# Christian Terrorists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2001, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635 "2001-09-25T04:31:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/21 "2001-09-25T13:44:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AWB \* > **Remember the Crusades? Those were pretty much the doing of Christian terrorists, or by those who carried out their atrocities in the name of Christ.** I don’t think the Crusaders fit the definition of “terrorists”. The Crusades involved the armies of various European countries invading various Middle Eastern countries. It wasn’t a nice thing, and certainly not Christian in spirit, but it was no more “terrorist” than any other major war. ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/22 "2001-09-25T13:47:51Z")
some Buddhist monks have been known to pour petrol over themselves and set fire to themselves in protest, but no terrorism i can think of. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/23 "2001-09-25T14:24:32Z")
Matthew SHEPARD murder. I think methamphetamine had more to do with it than homophobia, even. Do you know why the perps were captured so rapidly? They were still out looking for trouble several hours after the beating of Shepard. They got into a fight with a pair of Hispanic guys who were slashing tires, pistol-whipping one of them. The police were called, and a cop found Shepard’s credit card on their dashboard. I think it’s very likely the murderers were on a methamphetamine binge. We all know meth addicts tend toward violence. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/24 "2001-09-25T14:53:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Niobium Knight \* > \*\*some Buddhist monks have been known to pour petrol over themselves and set fire to themselves in protest, but no terrorism i can think of. \*\* Well, there was the ikko-ikki (devoted riot) movement in Medeval Japan, which was a Buddhist sect. Promising paradise to anyone who died in battle, they actually managed to take over a Japanese provence, then engaged in war, assassination, and kidnapping until they were finally wiped out. ---
**Author:** ![KeithB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KeithB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/25 "2001-09-25T15:08:24Z")
Don’t forget Christian Identity and other “Patriot” groups. They are extremely close to the “Christian Terrorist” and “Terrorist who is a Christian” line. ---
**Author:** ![Waldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Waldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waldo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/26 "2001-09-25T15:54:52Z")
> [@](#): > > They were seen as godless savages and killed in the name of god. I really don’t recall anyone saying that American Indians needed to be killed for religious reasons, although I’m sure that their not being Christians for the most part was a factor in a large amount of unconcern for their wellbeing. This is also not to say that many of the people involved in reprehensible things perpetrated on Indians wouldn’t have called themselves Christians. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/27 "2001-09-25T18:08:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*It came right after the bit about “blessed are the peacemakers”, I think, and right before the bit about “blessed are the televangelists, for to them is the money.” \*\* I think the line is “blessed are the cheesemakers”, which is of course symbolic; it pertains to all members of the dairy industry. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/28 "2001-09-25T20:52:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by martinez \* > **…Right-wing Moral-majority oddballs like Buchanan(Or maybe he is atheist… That will be my second question. )** Your answer: Pat Buchanan is very Roman Catholic. Calling him a terrorist is a little extreme, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KeithB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KeithB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/29 "2001-09-25T21:19:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheeGrumpy \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by martinez \* > > **…Right-wing Moral-majority oddballs like Buchanan(Or maybe he is atheist… That will be my second question. )** > > Your answer: Pat Buchanan is very Roman Catholic. Calling him a terrorist is a little extreme, though. 🙂 \*\* Well, he did blow up the Reform Party. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![theretsof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e8c25b/32.png) [@theretsof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theretsof)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/30 "2001-09-25T21:45:55Z")
“Nearly the entire population of native americans were wiped from this continent. They were seen as godless savages and killed in the name of god.” (portajon) Very good point. Lets also remember that a majority of whites involved in the Slave Trade (Africa to the America’s) felt they were doing those negro’s a good thing by making sure they were baptised before dying. Possibly convincing them to forget their ‘heathen ways’. Was this terrorism? Hard to say frankly, and probably depends on each person’s definition. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/31 "2001-09-27T04:58:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waldo \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > They were seen as godless savages and killed in the name of god. > > I really don’t recall anyone saying that American Indians needed to be killed for religious reasons, although I’m sure that their not being Christians for the most part was a factor in a large amount of unconcern for their wellbeing. > \*\* I agree with Waldo. The Indians were mainly killed because people wanted their lands and possessions. Indians that had converted to Christianity (for example, Chief Joseph and large portions of the Nez Pierce) were still killed and removed from their ancestoral lands. Actually, in some ways, Christian groups attempted to help the American Indian. In Spanish America, it was Catholic friars who convinced the king that Indians should be considered Spanish subjects and be protected by the Crown. Among the Americans, many missions provided food and hospital care for tribes suffering from famine and disease, and missionary groups protest U.S. Indian policy. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/32 "2001-09-27T12:58:43Z")
I’d say many American Militia groups follow the “Christian Identity” movement which sees White America as the Promised Land, and many of which would like to see the government overthrown. This may be stretching it a bit, but there may even be Mormon terrorists! :eek: > **[The Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit and Death: Naifeh,...](https://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Murders-Story-Forgery-Deceit/dp/1250025893)** > > The Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit and Death \[Naifeh, Steven, Smith, Gregory White\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit and Death Also you have the Ugandan Fundamentalist Christian rebel group, I think the name is “God’s Army”, that kidnaps small children and conscripts them into service to fight the government. Ironically, Uganda is mostly Muslim. The Druze are a Christian sect in Lebanon who may or may not be classified as terrorists, they might just be a militia. What about Timothy McVeigh? Did he ever profess to being a Christian? ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/33 "2001-09-27T13:10:52Z")
I wonder what David Koresh and his tribe might have gotten up to, given enough time. ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635/34 "2001-09-27T17:13:08Z")
The majority of Native Americans who were killed after European contact probably died of diseases accidentally introduced by the Europeans. Remember, at this time the Europeans were clueless about the origin of disease, and shoudn’t be blamed for causing something they had no knowledge of or control over. Having said this, yes, there were deliberate attempts to drive off, enslave, or exterminate the local tribes many times. But the huge “genocide” of Native Americans was mostly accidental. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-terrorists/83635.md?page=1)