Terror Texts
Weblog April 20, 2008
By Chris DiGiorgio

No one can dispute that many of the world religions have what I term terror texts. These texts show a vengeful GOD destroying “evil doers” or they condemn whole groups of people who may not embrace a religious philosophy. As someone who believes in a loving GOD these texts challenge me to find a more peaceful meaning to these texts. Here are two examples one from the Jewish tradition and one from the Christian tradition.

Passover is a religious holiday celebrated by Jews all around the world celebrating the liberation from slavery by the Egyptians. I recently reviewed the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. According to the texts, Moses warned the Pharaoh that GOD would send a different plague or pest to Egypt. The ten plagues included: the Nile turns into blood, frogs, lice/fleas, flies, death to livestock, boils, hailstorms, locusts, darkness and lastly death to first newborns both livestock and human.

Passover arrives at the last plague, when the Israelites were to take the blood of a lamb place the blood at the door posts of their homes so that no death would come to that home. They were to roast the lamb and eat it with Matzoh bread. All other homes would find death of the first born and the first born live stock. So after, this event with all the death that the Egyptians endured, the Pharaoh relented and let the Jewish slaves free. The Egyptians even gave the Israelites caravans to hasten their exodus.

From the Christian tradition, the text of terror I want to point out is John Chapter 14. This text has been used to persecute and murder many non-Christians. It is a condemning Jesus saying that the only way to GOD is through him. Firstly, I believe Jesus probably did not say that. Remember John was written at least 80 years after Jesus death. Second, as a Christian I do not believe there is only one path to GOD, though others in my faith believe that. Some churches still use this passage in religious services and specific Christian holidays, which further alienates non-Christians.

So what do I do with these texts of terror? First I believe texts that do not serve me, or harm others; I have no obligation to believe in them. Second, I believe it is important I let people know from other faith traditions that I have difficulty with these texts and that these texts are not my views. I also must challenge others in my faith to take a different point of view. Third, I must forgive the writer of these texts and I must ask forgiveness to those who have been harmed by these texts. Sometimes these texts do celebrate an important event, the exodus from Egypt is an inspiring event for any people because it shows us that people that were enslaved are now free. However, I must always question the violence or fear mongering that certain texts have. Celebrate the texts in your faith that inspire and question the ones that produce fear. The ones that inspire fear are the one’s we need to wonder are they truly the motives of a loving GOD.