321:, many terrorist researchers and experts have expressed the need for a universal definition that is narrow and can be applied globally. A proposed definition that fits this bill defines terrorism as a "focused attack on unarmed, non-combatant civilians, that has a political aim" Following these guidelines for determining whether an egregious act of violence can be considered a terrorist attack or not, makes it apparent that acts Rev. Michael Bray engaged in can, in fact, be classified as terrorism. The attacks that were led by Bray himself as well as other Army of God members specifically targeted women's healthcare providers. The providers were civilian physicians, nurses, and other employees who were unarmed. The aim of Bray's attacks, as well as the aim others carried out by the Army of God movement, was political in the fact that the goal was to create enough hysteria and chaos that Roe v. Wade would be eventually overturned.
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theologians. Perhaps one of the most notable interpretations was the way Bray justified violent actions, and taking human life. From Bray's perspective, Christianity granted him the right to defend unborn children even if it meant doing violence, destroying property, and even killing doctors and staff who were "murdering them". The Army of God used a single Bible passage, Psalms 91: "You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day", to justify this line their logic and interpreted this line as divine approval for their actions. They further justified their terrorist actions by claiming that they were defensive in nature, as they were defending the lives of innocent unborn children. That is, the targeted attacks on health care workers and women's health clinics were not done out of revenge against doctors for performing abortions, but to defend future lives who would be lost.
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following the
Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade when abortion became legalized. From their perspective, society was then divided into two parts, the secular state which condoned the practice of abortion, and those who shared their Christian identity and viewed this practice as morally reprehensible. Bray found perceived support for his justification of violence and murder in the previous writings of 20th-century Lutheran pastors
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In addition to the bombings that Bray participated in himself, he authored several publications that advocated for the killing doctors and health workers who perform abortions which inspired the actions of other Army of God members, and provided detailed instructions on how to do so as he is presumed
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groups at the time. Bray's
Lutheran background informed the ideology he eventually developed in the time he spent in the Army of God movement, although this involved taking many Biblical scriptures and teaching out of context while actively challenging traditional interpretations made by mainstream
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An age-old ethical dilemma in
Christian scholarship is determining if or when one is justified in his use of violence as a means of pursuing a righteous cause. In other words, is there such thing as a "just war"? The Army of God saw themselves as being "at war" with the mainstream U.S. culture
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minister who was convicted in 1985, along with two other defendants of two counts of conspiracy and one count of possessing unregistered explosive devices in relation to seven bombings of women's health clinics and three offices of women's health advocacy groups in
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At the time of his conviction he was a member of the
Christian extremist terrorist organization Army of God. Because of his involvement with the organization, public acts of terrorism, and suspected authorship of the underground manual
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328:(F.B.I.) suspected that he and other anti-abortion figures might be developing "a conspiracy that endeavors to achieve political or social change through activities that involve force or violence", as stated in a confidential
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an organizational manual that details how to do destruction and sabotage for abortion clinics. Bray is strongly suspected to be the author of this manual though he has never confirmed nor denied this claim.
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after he murdered Dr. John
Britton and James Barrett in 1994 at a women's health clinic in Pensacola, Florida. Bray also publicly defended the actions of
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295:(1991–2002). a militant newsletter that focused on homosexuality, abortion and what Bray considered to be government abuses of power
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demonstrators could not block entrances to abortion clinics in order to stop patients from entering to receive services.
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message sent to all 56 F.B.I. field offices. This further justifies classifying these acts as terrorism.
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The actions of Bray and other Army of God members were considered extreme and denounced by other
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conspiracy and possessing unregistered explosive devices in relation to 10 different bomb attacks
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which engages in terrorism." Initially sentenced to ten years in prison, he agreed to a
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for eventually murdering him while he was attending a church service in 2009.
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Terror in the mind of god : the global rise of religious violence
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Building
Terrorism Resistant Communities: Together Against Terrorism
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Perpetrators of religiously motivated violence in the United States
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A TIME TO KILL: A Study
Concerning the Use of Force and Abortion
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While most nations have their own specific legal definition of
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as he left his clinic in
Wichita, Kansas, and later applauded
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from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
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224:. Bray and his wife, Jayne, are the named defendants in the
647:"F.B.I. Undertakes Conspiracy Inquiry In Clinic Violence"
450:(4th revised and updated ed.). Oakland, California.
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Terror in the name of God: why religious militants kill
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340:manual. Bray became the spokesperson for Rev.
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610:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
579:Terrorism : a very short introduction
540:, March 26, 1999. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
478:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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58:about living persons that is unsourced or
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129:Learn how and when to remove this message
708:Attacks on Planned Parenthood facilities
582:(3rd ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom.
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743:United States Navy midshipmen
723:People from Wilmington, Ohio
444:Juergensmeyer, Mark (2017).
293:Capitol Area Christian News.
36:biography of a living person
718:People from Bowie, Maryland
703:Army of God (United States)
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264:United States Naval Academy
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313:Participation in terrorism
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557:on December 23, 2016
56:Contentious material
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375:Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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652:The New York Times
551:"Counterterrorism"
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686:60 Minutes
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519:January 6,
385:References
268:Midshipman
258:Background
89:newspapers
688:interview
606:cite book
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401:The Times
319:terrorism
228:decision
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561:July 28,
496:(2003).
330:Teletype
222:Virginia
218:Maryland
209:Lutheran
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171:Children
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