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WHOREMONGER vs. WARMONGER
Love and War are the same thing,
and stratagems and policy are as allowable in the one as in the other. Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) When the war, battle, conflict or anything else you wish to call what went on in Iraq between March and April of 2003, there was plenty of talk in all the various media, none more so, than neighbor to neighbor perched over the fence discussing the daily events from what they were hearing from the various commentators of the various media. My neighbor, a Democrat, a retired government employee (aren’t most government employees Democrats?), a graduate of Berkeley, and staunch environmentalist and evolutionist, was taking an early morning walk one day at about the same time as on that rare occasion that I happened to be up and about before the crack of noon (and that’s early for a self-professed Vampire). We began talking about a variety of subjects...daughter’s upcoming high school graduation; wife’s retirement in about another decade...and of course, the conversation somehow got steered toward, "this atrocity in Iraq" (neighbor’s quote). Now, if it were up to me, the conversation wouldn’t have reached to that level, but I wasn’t thinking too clearly that early in the a.m. and got railroaded into the subject matter. Well, I thought, since we’re on it, perhaps I can steer my neighbor to another viewpoint; one of a more Christian content. One thing about my neighbor and I, we may be diametrically opposed in our theology and worldwide viewpoints, but we can converse with one another on any subject and still walk away cordially. Now, my neighbor knows I attend a very politically active church, and that not only bothers him but the majority of the town as well, because many people are of the (wrong) belief that politics and religion should be separate issues and never entangled. This is not a subject to get into now, but I have in other past Khronicles, and my viewpoints on the subject are in line with our Founding Fathers and the foundation of what makes (or at least used to make) America great. So, here was an opportunity to share a viewpoint with my neighbor in a light-hearted way that I know he had never heard before and would be open to. "Clinton was a great president and if he were still in office, we wouldn’t be in this war with Iraq," professed my neighbor. "That’s why we should not limit terms, and be able to vote for those we want to keep in office for the rest of their lives if they’re doing a good job." I listen and nod in the appropriate places and then wait until it’s my turn. We follow Roberts Rules of Order around these here parts... "Well, sir, as I understand it, you would rather have a whoremonger in office as opposed to a warmonger?" I say in my own understated way. He burst out laughing, and replied, "Well, at least Clinton made love and not war!" "That’s true," I countered. "With every other woman except his own wife." And then the pat answered followed about Clinton that we’ve grown accustomed to hearing during the eight years he was in office. "What he did in his private life didn’t matter. He kept this economy going and kept us out of war, and that’s more than we can say about baby Bush!" It’s amazing and incredible the billions of people in this world that lack understanding on the real issues of the time, and merely recite what those in the spotlight are saying as opposed to not only thinking for themselves, but thinking in a different direction than what the world may be going in. Many Christians were just as opposed to the war in Iraq as the non-Christians. Not because we believed Hussan was some great guy and should be left alone. Sure, he left Christians alone for the most part to pray without being killed, but he was a dictator that did a lot of atrocities to his own people and needed to be taken out. The point is, did Bush sincerely pray and humble himself before God and seek His advice? Did our president go Coram Deo, before the face of God, and ask if going after Saddam was the right thing to do now or did we need to wait upon the Lord? Bush said publically that "he felt" from God the timing was right. Feelings!? Feelings should not be playing a part in such a monumental decision as going to war with another country; another religion. In an important decision as this or whatever decision is just as important to you in your own life, you need to be absolutely sure on which direction to take, and that only comes through much pray and fasting, not through feelings, intuition, burning in the breast, or any other ungodly form. Leave feelings for the songwriters and novelists, and go seek God’s face. And if the answer takes days, weeks, months or years, than so be it. You’ll learn patience and discipline while you’re waiting for that important, life-changing answer. And now that the situation in Iraq is over, what now? Turn the country over to the Muslims and let them have democracy? God forbid! No one in their right minds wants democracy. The first thing the majority of Iraqi Muslims will do is set up a Taliban-style government, throw out the American infidels and declare war on America and Americans in general. One of the best descriptions of democracy I’ve seen and read comes from the 1928 United States Army Training Manual, which states... "Democracy is a government of the masses. Authority is derived through mass meeting or any other form of direct expression. Results in mobocracy, attitude toward property is communistic (state owned), negating property rights." No serious thinking; well read individual wants democracy, just as they don’t wish to be imposed with having to accept civil rights upon them when the higher form of Godly rights (your God given rights that were imparted to you upon birth) is much better and still much more powerful in this country. The issue, the war, the conflict with Iraq was much more than just going after Hussan or his oil fields. Since September 11, 2001 the American government has decided enough is enough with terrorists, Muslim and non-Muslin alike. By going after the governments of Afghanistan and Iraq, we now have a neat set of US military-based bookends with Iran, who hasn’t shown itself to be too friendly with us since Carter was in office and the holding of American hostages for 444 days nearly a quarter of a century ago. It’s amazing since our current dealing with Iraq, how sincere, friendly and open the current government of Iran seems to be toward us. Yes, sir, we’re going to have an American-style peace in the middle East even if we have to kill for it, ‘cause we don’t have time to wait until the Lord returns. God needs to straighten out and get with our schedule or He’s going to be left behind. And that’s just a military fact of life. AMEN! Until next month, Kevin |
