Leave Jesus Out of It

With recent bouts of violence in the news, many of us talk to each other in order to make sense of it all. Rather simplistically, I admit, in the conversations I’ve had with others, we’ve identified the causes of such tragedies as either the result of bad parenting or the absence of Jesus in people’s lives.

(Guess which theory I *didn't* come up with.)

Co-Worker #1 disagreed with my assessment that bad parenting leads to angry young men. He thinks good people can end up with bad kids.

Perhaps.

But just because someone is a good person, doesn’t mean he or she is a good parent. Unnecessary divorce (read: almost all of them), neglect, lack of discipline, and abuse are just a few of the many ways parents, well-intentioned or not, fail their children.

And society will continue to pay a price until such parents are held accountable.

Those who claim “Christ” is “The Way” – explain this one: the shooter at New Life Church was raised in a religious household. His family was so super duper Christian that he couldn’t attend public schools and his brother goes to Oral Roberts University.

I submit the home-schooling and Oral Roberts as evidence of a troubled upbringing. Obviously.

I’ve often said that Christianity does compel some people to do good who might otherwise not. An “attaboy” from The Creator or some kind of heavenly afterlife might be an incentive for some folks. But when I look at a list of people who’ve committed violent crimes against others, most of whom self-identify as Christians, I can’t help but wonder if maybe Christianity is part of the problem.

A popular bumper sticker comes to mind, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” The ecclesiastical white-out makes even the most egregious sin forgivable. This is why so many criminals find Jesus in jail.

Which brings me to my next point.

There is one rather significant group of guys who most certainly don’t have Jesus in their lives and yet, they don’t commit acts of violence in high numbers.

Jewish men.

The U.S. data is pretty clear. Of 200 of the most violent U.S. criminals, six are identified as Jews.

Why? Can it be attributed to a more sincere focus on the family? A historic propensity to solve problems intellectually rather than with brute force? Too busy running the government, the media, and all domestic banking institutions to bother?

Rabbi Telushkin once said that he thought the reason for low incidents of violence among Jews is because of our kosher laws. Such laws took into account a concern for animals and, over the centuries, grew into a more-accepted culture of personal nonviolence.

Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Years later, noted Jewish comedian Groucho Marx said, "I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are."

Where was I?

Oh yeah.

Kids commit violent acts for many reasons. But the source of their problems can be traced back home.

Plus Jewish men rock.

***cross-posted at Out in Left Field***