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"kill all muslims"

the other day i was sitting with a group of teaches (i have been substituting while waiting for a church), having lunch.  soon the conversation turned to the national day of prayer and remembrance becsue of the horrid events at the WTC.  one of the teachers stated that "this whole church and God this is stupid - we need to just kill all the muslims."  he laughed at the need for church and for God - one of the other teachers blamed the whole event on God - as he told me when I mentioned that we need a spiritual center as this event unfolds - "if it were not for your God we would not be in this mess."  he also added that, "believing in God is for the stupid and the weak - we just need to kill all the muslims."  when i shared that a blanket statement of violence was wrong, i was quickly informed that he had the right to his opinion and if i did not like it, "we can take it outside."   i said, "having an opinion is fine, but that opinion can not include the genocide of a people, and the insulting of a person religious beliefs, because you have a different belief."  earlier, as i was walking to lunch, i needed to walk through another classroom where the teacher had either drawn, or allowed the students to draw, a "wanted poster" claiming - "bin laden, wanted dead - and 25,000,000 other"

anger, coupled with narrowed minded thinking, is dangerous.  this narrow thinking becomes a blanket for hate, and in the case of public school teachers in clark county, nevada - who support violent and massive retaliation based on a people simply because of religion - is acceptable.  a hatred of all people based on the horrid actions of some is wrong and out of place.  when i approached the administration, it was soon turned on me - i had the problem - i was the one twisting the situation.  i was told that the teacher had the right to his own opinion, and that i had no right to question that opinion. it was also explained to me that "students drew the picture as a way of dealing with the problem."

i firmly believe the boat was missed.  we had the opportunity to teach understanding and grace, and we replaced it with hatred.  when the irish bomb, do we "kill all the irish?"  how about the germans?  the italians?  i am reminded of something i learned in seminary, and i do not remember (i think it was bart or bonhoffer) who said it, "when they came for the jews, i did not worry - i was not a jew.  when they came for the catholics, i did not worry - i was not catholic.  when they came for me, there was no one else to worry."