What kind of Christian ethics is this? How come mainstream Christians are not in the forefront to fight this bigotry? Two Christian men, Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael killed Ahmaud Arbery on February 23, claiming that he fit the description of someone who had been breaking into homes in the neighborhood. Three months after the murder, the police arrested the father and the son after a video surfaced showing the brutality in killing the 25-year-old black man. A group by the name Christian Against Google opened a Facebook page titled Justice for Gregory and Travis McMichael and demanded that the authorities should withdraw charges against the accused. The group that claims to have more than half a million members wrote the following: "These 2 God-fearing men were only trying to protect their neighborhood. This area has had a string of break-ins and this man fit the description and did not comply with simple commands. Our hearts go out to the McMichael family in their time of need. Amen." Since when taking the law into one's hand has become a noble act? Since when the people have permission to shoot people at sight? The police did not arrest the accused immediately after the interest even though their whereabouts were known. The authorities knew about the murder. They also were aware of the fact the accused once worked for law enforcement agencies. They ignored the facts and refused to file charges against him after repeated pleas from the family and activists. Only when the video by a bystander came to surface and leaders as well as African American celebrities started raising the issue, did police move into action and arrested the father and the son. During these trobled three months, not many Christian groups spoke and condemned the killing. Not many officials came forward demanding justice, and not many human rights agencies focused on the murder. Can you imagine the response if the victim was a white person? The silence of interfaith councils and mainstream Christian groups is disturbing. How can these groups claim to act in good faith when they fail to stand for the sanctity of a man who happens to be black? How can they claim that Christianity opposes racism and violence? Instead, we find a Christian group describing the accused as God-fearing people supporting them. It is nothing but pure racism and an endorsement of violence. If this is what Christianity stands for, it should better abandon its claim on Jesus because the Messiah never taught violence and never encouraged racism.
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