Does having a jihadi friend make Chris Harper Mercer a jihadi? Certainly not, and his dislike for “organized religion” and identification as “not religious” virtually ensures that he was not a Muslim. But his hatred for Christianity and friendship with Mahmoud Ali Ehsani, an open sympathizer with jihad killers, is telling: those who love and hate the same things tend to gravitate to one another, and in this case, what drew these two together may have been a shared hatred for Christianity and love for violence and murder, whether the motivation for that bloodlust be the jihadists’ oft-repeated love for death, or a love for death springing, as in Chris Harper Mercer’s case, from other motivations.
“Father of Umpqua college shooting victim: Gunman singled out Christians,” by Ed Payne, Sara Sidner and Kyung Lah, CNN, October 2, 2015:
Roseburg, Oregon (CNN)The gunman who opened fire at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College singled out Christians, according to the father of a wounded student.
Before going into spinal surgery, Anastasia Boylan told her father the gunman entered her classroom firing.
“I’ve been waiting to do this for years,” the gunman told the professor teaching the class. He shot him point blank, Boylan recounted.
Others were hit too, she told her family.
Everyone in the classroom dropped to the ground.
The gunman, while reloading his handgun, ordered the students to stand up and asked if they were Christians, Boylan told her family.
“And they would stand up and he said, ‘Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second,'” Boylan’s father, Stacy, told CNN, relaying her account.
“And then he shot and killed them.”…
He identified himself as “not religious, but spiritual,” and said that he disliked “organized religion”: “Oregon Shooting: Umpqua Gunman Chris Harper Mercer — What We Know,” by Cassandra Vinograd, NBC News, October 2, 2015:
The gunman who shot Christians in the head at a Oregon college after asking for his victims’ faiths appeared to be sympathetic to the predominantly Catholic Irish Republican Army — but also posted online that he was “not religious.”…
The profile describes “not religious, but spiritual” beliefs and was linked to a group called “doesn’t like organized religion.”
Survivors of the Umpqua shooting told relatives that Harper Mercer asked people whether they were Christian or not. Anyone who responded “yes” was shot in the head and those who said “other” or didn’t answer were shot elsewhere in the body, said Autumn Vicari, whose brother was in the classroom.
Yet while mainstream media reports have played up the IRA angle, they have ignored the fact that Chris Harper Mercer had only two friends on MySpace, and one was an Islamic jihadist. From Pamela Geller:
On his myspace page, Chris Harper-Mercer, 26, posted a photograph of himself holding a rifle, alongside images of masked IRA gunmen and an IRA terrorist video. The IRA and Palestinian terrorism have a long history.
He has just two friends — a girl and a jihadi. Check out the terror sympathizer’s page — “kill the jews.”
The media has avoided mentioning this at all.
There is not much else — a profile from a “long dormant” dating site and a couple of random posts, thant frankly give little to no insight into motive.
Mahmoud Ali Ehsani’s Page looks like this:
“The Quran ….. holy book of muslims”
“THE SIGN OF ISLAM”
“The most beautiful mosque ever. Its in Brueni”
“The brave Mujahideen heroes”
“The Mujahideen freedom fighters of Palestine. My brothers and sisters keep on doing your thing. Allahu Akbar.”
“my brave soldiers keep on fighting for the liberation of Palestine against Israel. f*ck Israel. Kill the Jews. jews are the only infidels.”
Don McKellar says
I can see it now. A whole bunch of ranting Christian fundamentalists desperate to pounce on this story and shriek about a killer atheist.
NOTE: He was not an atheist. He just didn’t like “organized religion” and “didn’t see himself as religious”.
NOTE: He was buddies with a mad dog Jihadi moslem.
Conclusion: He was a “spiritual” nutjob who saw in an Islamic supremacist a fellow nutjob to whom he could relate. Had he lived longer he would no doubt become an Islamic supremacist.
Don McKellar says
Oh look — before I could even post a ranting Christian fundamentalist made my point for me! HAHAHA
I am getting sick and tired of being absolutely dead on right with every comment I put on Jihad Watch. I’m smart but not that smart. I would prefer to be wrong at least once!
Western Canadian says
“Oh look — before I could even post a ranting Christian fundamentalist made my point for me! HAHAHA”
You are taking for granted that he is a Christian and a fundamentalist….. People of other faiths and no faith at all have noticed the sickening hatred that the hard left (frequently and almost almost always atheist) have an incredible hatred for Christianity, and a deliberate blindness towards islamic crimes against humanity. Nothing wrong with that comment. And atheist was put in quotes, suggesting questioning or ambivalence..
“I am getting sick and tired of being absolutely dead on right with every comment I put on Jihad Watch. I’m smart but not that smart. I would prefer to be wrong at least once!”
A display of stupidity and vanity which explains how you manage to be so wrong about every belief system you have commented on while on this board, including your own claimed belief system. You are a low church atheist, meaning an atheist possessed only of ignorance about the faiths he so viciously and routinely attacks. Having no knowledge of what you so obviously hate, you reveal yourself to be merely a blow hard, and an ass.
So, you come up with the quote from the koran or the hadiths yet, to prove your pathetic and ignorant drivel about no muslim will flatly state that they are not a muslim, as to do so would guarantee they would be consigned to islamic hell? No, couldn’t find one??
Kepha says
Golly gee, Neighbor IWestern Canadian), you beat me to the punch.
Kepha,
the Eastern American.
Don McKellar says
Leftists tend to be OVERWHELMINGLY “spiritual” and New Agey — the exact opposite of atheists who are usually scientific minded and employ critical thinking and logic. Which is why they are atheists.
But of course you never noticed that distinction because you are a raving fundamentalist Christian with blazing red eyes every time you see somebody identify themselves as an atheist. Because you’re scared.
Don McKellar says
Or are you a moslem, Western Canadian? My outing of a simple way to identify a moslem from which they cannot escape sure did set you off like it did another moslem in hiding on these boards. It makes me wonder why you went bonkers on that one and now have zeroed in on me … the man who knows too much.
gravenimage says
Western Canadian is a staunch Anti-Jihadist with a long and distinguished posting history here.
Whatever your disagreements with him might be, the idea that he is secretly Muslim is simply ludicrous.
Max Publius says
Didn’t IS (Islamic State) tell lone wolf jihadists in the West to dissemble (taqqiya) and erase their tracks in social media before committing their murderous acts?
It’s definitive enough that this creep was motivated by jihad. One of two of his friends in social media is a bonafide jihadist. That is far from normal, and only points to criminal intent. Easily possible the creep got sloppy and forgot about this link.
Don McKellar says
I think the erasing tracks bit is to cover the trail to other Islamic State mad dog jihadis. They really, really want to crow about the “victory” of Islam over the infidels and spread terror in the name of Islam so that cowards will submit. That’s what they are all about. It is possible that this nutcase might have completely misunderstood that intent, but the Islamic State and a reading of the Islamic texts would not lead him to cover himself in that way. They would lead Obama to covering himself by identifying himself as a Christian when cornered, but never ever simply saying he’s not a moslem, of course.
Max Publius says
Agree, but the apparent schizophrenia in this creep seems intentional, to create some sort of cognitive dissonance in the public so as to confuse and diffuse reaction. The Iranian mullah’s doctrine is to just add random chaos into society in an effort to bring about an end to the world. May be speculation on my part, but it’s based on reasonable analysis and fact, and more than warranted these days.
Truth says
Does the killer have Myspace links to Muslim jihadists that said kill the jews?
Americanpatriot2014 says
PLEASE DON’T POST HIS PHOTO OR HIS NAME — YOU CAN STILL GET YOUR INFO OUT THERE – BUT DO NOT GIVE HIM THE PUBLICITY
Allan Mandrowski says
I’m a contemporary atheist and I identify with the anti-Jihad coalition.
It pisses me off that theists on here swoop us all on one heap. This individual was a sick lunatic who murdered people in cold blood for attention. He didn’t do it because of his muslim friend nor did he do it because he is atheist, this guy was just mentally ill and craving for attention.
Let’s not create disparity between atheists and theists, we need to work together to overcome Islam.
TH says
Why should we consider a mass murderer “sick”? He seems to have been full of hate and therefore evil, which is not necessarily a psychiatric condition.
duhP_swami says
Everything you do is a result of a psychiatric condition…That does not necessarily psychosis…
revereridesagain says
Sometimes I think the Christians would rather blame us atheists than the Muslims, who are at least “religious”. And after all, look at the way we teach our children to say “yes” when a lunatic is pointing a gun at their heads asking if they are ath… no, wait…
Harper-Mercer had one thing in common with the jihadists for sure. He wanted to be famous after he was dead. Maybe he thought he’d get an honorary bonus of 72 virgins.
