Unfortunately today I must offer the US a sorry Happy Anniversary. Yes, it has been four years since the invasion of Iraq "the worst foreign policy debacle in US history"(Arianna Huffington, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ Much has been written and much will continue to be written about this war, and as a Christian I cannot support it for two reasons: politically it is a disaster, and it is against what my Lord desires. Most people understand by now that the path to Iraq was paved with lies, agendas and people who wanted to build up their legacy. It has turned into a nightmare, and unfortunately I think it will only get worse---if not worse, it will continue for a longer time than many of us might think. Here are some random thoughts about the issue, both political and theological to think on today.
1. This war was decided long before 9/11. Many people don't realize that the key players involved in this war (Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz) have been involved in this for three or four decades. Remember Rumsfeld was the Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975–1977, and was part of President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East (1983–1984); which is when he was involved in the selling of weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein in Iraq. That's why it is was said when Bush was arguing that Iraq had WMD's people said "America knows that they have WMD's because they still have the receipts". Ever since the first gulf war plan have been in development among these people to invade Iraq. Rumsfeld was convinced that Bush I, did not go far enough.
2. There are so many issues at play when it comes to the reason why America entered this war. But let's be clear: It has nothing to do with 9/11. It has to do with very complex middle eastern politics. How can America both have the closest of relationship with the House of Saudi Arabia (for Oil interests), and protect Israel (Islams great enemy) all at the same time? Quite a balancing act. We must remember that America armed and trained the Taliban and Afghan soldiers in the war with Russia in the 1970's and 80's. By extension they created Osama bin Laden. They left Iran, Iraq and many other nations alone when they were killing thousands of people, in fact they armed them with the weapons to do so. See we tend to fulfill Orwell's prophecy: he said that when we are at war we start believing that the people we are fighting have always been our enemies. This is simply not true. These were America's allies, they armed them and they let them exist in all of their monstrous ways for decades without ever doing anything. And then someone enters the whitehouse who wants to do something and he used 9/11 as the reason why he should---even though not one reason they gave for going in to Iraq has ever proven true!
3. Finally, I must move away from politics, cause now even as I read over what I have written it has all been reported before and is beginning to sound so empty, and it also is so incomlete (for more on the above discussion/connections see House of Bush, House of Saud, by Craig Unger). I must not appeal to the most important thing for me: I cannot agree with the war because of my faith. This war does not fit into either the teachings of Jesus nor St. Augustine's "just war". This is a complete devastation of human life for no good reason. God loves all races, and he sees the mistakes of Iraqi politicians as well as the hypcrisy of western ones and takes it all into account. God does not see the Western world as the great "light of the world", Jesus is the light, only he can offer salvation to a decaying world--only he can have lasting effect. In the teachings of Jesus we never see any room for aggression: turn the other cheek, pray for enemies.
Conclusion: I would like to say two things to close. First, I think the church has failed. One thing that the church noticed in the years of Vietnam was that its voice was silent, until a few stood up and spoke out. If our Christian generation does not speak up I think we might be accountable before God. But we have not only failed in speaking out against the war, we actually helped support it and for that we must repent. Christians have blindly supported George H.W. Bush, for whatever reason (because James Dobson told them to, or because they couldn't see beyond hot-button issues like gay marriage)---and for that I think we have been duped--- we have had the cotton pulled over our eyes; made to think if you were a Christian one had to vote Republican! Not true. (Recently there was a meeting of conservative Christians like Dobson, Falwell, LaHaye, to figure out who their going to back for the whitehouse in '08--they are nervous because they are going to lose their political clout--needless to say they can't agree on any Republican for the job: See "Angst and Anger as Evangelical Republicans Worry about an 08 Candidate" on http://www.benwitherington.blogspot.com/).
Secondly, and finally I want to say that the tendency/temptation for us will be to forget about this war (too complicated, too divisive), and get sick of it---thus news companies will move on to something else, politicians will stop the debate and everytime you see something about you will groan and switch channels---don't do that. There are brave men and women dying everyday over their because of the failure of policy makers and politicians who represent the Western world, which you are a part of! It effects you and it should. The temptation is to move on, but we can't afford to. 4 long years, and in my view, it looks like it will be a hundred more. Ted Coppel recently did a special which had as its thesis the fact that this war is going to go on for hundreds of years. Encouragingly the title was: "Your Children's Children's War". Brian Walsh always says that prophets offer both propetic critique and prophetic hope---But today I am feeling rather hopless, and maybe that is exactly the point: when it comes to this war, aren't we all?
