From my Ebook, Thoroughly Biased Opinions, an edited collection of my columns published in the Franklin County Citizen. I wrote this column when POTUS George W. Bush was still in office.

Know the Enemy

Many, if not most, Americans probably do not understand how the current battles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East fit into the historical context of the centuries-old conflict between two great civilizations, one predominantly Christian and the other predominantly Islamic. President George W. Bush’s statement that we do not wage war against the Islamic religion lacks specificity.

A Little History

From its beginnings, Islam has been a militaristic religion. Mohammed began preaching his visions in 610 A.D. at Mecca, located in modern Saudi Arabia. By the early Eighth Century, Moslems used military conquest to dominate a wide area from the fringes of China to France. A Christian army led by the Frankish King, Charles Martel, halted Islamic expansion into Western Europe at the Battle of Tours in 732. Military conquests over a prolonged period brought Islam into the Balkans in Eastern Europe.

Fundamental features of Christianity and Islam thrust these two world religions into a centuries-old contest for human hearts, minds, and souls. The theological basis for this struggle arises out of two opposing imperatives: (1) Christians believe the Great Commission commands us to bring the entire world to God through Christ versus (2) Moslems believe in Allah’s call to convert the entire world to Islam. If we Christians take the Great Commission as seriously as many Moslems believe in Allah’s call, then these two opposing missions inevitably thrust the two civilizations into a contest or even war for human souls.

Differing Perspectives

Islam, like Christianity, encompasses a broad spectrum of internal beliefs ranging from liberal through conservative to fundamentalist. Each religion has dirty hands from past acts of extreme violence, one against the other. Nevertheless, leaving some religious idiots aside, the main thrust of modern Christianity does not preach conversion by military conquest. In contrast, the Islamofascist movement within Islam teaches that all non-Moslems should first be expelled from Islamic lands and then the rest of the world must be converted to Islam. Violence, including militarism and terrorism, constitutes an important mechanism for this forced expulsion and conversion.

Islamofascists fervently adhere to this violent approach, and Christians again find themselves caught up in a full-blown religious war that began in 610 A.D. Christians and Islamofascists see reality through diametrically opposed definitions of rationality concerning the mechanism for conversion of the world to Christ or to Allah. As a result of this contrasting reality and differing religious precepts, our enemies cannot be persuaded to change their approach through reasonable discourse.

Waging War

Only the most dedicated Christian pacifists deem surrender to Islamofascists acceptable without employing countermeasures that include military force. In this context, failure to act resolutely by combating Islamofascist violence with appropriate counter violence will result in defeat for the Christian West. Accordingly, for most Christians, the choice lies not between absolute good and absolute evil but between lesser and greater evils.

While we may argue the theological and philosophical merits of defense against Islamofascists through pacifism or nonviolence as opposed to justifiable counter violence,  we should be profoundly clear about the nature of this religious war. No amount of diplomacy, appeasement, touchy-feely personal interactions, UN resolutions, and invocations for nonviolence from our pulpits and the political arena will deter Islamofascists from their ultimate goal: A one-world government or caliphate based upon a medieval interpretation of Islamic law. Religious, economic, and political freedom will not exist under this government. A new dark age will descend upon us, even here in Franklin County.

Comments after 9/11/01 reveal widespread ignorance about the Islamofascist enemy we face. Many public figures and private citizens labeled the perpetrators of these events as cowards. We may believe these Islamofascists acted out of a perverted misunderstanding and application of Islamic teachings and basic principles of humanity. This belief notwithstanding, crashing hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and Pentagon took courage and dedication, even if of a type we don’t countenance.

We simply cannot afford to underestimate our enemies and believe that the threat, rather than the application of, our overwhelming military force will keep Islamofascists from their goal of worldwide domination. We must gird our loins and show an even greater dedication to the struggle than do our opponents. Failure for us will come from within.

A Roman Empire Precedent

The Roman and Carthaginian Empires struggled for supremacy around the Mediterranean Sea. These bitter enemies fought three great conflicts, called the Punic Wars, during the period, 263-146 B.C. Rome ultimately prevailed through armed might, destroyed the city of Carthage, and sold the survivors into slavery. Legend states that Roman soldiers plowed salt into the soil upon which Carthage had been built.

