Nathaniel Train: Christian Terrorist?
The ABC is this week reporting 2022 murderer Nathaniel Train as Australia’s “first Christian terrorist”. How do you feel about that phrase?
I suspect I understand why the reporter Josh Robertson, a childhood friend of Nathaniel, uses that phrase. It’s common in our culture to view all forms of moderation as balanced, and all forms of extremism as unhinged. To portray the extreme element of Christianity as terrorist, likening it to extremist versions of Islam, fits within and reinforces that view of the world. Is it fair?
On the surface – maybe. Nathaniel and his brother Gareth were raised as Christians, and their father was a Baptist Pastor. For whatever reasons (some of which may be medical), Nathaniel and Gareth Train came under the influence of internet based Christian flavoured conspiracy theories.
To sharpen the question – do all religions and social movements have their radical and dangerous extreme edge? Is it right to describe Nathaniel’s actions as consistent with an extreme version of Christianity?
It depends on how you define the centre of a religion. Is the centre of a religion neither the extreme left nor right, but the moderate middle ground? That is, it is the centre, politically speaking. And is it moderated by what is presently accepted as reasonable. If so, then yes – journalist Josh Robertson might be correct.
But this is not how to define the centre of Christianity (or Islam). Jesus is the centre, and his actions and attitudes moderate what is true, and what is not.
Jesus is against violence. He tells us to love our enemies and pray for them. We are to forgive, and turn the other cheek. Jesus instructs Peter to put away his sword. Paul tells us to respect and not fear authorities. I contend Jesus and Scripture is normative, Nathaniel is not being Jesus-like, so it is illegitimate to label Nathaniel a Christian terrorist.
If Jesus is normative for Christianity, then it follows that Mohammad is normative for Islam. Mohammed was a warlord, who used and at times endorsed violence. Islamic terrorists may claim to be following their prophet, but Christian terrorists are not. Sorry Josh.