Thinking the only thing that matters is what happens after you’re dead is very often a sign that your connection to reality has worn itself down to the last thread. For anyone.
Don McKellar says
That’s because we scare the ones who have a deep-seated doubt about their beliefs. They see a normal, well-adjusted atheist who is a good person who, at the same time, says that they don’t believe in a deity and points out that the Bible is only a work of fiction as has been proven over and over with science. So the atheist is the one who is taking away their immortality and their ability to influence future events by saying magical spells to a caring parental figure in the sky (or wherever). That makes an atheist the enemy in their irrational mind. So the attribute every evil of the world on them or as being associated with them — Marxism, Islamic supremacist supporter, rabid politically correct socialist — you name it.
Western Canadian says
Your eagerness to show just how ignorant and hate filled you are, is really impressive!!
“They see a normal, well-adjusted atheist who is a good person who, at the same time, says that they don’t believe in a deity”
Remarkably few Christians of my acquaintance have any problem with that… To include yourself in any group that could be called well-adjusted, is laughable. As is your suggestion that you are a good person. You are extremely ill-informed, uncommonly ignorant, and frankly very hate filled.
“and points out that the Bible is only a work of fiction as has been proven over and over with science.”
Feel free to cite your references for that incredibly ignorant, incoherent and bombastic statement. Certain sciences have determined that the bible is extremely accurate in various ways….. But you will deny that, out of ignorance. You really have no idea at all what constitutes science, so your words are pathetic.
“So the atheist is the one who is taking away their immortality”
You take away nothing from them, by merely disagreeing. You are not even capable of formulating a rational argument…. so you wing it, and make a fool of yourself.
“and their ability to influence future events by saying magical spells to a caring parental figure in the sky (or wherever).”
Your childish imagery says a lot about your level of maturity and education. Low on both counts.
“That makes an atheist the enemy in their irrational mind.”
You should not be calling others irrational… You grip on rational thought was lost years ago….
” So the attribute every evil of the world on them or as being associated with them — Marxism, Islamic supremacist supporter, rabid politically correct socialist — you name it.”
Your habit of using a pathetically oversized brush, says a great deal again, about your ignorance. And your posts reek of hatred.
Western Canadian says
“Sometimes I think the Christians would rather blame us atheists than the Muslims, ”
The hard left is largely, though not completely, atheistic or close to it. The hatred they have for Christians is staggering. As long as atheists are not in the habit of smearing other belief systems, very few people have problems with them.
Don McKellar says
You see, this is the fantasy that Bible-thumping, John Hagee. carnival pitchman loving, Christians readily buy into.
No, the hard left is mostly “spiritual” and New Agey and not concerned with facts, logic, or critical thinking like atheists are. If they were concerned with those things, they would have no political affiliation and not allow themselves to be driven by irrational dogma. One does not become an atheist through following irrational dogma.
voegelinian says
“No, the hard left is mostly “spiritual” and New Agey and not concerned with facts, logic, or critical thinking like atheists are. ”
That depends on how we define the “hard left”. Jim Jones, the psychopathic Marxist terrorist, was certainly hard left (Marxism is to Leftism as a bottle of 100-proof moonshine is to a piña colada with an umbrella in it) and seemed to promote a mishmash of “spiritual” New Agey claptrap — though it’s not clear he was merely exploiting that in order to snare more people into his cult. His followers who swallowed it all — the vision, teachings and the literal kool-ade — were they “hard left” or just “soft left”?
Anyway, I define “hard left” as one step away from Marxist revolution; and as a consequence, ever since the French Revolution, it has seen the Church and Christianity as an enemy to Progress.
A further wrinkle to all this, however, is that in my experience, atheists seem to lean curiously to the Left. Let’s take some sociopolitical issues as a measure:
1. global warming (aka known by the Politically Correct Mainstream as “climate change”)
2. abortion
3. gay marriage
4. racism
In my experience, all atheists lean way over to the Left on these issues (the Leftist spin on #4 is to tend to play the race card in contexts where rationally it should not apply, with a heavy emphasis on White Guilt and appropriate attitude about our Western “shameful chapters” of history — where an appropriate attitude in the Leftist perspective turns out to enable, if not actively promote, the grievance-mongering industry among black activists (which, in turn, has been co-opted by the New Black, Muslims)).
