor of religious extremism

Today if you want to be considered a bona fide American, you must condemn religious extremism.  I say let’s embrace it; especially in the case of Christians.

The Muslims that are bombing innocents are not extremists, not radicals, and not really doing anything on God’s behalf.  They are criminals.  They are outlaws.  They are cowards hiding their cowardice behind religious mantra.

Cowards!

I don’t like cowards.  I don’t keep company with cowards.  If they want to try their cowardice in this part of the country they will be introduced to a quasi-religious sect known as rednecks.  If you are dressed in black with a hood and sporting an AK-47 in these parts, you are likely to end up shot and nailed to a fence post.

Enough about cowards.  This is about religious extremism and why I am for it.  The last command that Jesus gave his disciples before he went to Gethsemane and the cross was to love one another.

In fact he told his disciples that they were to love one another as much as he loved them, and he loved them with his very life—giving it to us all as an atoning sacrifice for our sin.

The old command was to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.  This new command raised the bar even higher.  We were to love as much as Christ loved us.

That’s a tall order.  That takes commitment.  If we loved one another that much, the world would label us extremists. 

I could live with that label.

If you were accused of following Jesus, would there be enough evidence to convict you?