Separated from "the flock" - extremists (in brief)

As I walked into a class earlier this afternoon, I was, unfortunately, greeted with "Did you see the Bible thumper on Britton Plaza?" ...never promising, especially based on the tone of voice and knowing the secularist liberalism of the person speaking. I later found myself going over it once again, this time with a close friend and officer of the Dickinson Christian Fellowship (DCF), who similarly dreaded the potential results.

Odd though it may sound, we quickly came to a point of agreement: the apparent extremism of the "Bible thumper" in question could actually make the situation easier - such extremism is easier to separate from the pack (or flock, rather. ha) than a more moderately distasteful pronouncement. This is not to say anyone has the right to claim an extremist is not a true Christian/Muslim/Jew/etc. (in that person's eyes they are), but in a twisted little way, it tends to be in the best interest of more moderate believers to so easily separate themselves from the more... volatile... branch of the given faith. For better or for worse, really.

To take this on a slight tangent - Anders Breivik and the twin attacks in Norway just a few months ago. As I was living and working in Denmark for the summer, I was both geographically and culturally closer to the tragedy, and followed it closely (including a blog post soon after initial announcements). Unsurprisingly but highly disappointing, initial reactions decried the perpetrator as a Muslim extremist. Others specified Kurdish. Even had I not been in Scandinavia at the time, my reaction to this announcement would've been the same: the last thing we need is more negative attention for Islam, validated or not. The fact that I was and had been living in Scandinavia, however, increased my concern before I even knew the story behind the actual perpetrator and his political persuasions. In short, Scandinavia is not wanting for xenophobia and Islamophobia.

Breivik's attacks, frightening echo of conservative platforms though they were, did, however, take to the unthinkable extreme - a hatred and violence that is, thankfully, limited in its following. The kind of tragedy that leads to questions of insanity on the part of the perpetrator capable of carrying out such horrendous acts. ...I do have to wonder, though, much as I hate to admit it - if the perpetrator had been a Muslim or Kurdish extremist, as was originally posited, would the general public so readily separate the extreme act from the more moderate mass?


(*Just for the record, Breivik's motivations should be seen as purely political, though embodying xenophobia, racism, and Islamophobia in the process. From what I've read, he was not a practicing believer of Christianity or any other religion - and, as per the Lincoln reading, of course, practice is key. heh)