1. This war was decided long before 9/11. Many people don't realize that the key players involved in this war (Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz) have been involved in this for three or four decades. Remember Rumsfeld was the Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975–1977, and was part of President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East (1983–1984); which is when he was involved in the selling of weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein in Iraq. That's why it is was said when Bush was arguing that Iraq had WMD's people said "America knows that they have WMD's because they still have the receipts". Ever since the first gulf war plan have been in development among these people to invade Iraq. Rumsfeld was convinced that Bush I, did not go far enough.
2. There are so many issues at play when it comes to the reason why America entered this war. But let's be clear: It has nothing to do with 9/11. It has to do with very complex middle eastern politics. How can America both have the closest of relationship with the House of Saudi Arabia (for Oil interests), and protect Israel (Islams great enemy) all at the same time? Quite a balancing act. We must remember that America armed and trained the Taliban and Afghan soldiers in the war with Russia in the 1970's and 80's. By extension they created Osama bin Laden. They left Iran, Iraq and many other nations alone when they were killing thousands of people, in fact they armed them with the weapons to do so. See we tend to fulfill Orwell's prophecy: he said that when we are at war we start believing that the people we are fighting have always been our enemies. This is simply not true. These were America's allies, they armed them and they let them exist in all of their monstrous ways for decades without ever doing anything. And then someone enters the whitehouse who wants to do something and he used 9/11 as the reason why he should---even though not one reason they gave for going in to Iraq has ever proven true!
3. Finally, I must move away from politics, cause now even as I read over what I have written it has all been reported before and is beginning to sound so empty, and it also is so incomlete (for more on the above discussion/connections see House of Bush, House of Saud, by Craig Unger). I must not appeal to the most important thing for me: I cannot agree with the war because of my faith. This war does not fit into either the teachings of Jesus nor St. Augustine's "just war". This is a complete devastation of human life for no good reason. God loves all races, and he sees the mistakes of Iraqi politicians as well as the hypcrisy of western ones and takes it all into account. God does not see the Western world as the great "light of the world", Jesus is the light, only he can offer salvation to a decaying world--only he can have lasting effect. In the teachings of Jesus we never see any room for aggression: turn the other cheek, pray for enemies.
Conclusion: I would like to say two things to close. First, I think the church has failed. One thing that the church noticed in the years of Vietnam was that its voice was silent, until a few stood up and spoke out. If our Christian generation does not speak up I think we might be accountable before God. But we have not only failed in speaking out against the war, we actually helped support it and for that we must repent. Christians have blindly supported George H.W. Bush, for whatever reason (because James Dobson told them to, or because they couldn't see beyond hot-button issues like gay marriage)---and for that I think we have been duped--- we have had the cotton pulled over our eyes; made to think if you were a Christian one had to vote Republican! Not true. (Recently there was a meeting of conservative Christians like Dobson, Falwell, LaHaye, to figure out who their going to back for the whitehouse in '08--they are nervous because they are going to lose their political clout--needless to say they can't agree on any Republican for the job: See "Angst and Anger as Evangelical Republicans Worry about an 08 Candidate" on http://www.benwitherington.blogspot.com/).
Secondly, and finally I want to say that the tendency/temptation for us will be to forget about this war (too complicated, too divisive), and get sick of it---thus news companies will move on to something else, politicians will stop the debate and everytime you see something about you will groan and switch channels---don't do that. There are brave men and women dying everyday over their because of the failure of policy makers and politicians who represent the Western world, which you are a part of! It effects you and it should. The temptation is to move on, but we can't afford to. 4 long years, and in my view, it looks like it will be a hundred more. Ted Coppel recently did a special which had as its thesis the fact that this war is going to go on for hundreds of years. Encouragingly the title was: "Your Children's Children's War". Brian Walsh always says that prophets offer both propetic critique and prophetic hope---But today I am feeling rather hopless, and maybe that is exactly the point: when it comes to this war, aren't we all?
