An American man murders his child, an innocent, vulnerable human being and cites holy scripture as justification. If that man’s name was Abdullah or Mohamed it would receive wide media coverage and without a question would go viral in the Islamophobia echo chamber. Comments and discussion threads would be packed with those pontificating on Islam’s so-called “unique violent nature” and ironically would be accompanied by calls to exterminate Islam and Muslims.

Are we to expect Christian Americans to apologize on behalf of the actions of Benjamin Edetanlen? Should we demand marches and condemnations from American Christians? Should we be shouting about where the “moderate Christians” who condemn such atrocious actions are, and why they are so “silent?”

Of course Christianity and the Bible should not be blamed for the actions of Benjamin Edetanlen, but when are we going to see a similar shift in the rhetoric and framing of violent actions carried out by lone Muslims in the name of Islam?

In the following story, the opening line is “Clearly, he missed the ‘Thou shall not kill’ part.”

Now that is refreshing! But will we see a story about Muslims with the first sentence reading, “Clearly, he missed the ‘Killing a fellow human is like killing all of humanity, and saving a fellow human is like saving all of humanity part”?

I will add that the justification of killing a child with the verse, “spare the rod, spoil the child” is not new, we have covered it numerous times in the past when parents have used it as a means of corporal punishment. (h/t: JD)

via. Huffington Post

Clearly, he missed the “Thou shall not kill” part.

A Georgia father, sentenced Wednesday to 18 years for murdering his 5-month-old son, used a biblical verse to defend the fatal beating, the WSB-TV reports.

Benjamin Edetanlen said he was acting on the old adage, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”

Assistant District Attorney Dalia Racine argued that Edetanlen used similar force on his other children, a 2-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.

“The defendant stated that he disciplined the children according to the book of Proverbs in the bible,” Racine said, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Though his son died from blunt force trauma, suffering brain injuries and a broken leg, Edentanlen’s attorney maintained the defendant’s faith in the passage.

“Mr. Edetanlen firmly believed in the adage, you know, spare the rod and spoil the child,” defense attorney Ingrid McGaughey said.

Edetanlen initially faced a murder charge, but instead pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty.