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.
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