LDN should consider repurposing the Perspectives section

To the editor:

Regarding LDN’s recent Perspectives Articles such as “Radicalized Terror” and “Radical Choices,” I am becoming frustrated and disgusted with the escalating rhetoric filled with hyperbolic assertions and false dialectical contrasts between Christians and Muslims which are bordering on Xenophobia in our community paper.

I agree with Dr Killebrew that “The terror is real; the terror is deadly, and it needs to be identified for what and who it is.” However I strongly disagree with his approach and LDN’s irresponsible uncritical publication of factually suspect material. Dr. Killebrew’s rhetorical style is to blend Christian Scriptural References with language that is often Anti-Muslim (a heterogenic people group) rather than Anti-Islam (a religion/philosophy with several schools of belief). He repeatedly makes bizarre, conspiracy laden assertions implying that Islamic philosophy/law/belief will take over our culture due to increasing secularism (two very different philosophies which aren’t very compatible).

In recent months the Perspectives series has alternately argued that a vast liberal conspiracy between media and the Obama administration will somehow bring both about a secular humanist takeover and a hyper-conservative Sharia-based Caliphate (???) . I am disappointed that LDNs continues to publish comments such as “The American media cannot be taken off the hook for trying to deny the facts of the attacks” that “Radical Islamic terrorists…are connected to the larger terrorist network being carried out all over the world by ISIS, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, and the Palestinian state” a factually false narrative (as if all Major news outlets did not identify recent terror attacks with their ideological community) without fact checking.

As a Christian I am most frustrated with his continued poor exegetical practice of blending Scripture to support his anti-muslim (people created in God’s Image in Orthodox Christian doctrine) tirades. I am struck by the contrast with Jesus’s instructions to a Jewish community heavily oppressed by Roman Occupiers (who actually were in power) that when a Roman Soldier oppressed them by demanding they carry his gear for a mile, that they should do so for two, a directive both demonstrating love to the oppressor and embracing the liberty to choose our actions given by God, not by the (Roman) government. In Christian Scriptures and varied Christian traditions is generally believed that God is in essence love, and that the greatest commandments are to Love the Lord but equal to that is a command to Love your neighbor. I encourage LDN and Dr. Killebrew to consider how the current rhetorical approach is communicating this basic Christian truth if the Perspectives section is to be a Christian Perspective. While in his personal life Dr. Killebrew may be very loving and servant minded, his Perspectives articles are filled with anger, judgment and it is difficult to find the “Perspective” of love towards others.

Lincoln may not have a large Muslim community, but the continued use of Muslim people as a rhetorical device to attack the Presidential Administration and oppositional media sources is irresponsible and is shaping hearts and minds in many ways which are not the way of Love.

Please LDN consider repurposing your Perspectives section to address meaningful arguments in our lovely community. Stop propogating Xenophobia, it won’t stop the terrorists.

Tara Samples, PhD, LCP
Lincoln IL

[Posted January 15, 2015]