If atheists were truly not a subculture skewed Leftward, one would see in any random grouping of atheists a random distribution of positions, Left or Right, on those four issues. I have never seen one atheist, let alone many, take a non-Leftist stand on those four issues (Wellington might be an exception).
Angemon says
voegelinian posted:
“which, in turn, has been co-opted by the New Black, Muslims”
Like, for example, Ibrahim Hooper – what a fine example of “Blackness”:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Hooper2.jpg
Or Dr. Zuhdi Jasser:
http://fiatsophia.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/jasser.jpg
Are you not keeping track of the news, voeg? The riots at Baltimore and Ferguson? According to the leftist narrative, Blacks are the new Blacks – apparently, the civil rights movement never happened and they’re being oppressed by the racist police (which includes Blacks among its ranks, but that goes against the narrative so just ignore it).
Also, muslims are black now? Weren’t they “brown people”, according to you?
Karen says
Revereridesagain, I used to think that there was a certain moral overlap with Muslims that made us natural allies. Certainly many have admirable family lives, and other fine qualities, etc. US Muslims are generally just ‘regular Americans’ for lack of a better description. But I no longer find that I can identify based on that alone; because now I know about Sharia Law, and attempts by certain organizations to bring it here. Sharia frightens me deeply, and I hear no outcry against it. Perhaps this is because American Muslims are not cognizant of this as a danger; I do not know, and probably never will. However, I would consider *anyone* a friend who revered the Constitution over all other law, that document that mutually defends the religious of all stripes, and non-religious.
gravenimage says
Karen wrote:
Revereridesagain, I used to think that there was a certain moral overlap with Muslims that made us natural allies. Certainly many have admirable family lives, and other fine qualities, etc.
………………………………….
Karen–with respect–what is *admirable* about Muslim family life? Forced marriages, pedophilia, polygamy, the woman under the control of a male “Mehram”, wife beating, marital rape, summary divorce for men (the “Triple Talaq”), and “Honor Killing”.
Meretricious Muslims try to have it both ways–allying with liberals because they are poor “downtrodden” minorities, and with conservatives over being culturally “conservative”.
But both are lies.
The Muslim family looks *nothing* like the Christian family. Winston Churchill had this to say about the Muslim family:
“[Islam] looks profoundly repulsive because it is repulsive. … At the heart of the matter is the Muslim family, an abominable institution.”
More:
US Muslims are generally just ‘regular Americans’ for lack of a better description.
………………………………….
Would that this were true, Karen. Not only is Jihad activity skyrocketing here in the United States, but we see how much worse it is in Europe as Muslim population rates approach the double digits.
And over half of Muslims in America want to see the imposition of brutal Shari’ah law.
More:
But I no longer find that I can identify based on that alone; because now I know about Sharia Law, and attempts by certain organizations to bring it here. Sharia frightens me deeply, and I hear no outcry against it. Perhaps this is because American Muslims are not cognizant of this as a danger; I do not know, and probably never will. However, I would consider *anyone* a friend who revered the Constitution over all other law, that document that mutually defends the religious of all stripes, and non-religious.
………………………………….
I’m glad you have become aware of this danger, Karen. I believe you are mistaken, though, in thinking that Muslims in the US are ignorant of Shari’ah and what it means.
“Shock Poll: 51%of U.S. Muslims want Sharia; 25% Okay with Violence Against Americans”
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/06/24/shock-poll-51-of-american-muslims-want-sharia-25-okay-with-violence-against-americans/
Karen says
gravenimage, while I would attribute almost any extreme to adherents in supremacist, emboldened, Muslim-majority countries, I’ve always viewed Muslims born in the US as following a ‘lite’ version. Many (average?) US-born Muslims seem to have borrowed the ‘loving God’ concept from Christianity and Judaism, maybe because that idea is just ‘in the air’ here in North America. (I base this on many of the blog comments I read here and there; always striking since love does not seem to be Allah’s MO as I read the Koran, and have wondered where the idea came from.) I’ve also admired seemingly strong family ties, children who stayed out of trouble, off drugs, etc.; let’s call them some of the more public facing aspects of the culture. I’ve always understood that immigrants were bringing their ‘honor’ killings, a pining for Sharia, sanctioned spousal abuse, and other monstrosities with them, thinking surely things were quite different with US-born Muslims. Perhaps I’ve been very mistaken about what goes on behind closed doors…..certainly if the poll numbers above are correct, I’d have to throw these viewpoints out the window.
