Is America waging a religious war against Muslims?
Yes, at least according to the former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
During the Iraq war, Rumsfeld used quotes from the Bible in his briefings to George Bush.
The Associated Press writes that "the daily reports prepared for President George W. Bush carried quotes from the books of Psalms and Ephesians and the epistles of Peter. At the time, the reports focused largely on the war in Iraq."
As the BBC reports, one briefing featured photos of US soldiers at prayer and US tanks in Iraq, underneath a passage from the Book of Isaiah: "Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind."
Another briefing showed a picture of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein beneath a quotation from the First Epistle of Peter: "It is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men."
On April 10, 2003, the briefing quoted the book of Psalms - "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him. ... To deliver their soul from death." - and featured pictures of the statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down and celebrating crowds in Baghdad.
Critics think that Rumsfeld's behavior gave many Muslims around the world "the impression that the war was a clash between Christianity and Islam."
Andrew Sullivan asks in the Atlantic Monthly "what's worse: a defense secretary who puts Old Testament quotes on progress updates on an invasion of a Muslim country or a defense secretary who thinks this will add to his president's knowledge and expertise."
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, on Monday said U.S. soldiers "are not Christian crusaders, and they ought not be depicted as such."
"Depicting the Iraq conflict as some sort of holy war is completely outrageous," Lynn said in a statement. "It's contrary to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and it's tremendously damaging to America's reputation in the world."
A few days ago, the Pentagon said "it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House as was practice during the Bush administration."
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Savo Heleta is the author of "Not My Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia" (March 2008, AMACOM Books, New York). He holds an M.Phil degree in Conflict Transformation and Management from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Visit www.savoheleta.com for more info.
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Comments: 25
thanks for sharing this
Wow. That's really disturbing, but not at all surprising, information there, Savo! Thanks for including links, I'm eager to read more about it.
thanks for sharing
It doesn't surprise me, the Bush administration were rouges that would justify their war any way possible. I do find this disturbing.
Rumsfeld is part of the original axis of evil, Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld should have been tried and imprisoned by now along with his two partners.
Well howdy Jack. Ain't this here cool. Thank you Gather site owners for a "reply to this comment" tab. Now if only we could receive an alert when someone replies to our comment, then I would know to return to the post, hint, hint. ^_^
It appears that "The Family" created religion, not to set mankind free, but rather to create a hierarchy to keep humanity locked into an endless cycle of war and negativity (as viewed in Gaza).
But why? Why would anyone wish to create negativity?
Apparently in The Garden of our Eden there was no negativity, nor positivity, therefore no choice, on options, no opportunity for growth, but rather all were (lukewarms) stuck in the proverbial mud with the logos Yahweh.
Now we sure have a choice. Therefore, let us thank "The Family"
Let us see negativity as an opportunity to return love and understanding in the face of this "perceived" evil.
Love one another, it is the most excellent way.
Let us Namasté
<A href="http://www.focusonrecovery.net/mattersoffaith/Holyland.html" target=_self>Holy Land, is a link</A>
Does my Primary Home Page hyperlink now?
Nope, can you work on it Gather. I have never been able to link to my Primary Home page on this software. Thank you ^_^
Testing; Holy Land
What part of "love your enemy" don't they understand?
Thanks for sharing.
Salvo: It is just amazing that it took so long for this information to be revealed. And I have a feeling there is much more to come about the Bush era, one of the worst eight years in American history. Yes, if there was criminal misconduct, they should face charges. I have a feeling that they will face another set of charges against their behavior once their journey has ended on this planet.
I'm not surprised. The bible is always perverted to fit man's agenda. That's why it was put on paper.
Separation of church and state!
Await other revelations about the Bush Administration. Each new one is most interesting.
The Christian faith does not say you can't defend yourself but it does not say other people have to submit to your treachery either.
The criminal mentioned in this article used a peaceful faith to murder more than 2,000,000 innocent people in three countries and their deluded propaganda sucking followers still wave their Chinese made flags to support them.
Methinks he refers to Rumsfield
Remember, folks. God told Bush to invade Iraq.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bush-god-told-me-to-invade-iraq-509925.html
So why would this really be a surprise to anyone?
The more I read about this stuff, the more I agree with Obama. Let's just stop looking back and move forward.
They are all the same ilk Julie. All end timers and all religious kooks that do not know the meaning of religion.
Mr. Troll I didn't say Saddam killed anyone you did.
Do you think Bush handed his hot line to god over to Gates or maybe Bernanke? Or is he hiding it in case of an emergency?
lol troll in just a few minutes you converted from GOP attack dog to god playing, not bad for a hypocrite.
You just keep that tinfoil hat on Tom and your master Bush will tell you when to come out of hiding.
lol troll you need to take down that adult pic and put on one that shows your adolescent age.
stop squabling guys. Christian Americans should be lining up to denounce the inappropriate Rumsfed habit of slapping Bible quotes onto briefings. At the worst, it can be interpreted as a call to religious war. At the least, it was an example of time wasting and gratuitous muddying of public policy that displayed a calcified mind.
What Evangelicals in this country seem to reject is the notion that our Presidents have to speak not just for their own personal religious sect, but for all americans, be they Quaker, Zoroastrian, Unitarian, or Atheist.
Chris, judging by their actions, these people wanted to create something like a Christian Saudi Arabia... well, the Saudis are their great friends, it doesn't come as a surprise...
10 for you Savo. Too many readers who failed to rate you. What is happening here on Gather?
I always wonder when religion is flaunted of just how much the person really believes in.
I shudder to think that Bush actually believed the Iraq invasion to be a religious jumping off point for our own little Crusade...it's bad enough that I thought he was finishing what Daddy Bush couldn't.
Separation of Church and State is suppose to be a corner stone of our nation...I wish we'd build it and let it stand.