11 comments:
Your last point is poignent - we can become so bored or complacent when we think we can't do anything - but our voices can't be silenced on this issue - Chrisitians need to regain their brains on political issues.
Amen Ty, and its not all right or left or whatever, our criticism needs to be offered in both directions as well as our hope.
Your two conclusions are similar to points that Wendell Barry has made in his article, "Christianity and the Survival of Creation", (granted he is talking about Creation), but the fact remains that more often than not, we as Christians seem to have become apathetic when confronted with these issues; issues that in some respect define and shape our faith. Maybe more accurately, it is our response to these issues that define and shape our faith.
Barry states this about Christians, "They are going to have to give workable answers to those who say we cannot live without this economy that is destroying us and our world, who see the murder of Creation as the only way of life". Again his focus is creation, but the principle is still applicable. We have a role to play and a voice that needs to be heard, but either we say nothing, or say something for the wrong reasons.
President Bush has two words for you: stay the course
Mike, Wendell Berry is always a voice that calls me to wake up, which is the prophetic tradition he desires to represent. And you are right to make the connection between our apathy toward destruction of creation and our feelings toward this war as well, for sure. The unfortunate part is that the church has not only remained silent but proactively helped support these policies...Lord have mercy.
People say that as a public speaker in the church though I must be careful about what I say in regards to these issues. I would say respectfully that though the tonne of comments are one things, critique must be made and prophets (not that I am one but a prophetic message) is rarely something people are quick to listen to and get excited about but God called prophets nonetheless--and one of those prophets (Isaiah)hoped that Israel would have ears to hear and eyes to see---lets hope we do as well.
Barack Obama
I don't think most Christians are complacent, I think they're pacificsts and don't know how to reconcile belief with "give to Caesar what is Caesar's (or leave to Caesar's government...)" with action. What of the idea that all is developing as it should be according to Revelation, etc. (not the American invasion per se, but the chaos in the Middle East?) That peace in the Middle East is an oxymoron, and then what is one to do, what should - what CAN - one do, if this is so?
Anonymous,
Where do I begin? Peace in the middle east an oxymoron? That is certainly not the view of the Bible I read--peace is the hope according to the prophets, peace is what Christ has brought, Jesus called his followers to be peacemakers in the world (Matthew 5.9), he called them to radical non-violent responses (Mat 5.38-48) all in the context of forgiving people who have wronged you (6.14-15).
One could not conclude that there was ever a just reason to go to war with another nation by reading the New Testament, and certainly not by listening to the words of Jesus. It just couln't happen.
Revelation: Well, that is a massive conversation, but I will begin by saying I don't necessarily believe that REV is about the end of the world, or about the present state of things in the middle east, and then citing those wars as "God's plan on schedule" completly distorts the Gospel.
Didn't Jesus say that nation must rise against nation before the end? (Matt 24:6-7) That Jerusalem would crumble (Luke 21:20) and be in the state of turmoil it is now? Is that not prophecy?
Peace is our mandate, there is never a just reason for war, but does that mean stepping into chaos? Jesus said that families would be divided over him, Matt 10:34, nevermind countries.
Jesus didn't help people that didn't want his help. He didn't force people to believe in him. For those who do we should do all we can, but some will never be reached. Wars come from sin, sin is inevitable. War is inevitable.
Peace is elusive. We should heal in the aftermath. We should prevent violence before it starts instead of foolishly attaching our name to it. But I don't think we belong in the fray of the chaos of a civil and religious war. Jesus was the underdog, not a superpower.
This blog is interesting. I like what you say, but I think it is a lost cause. The energy could go elsewhere.
The US should fix what it broke.
Anonymous,
I am not sure I understand your comments fully, except to say in the first instance I believe Jesus was speaking about the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD, and not necessarily the end of the world...
Second, please read my latest few reflections of the posture of a prophet and recognize that I would say what you say about the world (Its always going to be this way...; and thus we can't do anything) is language of empire...it wants us to believe those lies so that the past sins can be recapitualted, and "This is just the way it is" but the prophet says "No. It doesn't have to be this way."
Peace to You
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