Christians Killing Christians Over Soccer?

If we're looking for true Christianity, surely we should look first to one basic law: to love our neighbor as ourselves. Where we find that practiced, we should find the true followers of Jesus Christ.

Soccer is serious business to many. But last Sunday, May 24, in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, it became deadly serious, as supporters of one soccer team went on a drunken rampage, and killed an innocent man on the street.

Scotland's Glasgow Rangers are known as "the Protestant team," while Glasgow Celtic are "the Catholic team." Celtic had dominated the Scottish Premier League for the last three years, till Sunday's Rangers 3-0 victory over Dundee United sealed the championship.

But then the troubles began, as Protestant supporters of Glasgow Rangers in Coleraine drank heavily, and then rampaged through the town, looking for Catholics to attack. The unfortunate victim was 49-year-old Kevin McDaid, a father of four who did volunteer youth work, and had encouraged local Catholics to cooperate with the mostly Protestant Northern Ireland police. Mr. McDaid lost his life at the hands of the drunken mob.

Soccer games are often the point of religious tensions in Northern Ireland, where many pubs ban admission to customers wearing soccer jerseys or scarves, for fear of violence.

But how can all this be? "Christians" fighting "Christians" over soccer? What sort of "Christians" are these, anyway? Don't both Protestants and Catholics believe in the instructions of Jesus Christ about love for our neighbor? And how can that possibly square with violence, and even killings, across sectarian divides based on soccer allegiances?

Down through history, many have pointed to all the killings and suffering humanity has brought on itself in the name of religion, and questioned the value of religion. Northern Ireland itself went through a terrible phase of sectarian strife, bordering on civil war, known as "The Troubles," from the late 1960's till the Belfast Agreement of 1998. The province is still recovering from that brutal phase of its history.

But shouldn't religion serve to lower the level of brutality, not to raise it? And if religion serves as a stimulus for man killing man, shouldn't we re-examine our definition of religion?

Let's take a look at the ancient writings. It was Moses who first told us to "love your neighbor as yourself," (Leviticus 19:18), an injunction quoted by Jesus, who told His followers that this is the second greatest commandment of all (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27). It's even recorded three times in the New Testament gospels, for emphasis.

So, if we're looking for true Christianity, surely we should look first to one basic law: to love our neighbor as ourselves. Where we find that practiced, we should find the true followers of Jesus Christ.