Western Canadian says
“It pisses me off that theists on here swoop us all on one heap”
Most of us don’t. The vicious ones who spew their ignorance about any and all faiths, are the only ones I ever express contempt for. They are the only ones who deserve it.
Mirren10 says
To Allan Mandrowski.
I, myself, am an agnostic.
What I find very curious, and *revealing,* is your terror and anger about what ‘theists’ believe.
Now, if we’re talking about *Christian theists*, I, and my fellow agnostics,, don’t need to worry at all. Because there is *nothing* in Christian
literature, or any other theistic religion, that mandates *the murder of non-
believers*. In fact, the * only * ‘theistic’ religion, that *mandates* such a
thing, is *islam*.
Never mind, Mr Mandrowski.. Go back to sleep, sleeep, sleep; you know it makes sense.
Worried yet ? No, of course not. You have swallowed the PC/MC leftard crap, that all religions are the same, but Christianity is, of course, much worse than any.
Allan Mandrowski says
No not all religions are the same. Islam is far worse.
I took issue with Christians on this site blaming atheists for this attack and / or saying that atheists hate christianity more than islam, which is not the case.
You tell me I hate Christianity the most, but I tell you that’s untrue. I hate Islam far far more for obvious reasons.
And Hate is a strong word, I severely dislike organised religion in general, hate Islam in particular.
Have a good night.
karl says
Allan Mandrowski,
You don’t have to answer to the false claim of “moral equivilency” which is always trotted out from the Chistians whenever we say that their religion has problems too. It’s really rather juvenile and those who use it are not using their brains but just jumping on the bandwagon to bash us. The fact is that they know that there are some very bad things in the bible that they would very much like to say that “we are taking out of context”. Ever heard THAT argument before? Anyone? What does is sound like?
Mirren10 says
Allan, where, exactly, did Christians on this site, blame atheists for this attack ?
Because I’ve resd all the comments, so far, snd can’ t find one that blames stheists for this attack. Perhaps you could direct my attention to the ones that do ?
Also, where are the commands, in Christian religious texts, or any other religious texts, that demand the murder of non-believers ?
The * only* religious text that does so, is the koran,.. And before you start telling me about the Talmud, please tell me where the Jews are who are demanding the murder og the goyim.
Mirren10 says
Karl, I doubt there is any Christian who would deny there are horrible and violent texts in the OT.
What is juvenile is your inability to process the facts that a) the OT is descriptive, rather than proscriptive, and b) there are no Christians, or Jews, anywhere, who are using the OT as a validation for rape, torture, murder and destruction.
I would suggest *you* might consider, not only using your brain, but also start examining the evidence.
gravenimage says
It is important that we remember that Islam targets both Christians *and* Atheists–along with all other Infidels. We are–or should be–allies against the threat of Jihad.
Mirren10 says
To Allan Mandrowski, and Karl.
gravenimage makes the salient point.
However much you dislike Christianity, or any other organised religion, islam is the *only* religion which mandates death for the unbelievers, and * commands* muslims to carry out that death sentence.
The unbelievers **include atheists and agnostics** as well as any other faith that is not islam.
Being an atheist and or agnostic, will* not* save you from death at the hands of pious muslims.
Undaunted says
The “security” operation in place at this CC – and basically every public school in the US – is one of the factors that will bring to pass an American Beslan. Just a matter of time.
Wellington says
Agreed, undaunted. And this silly, feel-good “gun-free zone” nonsense I would argue actually acts as a magnet for haters who want to kill. Rather, I would prefer to see signs that read something like, “These grounds are patrolled by armed security personnel and ordinary, law-abiding citizens on these grounds are encouraged to be licensed to carry concealed weapons and do so.”
Undaunted says
Yeah, what you said…
Angemon says
Wellington posted:
“I would prefer to see signs that read something like, “These grounds are patrolled by armed security personnel and ordinary, law-abiding citizens on these grounds are encouraged to be licensed to carry concealed weapons and do so.””
So would I.
Raja says
Here you have a buddy of a Jihadi killing / terrorizing and calling himself spiritual.I thought Muslims considered themselves to be spiritual. The idiots in the media cannot see the motive nor can they really ascertain his background. Woe to them.
If any one wants evidence of Satan and his cult of lies and murder Islam fits the bill. Jihadis and enablers have been in the killing / terror business for over 1400 years but now they are EXPOSED as NEVER before…
The sooner Obama acknowledges Islamic related killing the better for him.otherwise he is damned in God’s “sight”. Cameron has acknowledged Islamic terror recently. Hope everyone is on the same page sooner than later. It looks like Putin might help these elements / Western leaders to come to their senses before it is too late.