I often use what the Romans did to Carthage to answer people who say violence and war never resolve any conflict. Has Carthage been a threat to anyone since Rome wiped the city off the map? Crucially, do we have the intestinal fortitude the Romans exhibited in their war against Carthage? If not, dark days lie ahead of us.

Avoiding the Abyss

President Bush and other members of his administration claim that we fight Islamofascists in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep the conflict away from the American homeland. This claim also lacks specificity. We were not in Iraq or Afghanistan when Islamofascists attacked America on 9/11/01. Whether we stay in or withdraw from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, Islamofascists will remain obligated under their interpretation of the Qu’ran to wage war against the Christian West: The perverted Islamofascist theology demands that the entire world be converted to Islam by any means.

We may jeopardize our souls by adopting the Roman Empire’s approach of first victory through military force, then peace -- rather than following Christianity’s foundational premise of first peace, then victory. Accordingly, we must prayerfully and carefully define our objective, strategy, and tactics in the war with Islamofascists to avoid being seduced by the false love of violence.

Know the Enemy

Many, if not most, Americans probably do not understand how the current battles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East fit into the historical context of the centuries-old conflict between two great civilizations, one predominantly Christian and the other predominantly Islamic. President George W. Bush’s statement that we do not wage war against the Islamic religion lacks specificity.

A Little History

From its beginnings, Islam has been a militaristic religion. Mohammed began preaching his visions in 610 A.D. at Mecca, located in modern Saudi Arabia. By the early Eighth Century, Moslems used military conquest to dominate a wide area from the fringes of China to France. A Christian army led by the Frankish King, Charles Martel, halted Islamic expansion into Western Europe at the Battle of Tours in 732. Military conquests over a prolonged period brought Islam into the Balkans in Eastern Europe.

Fundamental features of Christianity and Islam thrust these two world religions into a centuries-old contest for human hearts, minds, and souls. The theological basis for this struggle arises out of two opposing imperatives: (1) Christians believe the Great Commission commands us to bring the entire world to God through Christ versus (2) Moslems believe in Allah’s call to convert the entire world to Islam. If we Christians take the Great Commission as seriously as many Moslems believe in Allah’s call, then these two opposing missions inevitably thrust the two civilizations into a contest or even war for human souls.

Differing Perspectives

Islam, like Christianity, encompasses a broad spectrum of internal beliefs ranging from liberal through conservative to fundamentalist. Each religion has dirty hands from past acts of extreme violence, one against the other. Nevertheless, leaving some religious idiots aside, the main thrust of modern Christianity does not preach conversion by military conquest. In contrast, the Islamofascist movement within Islam teaches that all non-Moslems should first be expelled from Islamic lands and then the rest of the world must be converted to Islam. Violence, including militarism and terrorism, constitutes an important mechanism for this forced expulsion and conversion.

Islamofascists fervently adhere to this violent approach, and Christians again find themselves caught up in a full-blown religious war that began in 610 A.D. Christians and Islamofascists see reality through diametrically opposed definitions of rationality concerning the mechanism for conversion of the world to Christ or to Allah. As a result of this contrasting reality and differing religious precepts, our enemies cannot be persuaded to change their approach through reasonable discourse.

Waging War

Only the most dedicated Christian pacifists deem surrender to Islamofascists acceptable without employing countermeasures that include military force. In this context, failure to act resolutely by combating Islamofascist violence with appropriate counter violence will result in defeat for the Christian West. Accordingly, for most Christians, the choice lies not between absolute good and absolute evil but between lesser and greater evils.

While we may argue the theological and philosophical merits of defense against Islamofascists through pacifism or nonviolence as opposed to justifiable counter violence,  we should be profoundly clear about the nature of this religious war. No amount of diplomacy, appeasement, touchy-feely personal interactions, UN resolutions, and invocations for nonviolence from our pulpits and the political arena will deter Islamofascists from their ultimate goal: A one-world government or caliphate based upon a medieval interpretation of Islamic law. Religious, economic, and political freedom will not exist under this government. A new dark age will descend upon us, even here in Franklin County.

