The True Believers

Over The Rainbow: July 28

“One person with a belief is equal to 100,000 who have only interests.”
— Quote attributed to John Stuart Mill in a social media message on July 17 by Anders Behring Berovik, the 32-year-old suspect accused of gunning down and killing at least 82 young people at a summer camp in Norway and setting off a bomb in downtown Oslo that killed seven.

Facebook and Twitter are the great soapboxes of our current society. We use the free media outlets, share photos, videos, quotes, songs and sometimes scripture when we feel so inclined to back up our own beliefs or, as is more often the case, to justify them. Berovik, a self-described Christian Conservative, claims to be a true believer. If we follow his message through to his actions, he is 100,000 times more powerful than those of us who merely take interest in the world around us. We may believe in something, but we don’t figuratively or literally back it up with a semi-automatic. The oft-used scripture, “I can do all things … (and justify them because I am a true believer) … through Christ who strengthens me” comes creepily to mind.

Muslims, Gays, Blacks, Mexicans, Cripples, the Obese, the Ugly, Welfare Recipients, Illegals, Single Mothers, the Homeless, Abortionists, oh my God, it’s a virtual Jesus Christ smorgasbord of choices to pick and choose from for true believers like Mr. Berovik.
For example, if a true believer feels so inclined, (not unlike the brothers and sisters of the congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas), they can build an entire religious experience around one group — say, fags — and then choose various side item groups as they work their way through the “Western Sizzlin’ of Jesus”-style fanatics line.

Go ahead “true believer.” Feel free to add some dead soldiers to your plate, maybe a branch or two of the military, and don’t forget the president! Mr. Obama’s actually a two-for-one side item. You got your government and you got a black man. Just call it a value meal. You can even “have it your way … have it, your way!” as the old Burger King jingle plays in the background. Just say, “I’ll take the works” and add the entire Red, White and Blue, U.S. of A., by God. Westboro Baptist Church does, and you can too, my friend.

100,000 times more powerful. That’s the secret boys and girls.

I read posts on Facebook all the time that go like this: “If you believe the government MUST be run by the Lord God, through our Savior Jesus Christ, the Christian Bible and the moral laws of our Founding Fathers, re-post this on your status update,” followed by a threat: “99.9% of everyone who reads this doesn’t have the b@#*$ to re-post. Do you?”
If you were a real true believer you’d have 100,000 times the needed amount of b@#*$ to do that and any other thing the voices inside and outside your head tell you to do. Just ask Mr. Anders Behring Berovik and the grieving nation of Norway. Ask the Westboro Baptist Church members and the mourning families standing graveside at a soldier’s funeral during one of the church’s righteous protests 500 feet away.

We all have our callings, our missions and our journeys in this life. The sane among us learn to moderate our actions in response to those beliefs for the larger good of society. Those who fall a little off to the side of center can become a real distraction from the beliefs they claim to hold dear. And then you have the Berovicks of the world, the true believers who coldly claim the power of 100,000 in the name of a vengeful God. Don’t be mistaken kids. The devil doesn’t make us do horrible things to others in the name of God.

The true believers do.

Categories: Commentary