Religion and the Fort Hood tragedy

Last week Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army doctor, went on a shooting rampage and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas.

As the first reports came in, I fought the temptation to jump to any conclusions about a man with a Muslim name. There were many possible explanations, but the most obvious one, the one I thought of first, was religion. And as the investigation continues, the shootings do seem to have been another example of killing in the name of religion.

Today, in his speech at Fort Hood, President Obama also invoked religion:

It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know – no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice – in this world, and the next.

I could only shake my head. In the wake of a violent act of religious extremism, Obama responded with still more religion. To an act condoned and encouraged by radical Islam and promising reward in the afterlife, Obama replied with the righteous condemnation and eternal hell of Christianity.

No, it’s not “hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy.” It was born of religion. And though the killer will most assuredly be met with justice in this world, in the next who’s to say whether he’ll meet Christianity’s hell or Islam’s paradise. Or anything at all.

© 2009 Pied Type