On radical religion

I can understand why President Obama refused to describe terrorists groups as “radical Islam” or “Muslim extremists” because if you switched that out for Christianity, a “radical Christian” makes me think of Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, or Pope Francis. A person of radical faith seeks to find the essence and goodness of their religion to fight against all that is wrong in the world. I think of Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail: “Was not Jesus and extremist for love? Jesus Christ was an extremist for love, truth, and goodness. Perhaps the South, the nation, and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.”