The term “terrorist” rolls off of the tongue with bitter disdain with undertones of fear in our post-9/11 society. With the seemingly endless amount of violence perpetuated by those wishing to instill theocratic regimes, it’s easy to scapegoat Islam as the essential problem. But this is a severe lapse in judgement.

Within the last 10 years alone, the largest religion in the United States has been an instigator in multiple instances of violence, death and terror. While it is true that, at least in recent years, proponents of extremist Islam have proved themselves to be severe terrorist threats, it is intellectually dishonest to claim that terrorism is exclusive to extremist Islam.

Christian terrorism is a term shunned by the religious right and foreign to the media, and not by accident. The implication that Christianity could be a source for violence is a devastating blow to the fundamental ideology of many Americans. But it is essential to understand that Christianity can be interpreted in the same violent nature as Islam.

The history of Christian violence is far more expansive than Islamic terrorism. Ignoring the low hanging fruit of historic atrocities such as the crusades and inquisitions, multiple organizations currently exist that use Christianity as an excuse to commit acts of violence in order to coerce a civilization — terrorism.

The most notable of these groups is the Klu Klux Klan. While many people argue that the Ku Klux Klan doesn’t represent the true tenants of Christianity — much in the same way many Muslims condemn groups such as ISIS — the KKK has always stood by its label as a Christian organization. Even after the countless murders, assaults and hate crimes, the blame for the violence, in the public eye, does not fall on the shoulders of Christianity.

In fact, a study by the Public Religion Research Institute found that Americans are twice as likely to assume that violent acts committed in the name of Christianity were conducted by people who weren’t “real Christians” than to assume the same about Islamic terrorism. Say what you will about the nature of each respective religion, both can still be used as justification for violence regardless of what most followers assume to be the correct teaching. But only one is commonly associated with terrorism.

Christian terrorism is not simply a domestic matter. From Africa to Ireland, Christianity loses its peaceful nature once extremism rears its ugly head — again, much like Islam. In Uganda, a group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army kidnaps children at a young age and turns them into child soldiers or sex slaves. The army gained a small blip in awareness in 2012 in an Internet campaign against its leader, Joseph Kony.

The group claims to be fighting for a nation unified by the Ten Commandments, using the Abrahamic moral absolutes as an excuse to commit acts of violence. The army has spread its influence into the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

Africa is haunted by other Christian terrorists as well. A group known as the Anti-Balaka has a foothold in the Central African Republic. By targeting Muslims, the Anti-Balaka is attempting an ethnic cleanse of the region. By using fear and violence, this Christian terrorist group is forcing innocent civilians from their homes all in the name of “one true God.”

The elephant in the room of religious terrorism is not the multitude of atrocities occurring at the hands of Christian groups every day, nor is it the expansive and violent history of Christian militias. Rather, it is the most recent act of what should be considered Christian terrorism — the attack on Planned Parenthood by Robert Dear.

The caution taken by the media in reporting the motive behind the attack shows the double standard between Islamic and Christian Terrorism. Once Dear muttered his rallying call of “no more baby parts,” his motive became just as clear as screaming “Allah Akbar.”

Islam does not have a monopoly on the word terrorism. Any sort of extremism, no matter the ideology, can lead to violence, terror and death. It’s time to come to the realization that terrorism comes in all forms. Whether the fundamental nature of the religion is to blame is irrelevant. It’s time to call violent acts committed in the name of the Christian God what they really are: acts of terrorism.