Conservatives say – the number one job of the government is to protect it’s people by killing the enemy.
Liberals say – negotiate – war doesn’t solve anything.
(yes – these are generalizations. please recognize that.)
But there are problems with both.
my main question for the liberals is – how do you negotiate with someone who wants to kill you? I mean, really, is there a middle ground between life and death that one can negotiate to?
my main questions for the conservatives is – do you really think you can kill all of them?
Seriously – how can you negotiate with someone who’s religion (at least their interpretation of it – whether it be theologically right or wrong) says they must kill you in order to be guaranteed a spot in paradise? Do you really think they’re going to give up their version of Heaven – and let you live? If you’re on the opposite side from them, and you look like a ticket to paradise, trust me, they care a whole lot more about killing you than anything else. And probably a whole lot more than you care about anything at all. They’ll lie, cheat, steal, whatever – to get that spot in paradise. If you believed as fervently as they do – you would do the same.
This isn’t like wars that we’ve fought for territory, or to take out a dictator. This is religion. A religion that’s been around for 1600 years. On top of that, it claims to be the “corrected” version of previous religions – Judaism and Christianity. Even to the point where the terrorists believe their mission in life is to kill the infidels. One thing that we should have learned from experience – it’s just not possible to wipe out a religion. This flavor of Islam has come up before – been “defeated” before – and continues to come back. In an odd way, Obama’s “strategy” of degrade and destroy is half right. His objective seems to be degrade – and let the next president try to destroy. Maybe he does understand that destroy is impossible – so he’s selected the only achievable option – degrade. Then he can maybe claim success. At degrading.
So what are we to do? Give up?
No.
Remember what I said above – this is about religion.
And that’s why we’re probably doomed to failure.
Separation of church and state.
Our own elected officials have put us in a place where we can’t win.
The democrats choose negotiation.
The republicans choose war.
Both claim to be religious. Somehow, evangelicals seem to side with one over the other, although I can’t really imagine why. They’re both so far from true Christianity, I can’t see any reason to blindly go for either one. But that’s for another day, I guess.
Anyway – you may have figured out the alternative.
It’s God.
The Armor of God
Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Eph 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Eph 6:10 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
I think even moderate Muslims believe that what the terrorists are doing to their religion is evil, so this shouldn’t really be a news flash to anyone.
And any regular reader of this site has seen where the Old Testament shows that the Jewish / Christian God promised to take care of Hagar & Ishmael – kept them from dying from thirst – promised to make Ishmael into a great nation – even named Ishmael – and finally showed through Jonah that He cared about the people of Nineveh.
From the Bible, we can see where sometimes God gets people to change their minds. For example, the previously mentioned trip to Nineveh by the prophet Jonah. Those people were saved from destruction when they listened to Jonah.
From the Bible, we also see cases where the enemies were totally defeated by a smaller number of God’s people. For example, we read where Gideon defeated a people that were “as thick as locusts” with only 300 men. This was possible because they trusted and listened to God.
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
Jdg 7:1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon ) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
Jdg 7:4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
Jdg 7:5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
Jdg 7:7 The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
Jdg 7:13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
Jdg 7:14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
Jdg 7:15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
Jdg 7:17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’ ”
Jdg 7:19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
Jdg 7:22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb . They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
But we don’t do that. We claim separation of church and state. Islam is the complete integration of church and state. For the terrorists, in fact, it’s church (their version of Islam) first – with the state (captured territory and people) coming second. And we think we can defeat them? Without God?
Our own elected officials have put us in a place where we can’t win.
We have put ourselves in a place where we cannot win.
Because we have turned away from God.
Isa 58:9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
The question is – who’s calling out to the Lord?
image from foreignpolicyblogs.com
Diplomacy or weapons. I get so tired of hearing these choices – like they are all we have.