While I am hacking everyone off, I might as well hack some more people off.
11 years ago, I was as stunned as anyone when I watched planes fly into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I was enraged and called for blood like everyone else, and I even laughed at the jokes and pictures ridiculing Muslims that flew around the internet in the days following 9/11. I called for immediate annihilation of all things opposed to the USA, my homeland.
I rallied around President George Bush and agreed that "if you aren't for us, you are against us." I celebrated the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan and watched the invasion of Iraq, celebrating the fall of Saddam Hussein. I was like many conservatives- I didn't listen to "the liberals" who criticized Bush for going into Iraq and who called for restraint in retaliation, believing them to be weak and anti-American.
I still believe that justice should have been done due to 9/11. I don't believe in letting mass murderers get away without facing justice, and I don't have any other good solutions to what we did. I don't envy the leaders in our country who have to make these kinds of tough decisions.
However, I am a Christian. I stand with Christians all over the world, many of whom live in countries where it is illegal and dangerous to even own a Bible, let alone worship God publicly and openly. To put it plain and simple, the war on terror has been the absolute WORST thing for worldwide Christianity that I've ever seen.
Prior to our invasion of Iraq, there was a thriving Christian population there. There were more than 1.5 million Christians living with a fair amount of protection from the government. Saddam was a tyrant and a despot, but he had no love for radical Islam and persecution of Christians was fairly rare. Now, the Christian population in Iraq is slightly less than 300,000. We killed the guy who was protecting Christians, and now it is open season. Christian businesses are burned, churches are shot up, and Christians are either dead or forced to leave the country now. I wonder what Iraqi Christians think about the US-led war on terror.
My Pakistani brothers tell me that every time there is a drone strike in Pakistan, the Christians there are persecuted. They are seen, because of the war on terror, as US collaborators. When Osama Bin Laden was killed, Pakistani Christians went into hiding for two to three days, fearing retribution. Persecution of Christians in Pakistan has been exponentially intensified since the war on terror began.
Now, in Egypt, where Mubarek has been displaced (again, a tyrant who deserved to be brought to justice) persecution of Christians has intensified. I have seen footage of Egyptian soldiers running over Christians with military vehicles and have seen footage of blood-splattered corpses of Christians shot by the military there. This didn't happen under Mubarek. We, as a nation, have killed the leaders that were protecting Christians within their borders.
Like I said before, I don't have any good alternative solutions to the war on terror- killers have to be brought to justice. I just know that my Christian brothers and sisters in the countries affected have been hurt. They have lost their protection from persecution. Their populations have been decimated, and I can't support a war where the end result is a decimation of Christian populations. I know too many kind, loving brothers and sisters in those countries who have lost everything, been forced to move, been jailed, beaten, or on the run for their lives because of our actions. And for this I am truly sorry.
I write this blog to raise awareness of what the war on terror has done to Christian populations around the world. Most of us aren't aware of this unintended side effect of our country's military action, and when I found out about it, it broke my heart. I was overwhelmed with sorrow that I had supported a war that had these consequences on people that would host in me in their home if I was to journey there, who would pray for me if I asked them to, who identify themselves with Christ even though it costs them everything, and who face daily hardship for their beliefs.
Now, with the attacks on the embassies in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, my only thoughts are to the Christian populations there. How terrible it must be for them right now. May God bless them and protect them. Because of my love for them, and Christians in other parts of the persecuted world, I will no longer support the war on terror.
11 years ago, I was as stunned as anyone when I watched planes fly into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I was enraged and called for blood like everyone else, and I even laughed at the jokes and pictures ridiculing Muslims that flew around the internet in the days following 9/11. I called for immediate annihilation of all things opposed to the USA, my homeland.
I rallied around President George Bush and agreed that "if you aren't for us, you are against us." I celebrated the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan and watched the invasion of Iraq, celebrating the fall of Saddam Hussein. I was like many conservatives- I didn't listen to "the liberals" who criticized Bush for going into Iraq and who called for restraint in retaliation, believing them to be weak and anti-American.
I still believe that justice should have been done due to 9/11. I don't believe in letting mass murderers get away without facing justice, and I don't have any other good solutions to what we did. I don't envy the leaders in our country who have to make these kinds of tough decisions.
However, I am a Christian. I stand with Christians all over the world, many of whom live in countries where it is illegal and dangerous to even own a Bible, let alone worship God publicly and openly. To put it plain and simple, the war on terror has been the absolute WORST thing for worldwide Christianity that I've ever seen.
Prior to our invasion of Iraq, there was a thriving Christian population there. There were more than 1.5 million Christians living with a fair amount of protection from the government. Saddam was a tyrant and a despot, but he had no love for radical Islam and persecution of Christians was fairly rare. Now, the Christian population in Iraq is slightly less than 300,000. We killed the guy who was protecting Christians, and now it is open season. Christian businesses are burned, churches are shot up, and Christians are either dead or forced to leave the country now. I wonder what Iraqi Christians think about the US-led war on terror.
My Pakistani brothers tell me that every time there is a drone strike in Pakistan, the Christians there are persecuted. They are seen, because of the war on terror, as US collaborators. When Osama Bin Laden was killed, Pakistani Christians went into hiding for two to three days, fearing retribution. Persecution of Christians in Pakistan has been exponentially intensified since the war on terror began.
Now, in Egypt, where Mubarek has been displaced (again, a tyrant who deserved to be brought to justice) persecution of Christians has intensified. I have seen footage of Egyptian soldiers running over Christians with military vehicles and have seen footage of blood-splattered corpses of Christians shot by the military there. This didn't happen under Mubarek. We, as a nation, have killed the leaders that were protecting Christians within their borders.
Like I said before, I don't have any good alternative solutions to the war on terror- killers have to be brought to justice. I just know that my Christian brothers and sisters in the countries affected have been hurt. They have lost their protection from persecution. Their populations have been decimated, and I can't support a war where the end result is a decimation of Christian populations. I know too many kind, loving brothers and sisters in those countries who have lost everything, been forced to move, been jailed, beaten, or on the run for their lives because of our actions. And for this I am truly sorry.
I write this blog to raise awareness of what the war on terror has done to Christian populations around the world. Most of us aren't aware of this unintended side effect of our country's military action, and when I found out about it, it broke my heart. I was overwhelmed with sorrow that I had supported a war that had these consequences on people that would host in me in their home if I was to journey there, who would pray for me if I asked them to, who identify themselves with Christ even though it costs them everything, and who face daily hardship for their beliefs.
Now, with the attacks on the embassies in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, my only thoughts are to the Christian populations there. How terrible it must be for them right now. May God bless them and protect them. Because of my love for them, and Christians in other parts of the persecuted world, I will no longer support the war on terror.
Dear brother Greetings in Jesus,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your this article,we have one way to rescue our brothers and sisters.I am attacked in June and now receiving death threats from Militants.Only Church can play its positive role to save persecuted Christian as Nephew of Paul played his role in the case of Apostle Paul.Catalyst Christians playing their role to stand with our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted.God bless you.