Monday, June 16, 2008

A Kiss Of Death?

I was just thinking about - - -

Colonel David Hunt, on the Fox News Opinion Page, has written a piece entitled: “Time To Bring Them Home”! The basis for the article pertains to an act of desecration of the Koran by one soldier. Colonel Hunt writes about the offending soldier’s incident with the words: “...the criminal activities of an ignorant, ill disciplined soldier who shot at a Koran and wrote graffiti on its pages...” As bad as that act was (and is), it is what follows that drives David Hunt to the conclusion that America has lost and its time to bring our troops home. It should be noted that Colonel Hunt has always been “Hawkish” in terms of the war on terrorism.

What was the incident that has brought about such a reversal? Colonel Hunt writes, “…bring the troops home now. Its over, the bad guys won, terrorism is victorious, we have been defeated! I never thought I would write such words, ever. But then again, I never thought I would ever hear the president of the United States apologize for the actions of one soldier. I never imagined, even as bad as the military leadership has been in this war (and it has been awful), that a two-star general in the United States Army would utter the words, ‘I come before you seeking your forgiveness…I look in your eyes today and say please forgive me and my solders.’ The presidential and general officer apologies, and the pictures of a U.S. Army Officer kissing the Koran and handing it to an Iraqi, should tell us that this war is over.” (http://www.foxnews.com:80/story/0,2933,364162,00.html).

In Operation Desert Storm (1991-92), General H. Norman Schwarzkopf led the Coalition Forces to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. During the military operation, those who were being liberated by the Coalition demanded certain religious disciplines be enforced. In his book, “It Doesn’t Take A Hero", General Schwarzkopf recounts that the American Chaplains were forbidden to display The Cross on their uniforms, or to have any religious display contrary to the Islamic teaching at the Chapel tent on the battle field. The order was given that there would be compliance with this demand. Now we have the current incident that had to be processed through the chain of command from the field Commanders, and in this instance, all the way to the Oval Office and the President of the United States.

Flexibility is one thing – compromise is another. It becomes obvious that the core values of our nation are eroding more and more. In Psalm 9:17 (KJV) we read, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” The Douay-Rheims (RC) states it similarly: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, all the nations that forget God.” As a nation, we believe liberty is an inalienable right for our nation and all people. To attain the freedom of a nation from tyranny and terrorism, our nation has given more than 4,000 young lives and billions of dollars. And then, the demeaning of that investment because of the error of one soldier – as well as the setting aside of our own core values as a nation – “One nation, under God” – as a General bows and kisses the Koran, and the President of the United States lamely apologizes.

Can we really expect God to bless America when we have become so weak-kneed, irresponsible and compromising? The implementation of II Chronicles 7:14 is long overdue. We need to fervently seek the face of the Lord! The uncompromising principles and posture of Daniel and his friends in Babylon (Iraq) should be displayed today! Question: Where are the Daniel-types today? What has happened to principled young men? Why has our nation succumbed to compromise?

Think about this with me - - -

1 comment:

Garet said...

Jim,

I worked as a Chaplain for Jeff Hammond in the IFOR operation in Bosnia for about a year. We called him "The Hammondizer" or "Biff" (from the "Back to the Future" movies). He was a viscious human being, hated by all who worked for him and a total suck-up towards his superiors.

He would not allow me to do services for anyone else--any other unit--because I was "his" Chaplain and no one else's. He once ripped me open in public because I had disarmed a suicidal soldier and got him over to the medics without checking with him first.

His Officers and NCO's were utterly terrified of him.

I think he has, as a Major General, at last gained the whole world.

How sad. And how symptomatic of what our nation has become.

All we can do is STAND and PRAY.

In Christ and For Israel,

Garet