Don McKellar says
Now how exactly is Obama going to turn his back on his entire belief system? That’s not going to happen. The who lie collapsed like a house of cards for anybody with a brain to see over a decade ago with the coming of fact-based websites like Jihad Watch where we could actually learn what is in those Islamic texts and how and why jihadis. The facade about Islam is only something a political hack like Cameron has kept up for political reasons. For Obama it is his core being.
Raja says
Obama has said about an year ago that terrorists understand just one language-FORCE.
He is no different either, he has been forced to see another perspective from Russia. US republicans should have done what Putin did at UN. What a pity.
When there is killing all around IN THE NAME OF ISLAM Obama shouldn’t have latched on to Ahmad to make him a poster boy. Obama has been doing disservice AND evil to all mankind (as US is very influential) He could have easily taken a middle path.
Steve says
If it has of been a White guy who had killed Muslims then it would be classed as a Racist and Islamophobic attack without question.
As its a mixed race man who’s killed Christians he will just be another ‘mentally ill’ person.
Same old shi*
jayell says
Nice picture of ‘the most beautiful mosque ever’. We’ve got a building rather like that not far from us. It’s a sewerage pumping station. The Victorians liked to disguise their ‘utility’ buildings to make them look picturesque and blend with the pastoral landscape even though their actual function might be thought by many to be a bit disgusting. Looks like we’ve got a similar sort of thing here.
Angemon says
Sounds like he and Obama have something in common, although they go about it in different ways. And, of course, Obama, being the hypocrite that he is, was quick to push forward his wish to wite-out the second amendment.
duh_swami says
The ‘holier than thou’, crowd has passed judgement on atheists…Is there some point to that?
The shooter most likely knew he would be killed, , he didn’t seem to have an escape plan…Was he a martyr? …
Kepha says
Shout-outs to Wellington, Western Canadian, FreeSpeech, and a few others.
Having met a number of people who claim to be “spiritual, but not religious”, I’m not actually sure that I know what, exactly, it means. Perhaps it’s a kind of catch-all for a variety of people ranging from those who’d really like there to be a pleasant afterlife to those working their way into Bahai’ism or something like it to those who are simply too lazy to find out what some well-defined spiritual tradition actually is.
I will admit that I actually sense a sinister pattern coming out of the very unchurched Far West here. We have Oregon and Washington eager to pounce on Christian florists and caterers who have scruples of doing homosexual “weddings” with a corresponding avoidance of picking on Muslims for similar things. The judge in the Stutzmann case even went so far as to claim that he could tell, regardless of the defendant’s protestations and other evidence, that she was an out-and-out bigot who deserved no consideration. The pattern seems to go all the way back to progressive Oregon’s public schooling laws that were successfully challenged in the 1920’s with _Pierce v. Society of Sisters_. Now, apparently, someone steeped in that culture had apparently gone unhinged. Perhaps it will get worse.
For me, the jury’s still out on how much IS’s claim that Mercer acted for them holds water–even if I have absolutely no sympathy for IS.
Wellington says
I’m always dubious, Kepha, when someone tells me that they’re not religious but they are spiritual. My standard response to this gooey nonsense is either a query: “What do you mean by that?” or “I’m not spiritual. I’m with Lucretius and Epicurus who posited only a material universe.”
My first response (the query) generally elicits major stumbling replete with “well,” uh,” and a whole nine yards of nothingness, and my second response (the one about Lucretius and Epicurus) generally draws a look from the person I said it to as though I had just said to them, “Men from Mars have landed.” In short, I have great fun with such people. It’s at their expense and they deserve it. I expect religious people or non-religious people. That “spiritual stuff” is just one more stupid leftover from the 1960s.
Hope you and family are doing well. Take care, pal.
Kepha says
Hope you are well, too–although still too bad that you aren’t drawn to Jesus Christ.
BTW, did you know that in Talmudic Hebrew, “apikoros” (Epicurus) is used as a term for an unbeliever?
Kepha says
Well, also, perhaps, the reason I’m not sure what “spiritual but not religious” means is that it is, to quote you, “Gooey nonsense”.
Wellington says
I did not know that about Epicurus, Kepha. Thanks for the info here. Always glad to learn more.