Comments after 9/11/01 reveal widespread ignorance about the Islamofascist enemy we face. Many public figures and private citizens labeled the perpetrators of these events as cowards. We may believe these Islamofascists acted out of a perverted misunderstanding and application of Islamic teachings and basic principles of humanity. This belief notwithstanding, crashing hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and Pentagon took courage and dedication, even if of a type we don’t countenance.

We simply cannot afford to underestimate our enemies and believe that the threat, rather than the application of, our overwhelming military force will keep Islamofascists from their goal of worldwide domination. We must gird our loins and show an even greater dedication to the struggle than do our opponents. Failure for us will come from within.

A Roman Empire Precedent

The Roman and Carthaginian Empires struggled for supremacy around the Mediterranean Sea. These bitter enemies fought three great conflicts, called the Punic Wars, during the period, 263-146 B.C. Rome ultimately prevailed through armed might, destroyed the city of Carthage, and sold the survivors into slavery. Legend states that Roman soldiers plowed salt into the soil upon which Carthage had been built.

I often use what the Romans did to Carthage to answer people who say violence and war never resolve any conflict. Has Carthage been a threat to anyone since Rome wiped the city off the map? Crucially, do we have the intestinal fortitude the Romans exhibited in their war against Carthage? If not, dark days lie ahead of us.

Avoiding the Abyss

President Bush and other members of his administration claim that we fight Islamofascists in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep the conflict away from the American homeland. This claim also lacks specificity. We were not in Iraq or Afghanistan when Islamofascists attacked America on 9/11/01. Whether we stay in or withdraw from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, Islamofascists will remain obligated under their interpretation of the Qu’ran to wage war against the Christian West: The perverted Islamofascist theology demands that the entire world be converted to Islam by any means.

We may jeopardize our souls by adopting the Roman Empire’s approach of first victory through military force, then peace -- rather than following Christianity’s foundational premise of first peace, then victory. Accordingly, we must prayerfully and carefully define our objective, strategy, and tactics in the war with Islamofascists to avoid being seduced by the false love of violence.

Some thoughts on homosexuality, gay marriage, etc. from my novel, Comfort and Affliction, to be published in Feb 2015.

This novel (80,000 words), a work of literary fiction, tells the story of the Rev. Eric Jameson, who has been assigned to the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Vickery, GA, with the mandate to bring the congregation fully into the 21^st century. Most of the Aldersgate congregants and people in Alexander County, located in Northeast Georgia, adhere to fundamentalist religious and conservative political values. Eric carries out his assignment by comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable within his parish. The sermons he preaches and his actions lead to revitalization and growth of the congregation but inevitably bring him into conflict with the Southern Restoration Movement. This organization employs violence, especially against blacks, to reestablish Anglo-Saxon political and cultural supremacy. In order to protect himself, his loved ones, and friends from the local leader of the Restorers, Eric must resort to the combat skills he employed successfully while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and for which he received the Medal of Honor.

CHAPTER 21

Sunday, 21 Sep

John Carlyle came to the front of the chancel after completion of the responsive reading. “Rev. Jameson requested the choir perform Hymn 548, In Christ There is No East or West, as our special music for today. The choir asks the congregation to join with us in singing verses three and four.” He gave a soft chuckle. “The choir will end the performance with a special Amen.” He started to turn away, then reversed himself. “If you are willing and able, please join hands with your neighbors as we sing verses three and four.”

The choir proceeded through verses one and two; the congregation joined the choir as directed with verse three:

In Christ is neither Jew nor Greek, and

neither slave nor free; both male and female

heirs are made, and all are kin to me.

In Christ now meet both east and west, in

him meet south and north; all Christly souls are

one in him throughout the whole wide earth.

Many of the congregants in the almost-filled pews held hands with their neighbors. Some people reached from pew to pew and across the central aisle to hold hands. Attendance at the morning services had increased steadily with Eric’s tenure. I wonder, he thought to himself, if we’ll have more or fewer people in the pews next Sunday?

