SENTINEL WATCH September 18, 2006 Issue

BEYOND HATE, THE CHRIST VISION HEALS

ROSALIE E. DUNBAR

SOME TIME AGO a man finally "had had enough" from a particular religious sect that was too radical and fundamentalist for his liking. He was a man with credentials and able to get authority to do something about this group he felt was dividing the faith. Further, he felt its behavior was likely to lead to some kind of government crackdown. He was successful, hunting them down and seeing that they were imprisoned.

Then, while he was traveling, he had a vision of the Christ, and his whole life changed. That man was the Apostle Paul, and the people he was persecuting were Christians.

I think of Paul when I read articles expressing hatred for Muslims, because people have been misled into identifying terrorist acts with a religion rather than with the misguided beliefs of fanatics. And I think of Paul when I hear Muslims expressing hatred for Christians or Jews, because certain political decisions have become identified with religion.