As for Jesus, he certainly was a most mysterious, complex and highly intelligent human being. I know you and many others think he was even more than this but I’ll give him at least this.
Joseph says
Wellington, “when someone tells me that they’re not religious but they are spiritual”
Hey, when I was 18 to 22 I was VERY VERY spiritual. I would drink at least a 12 pack a day and towards the end it was a lot more than that. Those were some dark, bad and scary times.
What that you say?? Wrong spirits?
Sorry….My bad.
somehistory says
The murderer wanted to have his name on the lips of everyone…wished to be known for something…even if it was to be infamous instead of famous He found acceptable the killing of Christians by moslems and the IRA terror attacks and knowing that he wasn’t smart enough to invent a new clock or rat trap, chose to kill those for whom he had no respect.
The comments above me seem to be quite an eyeful. I would just like to add one thing. Or two.
Christians have been given, by Christ, Laws and Rules to live by that if followed, make the Christian a better person, which enriches the Christian’s own life and can enrich the lives of others.
I have noticed that some atheists…though not all…like to point out to Christians what Christians are supposed to do…*love*… for example…..and not to do…*hate*…and one person above wants to say that we *scorn* others without stating the background or reasons for what Paul wrote, as though having *scorn* for someone is equivalent to pulling a gun, asking what religion a person professes and then getting the answer sought, shooting that person in the head.
Question no one has to answer: What code or laws do atheists have to follow so that Christians and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists can all point to and say that a particular atheist is not following that code or law set down for them by *whomever* sets the code of acceptable conduct for atheists?
If the atheists had this site alone to themselves….well, first of all…there would be no Jihad Watch.
If there was a site that covered such stories similar to what Mr. Spencer covers the stories and explains islam as he does, and only atheists came to comment…would there be condemnation of Christians and Jews for not being against those who so obviously hate enough to kill in the *name* of satan’s beast?
Would the atheists who do seem…really some do…to hate Christians make such statements as they make on this site?
The killer did not shoot atheists in the head, did he? We can not know exactly what was in his own head except for what he said. He wished to see his name in the news and have people talk about him as people have talked about others who have killed innocent people. And he chose his hatred for Christians to put his name there. His *friend* is moslem. It is logical his friend provided extra fuel for the hatred.
It is logical that Christians who comment here on JW, would comment on this particular story.
voegelinian says
“Question no one has to answer: What code or laws do atheists have to follow so that Christians and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists can all point to and say that a particular atheist is not following that code or law set down for them by *whomever* sets the code of acceptable conduct for atheists?”
Excellent question. The answer seems to be that atheists are parasitical upon laws that have evolved organically out of religious traditions, “biting the hand that feeds them” — scornful of religion, yet unwilling (or unwitting, due to historical illiteracy) to acknowledge and respect the civilizational soil (Graeco-Roman, which was predominantly theistic, and Judaeo-Christian) out of which our morals and laws have grown. Atheists may know a lot about technology and science, and post-modern logical positivism (the fabulous invalid which Western “Philosophy” has become for such glib pop secularists), but they are ignoramuses about history.
somehistory says
voegelinian,
Thank you.
dlbrand says
From the mouth, asserts Islam, of the so-called Messenger of Allah: “Indeed, the strongest bond of Islam is to love for the sake of Allah and hate for the sake of Allah” [Reported by Imām Ahmad and others]. (per Dabiq, Issue 11, P. 19.)
This jihad friend “Chris Harper Mercer” had, shows, he regarded the above “bond of Islam: loved, befriended, or hated, and “defriended” “for the sake of Allah.”
dlbrand says
As Robert stated, “… his hatred for Christianity and friendship with Mahmoud Ali Ehsani, an open sympathizer with jihad killers, is telling: those who love and hate the same things tend to gravitate to one another.”
Indeed, love and hate for the sake of Allah.
epistemology says
I knew there must have been some jihadi connection. Robert dug it out. When you look at Mahmoud’s page you can tell that he hates the West and loves Islam more than anything. I really don’t know how it works but Chris Mercer had only two friends a girl and this jihadi. He made him do it and I keep wondering why they have this influence. They’re the West’s nemesis.
Sandra says
What brought them together may have also been a sense of entitlement to sex and women’s bodies. It’s no secret Islam is in the dark ages when it comes to to respect and rights for women, and jihadis routinely rape women and force them into prostitution and sexual slavery, not to mention the lunacy of their “72 virgins in heaven” idea. Disgusting.