Jackson Williams stepped to the small pulpit as the congregation finished singing. “Our Scripture for today comes from the Third Chapter of Galatians, verses twenty-six through twenty-nine:

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the Law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the Law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”

Jackson, evidencing no indication that his direct participation in the worship service offended a decreasingly small segment of the congregation, left the pulpit to sit beside Miz Lizbeth. Eric rose to deliver the sermon. “As I’ve said before, being a minister often involves two major functions, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. I’m not here to afflict anyone today, although some of you may be uncomfortable with this sermon. Such discomfort often arises because of a profound misunderstanding about what Holy Scripture actually says concerning the subject of this sermon.

“Today’s bulletin gives the sermon title as, Welcoming Brothers and Sisters into the Community of Believers. A more pertinent sermon title is, Welcoming Homosexuals into the Community of Believers.” A stir of unease swept through the sanctuary. George Hannover glared at Eric. Raymond Taliaferro and Charles Thomas, seated on the second row, smiled at each other. “Recent events in our church life--especially the unfortunate appearance of Biblical ignoramuses at the services we held for Master Sergeant Phillip Rollins and also the events in court last week involving some of our brothers and sisters--compel me to speak out on this issue.

“I will not delve into a scientific discussion of homosexuality, its causes or a misleading Biblical rationale for treatment of what most psychiatrists consider a normal variation in human sexuality. My justification for welcoming homosexuals into our fellowship rests upon more straightforward Biblical principles. I will preach the Bible today, while keeping in mind how our consideration of Holy Scripture requires application of the great gifts of intelligence and love that God bestowed upon us.

“Much of the unfortunate Christian hostility against homosexuals arises from a mistaken view of Biblical inerrancy. As typically postulated, Biblical inerrancy means Holy Scripture exists without any error whatsoever--theological, historical, or scientific. Obviously, in view of our current understanding of science, we must be extraordinarily careful when invoking Biblical inerrancy to explain all human knowledge and its application.

“I am well aware of Leviticus 20:13, which provides a false justification for condemnation of homosexuality: If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. For some Biblical scholars and other discerning individuals, the Levitical prohibitions against homosexuality represent a Holiness Code originally pertaining only to the priestly class. Other equally astute scholars and individuals fervently believe these Levitical admonitions apply to all Jews as well as to all Gentiles.

“This debate continues and likely will not be settled to everyone’s satisfaction in the near future. We can, however, rationally circumvent this controversy of narrow versus general restrictions on homosexuality by delving deeper into Leviticus and other books of the Bible appearing to condemn homosexuality. These same books also contain prohibitions and extreme, even deadly, sanctions against behaviors we now consider either acceptable, deserving of only mild punishment, or downright silly: disobedient children, Sunday work, wives wearing coats made with cloth from two different types of threads, farmers planting more than one type of crop in a single field, women attending church services with uncovered heads, women speaking out or taking leadership roles in church, interracial marriage, birth control, discussing or naming a sexual organ, seeing our parents naked, and treatment of women as property.”

Miz Lizbeth said, “Preach the word, Rev. Eric! Peach the word!”

Eric went on. “While I’m on this roll call of Biblical imperatives we ignore, Holy Scripture not only allows, it insists upon sexual practices and societal conventions vastly different from our present understanding of normalcy and legality. To name a few:  execution of non-virgin brides, adulterers, and married couples who have sex during the wives’ menstrual periods; a widow of a childless husband must have sequential intercourse with the husband’s brothers until she bears a male child to inherit the husband’s estate; sex with prostitutes for husbands, although not for wives; slavery and sex with slaves; and marriage of girls eleven to thirteen years old.” Eric shook his head. “Faith-based intellectual honesty requires us to observe all of these prohibitions and approved behaviors, if we’re going to accept homosexuality as a sin. The idea boggles the mind, doesn’t it?

“Let’s consider the sin of Sodom, which all too many people confuse with homosexuality. Yes, ‘Sodom’ gives rises to ‘sodomy,’ another term applied to homosexuality. The prophet Ezekiel precisely defined the sin of Sodom: This is the sin of Sodom; she and her suburbs had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not help or encourage the poor and needy. They were arrogant and this was abominable in God’s eyes. Ezekiel seems to inveigh against something other than homosexuality. Was he confused? I think not.

