Religious Reasons for War

Normally, I am not one to enter political discussions of any nature. Like everyone else I do have my thoughts and beliefs, but I have learned the cardinal rule of conversations – do not include the discussion of religion or politics when speaking with co-workers and friends.

My beliefs have ended more than one friendship, even as far back as high school, so I’ve learned to keep my opinions more subdued in conversation and more open in blogs and columns like this one.

However, the other day, my boyfriend, who is usually the cause for the political angst that plagues me, was telling me about an article he read. On a blog there was an elegant post about the issues with Israel and Hezbollah. Said boyfriend commented on the post by saying that he felt that the issues were unimportant and that killing children for any reason was wrong. He stated, and I agree, that it was murder.

Of course, as one person comments on a blog, 100 comments follow telling that person why they are wrong. The comment that struck me as the most interesting was, “Do not confuse killing with murder”.

Is there a difference? It was something that I asked myself for quite some time before choosing to write this. I know that I am not alone in my observations. These same issues have bothered many others for far too long. However, it was not a Fundamentalist Christian who made this comment. It was a person living in Israel. It only took a small amount of research to see that the fundamentalist Christians were on the side of Israel and the writing of this article was inevitable.

In the quest to determine the difference between killing and murder I had to ask myself only one question: How do you explain to the Lebanese mother that watched her children being pieced back together that her loss was an acceptable loss? I couldn’t come up with an answer.

It’s possible that I could not come up with an answer because I have never gone to sleep fearing rockets would come through my window. I have never had to make excuses for my religion or my actions, and in cases such as these, I would not make excuses for my country. In instances like this, it is not wise to take sides. However, I cannot help but point out that some people have no business in the middle of this mess.

Nevertheless, I have to say that America (the powers that be for the country) is allowing murder to go on. The reason I say this is because as allies of Israel we are giving them weapons. The blood that has been shed in Lebanon has soiled American hands, but the stains will not come off. I doubt the government even notices those stains considering the plethora of other marks on their hands these days.

I am not entirely bothered by the fact that the American government has helped to make this war happen. I can even look past the news reports that show mothers asking to allow their Israeli children to receive safe passage out of Israel so that they can grow up to be big and strong and come back to fight the war as men. What bothers me most is the reason for American support. The number one supporters of this war in America are Jewish and I can understand that. However, the second most vocal and supportive group is the Evangelical Christians.

The reason for the Evangelical support is purely selfish. It has to do with a part of the Bible known as the End of Times. The End of Times is a biblical prophecy that states that Israel will go to war and it is necessary to give them unconditional support in order to receive Jesus as he comes back to Earth. Once Jesus comes back to Israel, the world will experience 1,000 years of peace.

Pastor John Hagee of Texas explains it quite simply. The reason we need to support Israel is because it was the only nation in the world created by the hands of God. Hagee believes that Russia is going to get to the point where they will attack Israel. At that point, God will literally destroy the Russian military. The events to follow will include a Chinese Army of 200 million meeting British and U.S. forces in the battle of Armageddon.

This is when Jesus will come home. He will set up his eternal kingdom in Jerusalem and there will be 1,000 years of peace. It is when people will finally see the true nature of God as he destroys any enemy of Israel to preserve the holiest of lands.

As it is written, the Evangelicals will support it. The government is even listening to this because it is a matter of Republican importance. Many Republicans are also Evangelical Christians. So, whether the government makes it a biblical issue or not, supporting this war and giving Israel weapons may help the President’s waning numbers, at least in the areas of the country that helped him to get into office in the first place. It’s a win-win situation for Bush’s America.

That is, of course, unless you are beyond the point of understanding biblical rhetoric. I have to admit I could barely write this article without laughing at the absurdity. From a logical standpoint this war, as well as many other wars, were marketed well enough to induce fear and create proper reasoning for murder. In the Evangelical mind, it is acceptable to murder anyone crossing Israel because it is the Holy land. It is like saying they brought their murder upon themselves and it was nothing more than biblical suicide.

I stand on the other side of the fence. I am sitting on the side where murder is not okay. I believe killing someone is wrong even if your Bible told you to do it. So, to end this column, I will simply say I am sorry. I apologize to all the mothers and fathers that have lost their children in a senseless and disgusting act of the ‘Christian God’. I hope one day people wake up and have the intelligence to realize that God is no longer with us, if he ever was, and as such, it is sacrilegious to assume you know or can interpret the word of someone as all knowing and all powerful as they want to make him out to be.

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