2006 saw a lot of activity related to religion, and at least the stuff that made headlines was mostly negative, save one.

We saw Muslims go freaky over some cartoons. The Pope pouring lemon juice on the paper-cut by claiming Islam was "evil and inhuman" and "spread by the sword." A man named Abdul Rahman faced a possible death sentence after he elected to change his religion -- from Islam to Christianity. Of course, American so-called Christians continued to go crazy over homosexuals, oblivious to the political manipulation. Let's not forget Ted Haggard, Joel Hunter, and a few others who fell from grace. A disproportional support of the Iraq war by followers of Jesus (if this isn't an upside down story, I don't know what is.) The Catholic church stand against birth-control. But...

Perhaps the year's most poignant story was the response of Pennsylvania's Amish community to a schoolhouse shooting that left five young girls and their killer dead. Drawing on deep -- and rare -- wells of forgiveness, the Amish in Nickel Mines, Pa., reached out to the killer's family, attended his funeral and helped raise money to pay expenses.

Their acts of generosity, forgiveness and sturdy resolve won them the vote by the Religion Newswriters Association as the year's biggest newsmaker. "

Forgiveness is woven into the fabric of Amish faith," wrote Donald Kraybill, an expert on all things Amish at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County, Pa., after the shootings. "Such courage to forgive has jolted the watching world as much as the killing itself. The transforming power of forgiveness may be one redeeming thing that flows from the blood that was shed in Nickel Mines."

Of course so many Christians group who support hatred, bigotry, torture, invasions, and exhibit 14th century sensibilities want to be associated with the Amish amazing display of forgiveness, but sorry people, most of you don't even come close. Too many of you have Jesus quotes in your head, but not their meaning in your hearts. Try again next hear.

Labels: Amish, Christianity, Christians, Islam, Muslims

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When Keith Ellison, the Minnesota Democrat whose election last month will make him the first Muslim in Congress, announced he would take his oath of office on Islam's holy book, the Koran, he provoked sharp criticism from conservatives and some heated discussion on the blogosphere... Other politicians have departed from the Bible as well. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) used the Tanakh when she took her oath in 2002, and Madeleine Kunin placed her hand on Jewish prayer books when she was sworn in as governor of Vermont in 1985.

Kudos to Mr. Ellison. I hope he sticks to his guns and gets sworn in on the book that means the most to him.

Labels: bible, keith ellison, koran, religion