What Would Jesus Do?

“I wish the government would round them all up, put them up against a firing wall, put a firing squad in front of them, and blow their brains out,” Jimenez said during his Sunday sermon, which Verity Baptist posted on its website under the title “the Christian response to the Orlando murders.”

Source: Pastor refuses to mourn Orlando victims: ‘The tragedy is that more of them didn’t die’ – The Washington Post

Remember that part in the New Testament where Jesus preached about murdering people by firing squad? Funny, neither do I. Granted, it’s been a long time since 8th grade religion class with Sister Helen, but I remember him preaching that we should love everyone like a bunch of damn hippies and we should treat everyone with the same respect we’d give the big dude himself.

I don’t care where you fall on the political spectrum (totally a lie, I do care), but if you find yourself calling for the murder of people who have never, ever, not even once in their lives, hurt you, you should take a time out to think about where you went off the rails. That is a spectacular level of ugliness being disseminated in the name of God.

Which brings me to another point. We don’t know (yet) why Omar Mateen committed mass murder. Possibly it was for a whole bunch of reasons all inextricably woven together.  I can’t believe it’s an accident that he chose a gay club as his killing ground, though. And isn’t it a little ironic that we have a presidential candidate calling for a wholesale ban against Muslims entering the US, because of a few extremists who appear to harbor strikingly similar beliefs to certain Christian extremists?  The problem isn’t Muslims or Christians, but hate and ignorance and the intolerance and fear they breed.

ETA: This? I believe this is what Jesus would do.

This is how a kind, thoughtful, caring person responds when others are hurt. It’s quite lovely. You should watch it. It might restore some of your faith in humanity. (Via Wonkette, where there is a transcript if you’d rather read it.)