“The original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of Holy Scripture do not contain a word for homosexuality in the present context because the authors did not understand sexual orientation. The concept of sexual orientation did not develop until the late nineteenth century. The word homosexuality first appeared in an English translation of Holy Scripture in 1958.”

 Several people seemed to be enjoying the sermon in contrast to the resentment showing on a few faces. “All of the preceding ideas aside, the most important factor for us to consider about these Old Testament ideas comes straight from St. Paul. His epistles and those attributed to him, such as Hebrews, thoroughly explain a fundamental thought for Christians: The so-called Biblical Laws, commonly thought of as Leviticus Codes, do not apply to Christians, either as means to salvation or as directions for behavior. The sacrificial life and death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ negated these former rules for Christians--for those of us who accept Jesus as the Messiah. Remember, the observant Jew, St. Peter under direct orders from God, ate foods Leviticus forbade.”

A shout of “Praise God!” came from someone in the rear of the sanctuary. Eric pressed on. “I spoke a few minutes ago about intellectual honesty. Some of you surely must be waiting for me to explain away St. Paul’s prohibitions against homosexuality. His pronouncements on this subject seem to be straightforward condemnations. As I outlined for the Old Testament, if we accept St. Paul’s condemnation of homosexuality, we also must accept his other condemnations about behavior, issues like the role of women in our church affairs.” Eric looked directly at Allison and Mother Elizabeth, “Some of our female members will be glad to discuss the sins of women speaking out and participating in leadership roles in our church. Interestingly, I don’t see many of our female congregants wearing hats today as St. Paul commanded.

“Church scholars currently debate exactly what St. Paul meant with the Greek words typically translated as homosexuality. Some eminent heterosexual theologians believe St. Paul’s words, or at least how they have been translated, provide an example of Holy Scripture not saying exactly what it means. We don’t need to explore such linguistic concerns. We also don’t need to engage in a discussion of how St. Paul was a product of his time and how human society has evolved since then. We can use a much simpler approach. While St. Paul experienced the power of the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, the great evangelist had no direct personal contact with the living Christ of the Gospels. Why I do I emphasize this point? Certainly not to negate the great impact St. Paul had on our theology.

“Importantly, neither the Old Testament prophets nor the Jesus of the Gospels left any recorded words condemning homosexuality. Some persons believe the purported sin of homosexuality for Biblical Israel was so obvious that the condition required no comment. Obviousness, however, did not restrain the Prophets and Jesus from forcibly preaching against other sins. If homosexuality merits the extreme condemnation received today in some circles,” Eric paused for effect before continuing in a louder voice, “why didn’t the Prophets and Jesus rail against it?” He continued in his normal pulpit voice. “Furthermore, homosexuality does not appear in the Ten Commandments, which many people in this county proudly display on signs in their front yards.

“Our consideration of homosexuality should include what many people regard among Jesus’ most important words when asked to define the greatest Commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. I believe the New Testament meaning of neighbor includes heterosexuals and homosexuals, as well as prostitutes, tax collectors, and other sinners.

“From our beginning, the Community of Believers has welcomed all who profess belief in God as Parent, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who commit to living as best they can according to Jesus’ great commandment. All of us have sinned, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike; all are eligible for incorporation into the Community of Believers. No sin justifies exclusion or expulsion from the Community.”

Eric looked at his watch. “I must bring this sermon to a close. Some of you already are anxious about getting to Sweet Gum Barbecue and Fish Lodge before our Baptist and Holiness brothers and sisters. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.”

John Carlyle motioned for the choir and congregation to stand. “We will close with verses one and six of Hymn 549, Where Charity and Love Prevail.”

Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found; brought here together by Christ’s love, by love are we thus bound.

Love can exclude no race or creed if honored be God’s name; our common life embraces all whose Maker is the same.

Eric gave the benediction at the front of the chancel and walked along the central aisle to the front of the church. “Jackson,” Miz Lizbeth said in a firm voice carrying across the sanctuary, “wheel me behind Rev. Eric. We must stand with him.” Jackson did as instructed. Allison, Joseph, Raymond Taliaferro, Charles Thomas, and several other congregants followed to stand with Eric at the front doors of the church.

What, Eric asked himself, a protective buffer or a show of solidarity? Same thing, he realized.