So, with not a lot to do one evening I decided to read some random blogs.

Like you do.

It scared the hell out of me! There are some real lunatics in this world and it may sound like a cliche but many of them do seem to lurk in the deep south of the USA. I wouldn't want you to think that this is going to be some kind of rant against Americans because its not. At the end of the day the majority of them are not so very different from those of us on this side of the big pond (just take a look at Hecates blog,) but it does seem to have more than its fare share of nutters.

I'll tell you about one of them, I wont link to it because I have no intention of promoting it. It was written by a man who was ex military living in a small town in Arkansaw. (excuse the spelling). Post after post was directed against Islam, describing it as evil and how 9/11 had been a declaration of war by Islam against the America and Christianity.

The fact is that I am a Christian, I'm not ashamed of that, but I think that to describe other religions as evil is to do both Christianity and other religions a great diservice. Where is the love and the tolerance in describing others as evil? This man did not seem to realise that they actually belive in the same God as Christians but have different views on Jesus (ie he was a prophet rather that the son of God). Until we learn to live and let live we will never have peace in the world.

To claim that the views and actions of Al Quaida and other Muslim extremists are those of Islam in general is akin to saying that the Ku Klux Klan is representative of Christianity

It was also filled with links to sights that described Liberals as "scum" and ranted against all the overwelling scientific evidence about global warming and ranting criticisms of Europeans who oppose George Bush and the so called war on terror as cowards.

And this blog was representative of a hell of a lot of others from the southern USA. And it scared me half to death.

Once again I am grateful that my work as a scout leader gives me the oportunity to help mould young people in to caring, tolerant members of the community.