The violent extremists who promote conflict by distorting faith have discredited and isolated themselves.
"There is sinful tendency in [all of] us, that can distort our faith," he added.
The President seemed to suggest that those episodes represented a "sinful tendency" in all of us that can "pervert and distort our faith". This is not an argument I would feel comfortable making, but then again, I'm not religious.
There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith".
"As people of faith we are summoned to push back at those who seek to distort religion for nihilistic ends".
He is the author of a dozen books, including "Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America" and, most recently, "God in the White House: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush".
Indeed, groups have been distorting religious faith for nihilistic ends for centuries.
In Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America: An Evangelical's Lament Randall Balmer revealed that the religious right seized upon abortion as a wedge anti-feminist issue to leverage their racist, sexist, pro-corporate agenda, which they deemed "family values".
In my personal assessment, regular doses of viral fear do exactly what God warned us they would do - undermine faith, distort perceptions and mutate the self-in-relationship (with other people, our environments etc...).
Filled with characters who have gone down dangerous paths, the novel explores relationships distorted by blind faith.
Dr David Starkey argues that five major Christian figures distorted the Christian faith as envisaged by Jesus.
