Orlando shooting..."an act of terror, an act of hate"

Listening to Pres. Obama react to the shooting in Florida and describe it as an act of terror and an act of hate brought many conflicting feelings inside of me.

The second part of his statement is the first to address "an act of hate."  In other words, an act motivated by hatred.

This bar was a center of social action and a place where people with different sexual and gender orientation than most of us could let go and be themselves...a place of fun, socialization, relaxation.  It followed Gay Pride parades all over the country and the world. 

That sanctity was shattered as bullets flew and mostly Latinos went down.

On 28th of June, 1968, in New York City the LBGT community held its first march...it was a parade full of joy to celebrate their differences instead of anger.  Though full of joy, pride parades are also full of danger.  These are brave people.

For example: an Indiana man - not Muslim - was arrested on Sunday with guns, ammo, and explosive materials headed to the Los Angeles gay pride parade.

Hatred comes from many places...powerlessness, ignorance, fear, anger and sometimes just plain meanness.  Hate is wrong.  It is evil.  It is dangerous for all of us.  And our nation, our world, is moving toward adding more hatred to the ever growing pile of evil....a growing hatred of Muslims.

The shooting in Orlando was called "an act of terror" as well as an act of hate.  Why was this an "act of terror" when many other mass shootings are just "tragic"?  Because a U.S. born...meaning an "American"....non-religious Muslim (testified by his parents and ex-wife, whom he beat) went berserk, called 911 and pledge allegiance to ISIS (obviously for the first time) and started shooting.

I used to regularly watch Real Time with Bill Maher,"  but I have stopped because I am tired of his rant against Islam, and his blaming of religion for all things bad in the world. *

ISIS is another evil organization, but the Islamic leaders of the world have declared them heretics, not Islamic.  In fact, many Muslim scholars explain that it is the West in its continual description of ISIS as Muslim that gives them validity, despite the fact that the Islamic leaders have named them heretics.

There are horrific acts done by people, who call themselves Muslims, as there are horrific acts done by people who call themselves Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc.  There are also atheists and agnostics who have done horrible things, as have people of science...think of all the Nazi scientists.

Selfishness, myopic views, greed, power and poverty...these are the real problems and - I'll admit - religion can contribute to those evils.  When religion only exists to perpetuate itself it appeals to the lowest common denominator.

Religion must evolve or it will stagnate, festering and breeding hatred.  People of any religion have to grow up and not act as scared children, who either retreat in their own worlds and ignore what goes on around them, blame all bad things on someone else, or act like bullies. Religious leaders have to challenge the norm, call for better, and model goodness and love and peace.

Malala Yousafzai

Tawakel Karman

As much as I find that being an apologist for religion (as opposed to faith) is odd for me, I also find that those who take the best of any faith and truly live it are people I look up to, people I admire.

Whether we believe in a Deity or not, hatred has got to go.

---------------

*I always found Bill Maher conflicted, because when he interviews people of faith who love and work for justice, he is always respectful, but those...especially Christians...who do not follow the principles of Jesus, he is dismissive and condescending.  

-Kathleen