Posted on 10/10/2001 6:27:30 PM PDT by L,TOWM
On Tuesday, September 11, a small band of brave and fanatical men murdered more than 6,000 Americans. I see two moods developing in the wake of those attacks. Among the people of America, I see patriotism, a spirit of self-help, a willingness to stand up and carry on. Among some of our leaders, unfortunately, I see a different reaction. The FAA has issued a vast new set of burdensome regulations that will do little to improve airline safety, but that will continue to intrude into the constitutional liberties of law-abiding Americans and that may well cripple the airline industry while making air travel much more difficult and expensive. I hear of meetings and events being cancelled for no particular reason, just because of a vague sense of fear that is abroad. A terrorist is someone who seeks to spread terror — that is, an unreasoning fear — among people he hates. Yes, America has suffered a blow. But why should we crawl into a corner and cower because of one spectacular mass-murder? Let us proceed with firmness of purpose and get on with our lives, as Christians and as Americans.
In one of the rental cars used by the hijackers, the authorities found two notable items: a copy of a flight manual, and a copy of the Koran. The hijackers did what they did because they believed they were serving the cause of God.
I know of no American who believes that it is God’s will for you to murder large numbers of innocent people. Many Muslims, although far from all, also reject that doctrine. But why? How do we know that the hijackers were not following God’s will?
A Christian might answer: We know because God has told us, Thou shalt not kill. Christ teaches peace, not war; forgiveness, not revenge; turn the other cheek, not retaliation.
Two disagreements I have with the author; using the Bible as its own dictionary confirms that the Bible says Thou Shalt Not Murder. When the distinction isn't made between killing and murdering, people suppose Christianity is about pacifism. Second complaint I have for the author: could we stop using calling Allah God? Allah is not God.
Other than that, I skimmed the article (for more detailed reading later) and thought it was very good.
You suggest we read someone who begins his piece by stating that these fanatically obsessed, delusional cultists were "brave?" My thanks to this writer for letting me know up front that his material is confused and unnecessary.
I am not too sure of your point. If he had referred to the conduct of French or Italian soldiers in WWII as being "brave", then I would agree with you about the label "confused". My great uncle, a Marine in the Big One, made several disparaging remarks about the Japanese he fought against, but always added that they were brave men (often to the point of being foolhardy).
Another example would be Jim Jones killing his followers and himself. He was not brave.
Bravery requires having a sense of reality. It is also not usually a word that would describe mass murderers, nor suicide victims.
There you'll find:
Al·lah (l, äl)
n.
God, especially in Islam.
[Arabic Allh : al-, the + ’ilh, god; see l in Semitic Roots.
In Hebrew, the syllables "Yah" (Yahweh) and "El" (Elohim) are used alternatively. It's not the consonants and vowels that make a difference, it's the definition. A Bible translator translating in to Arabic dialects would be correct to use "Allah," where the same have used "God" in English. It's not the letters and pronunciation, it's the Allah.
Blessings in the name of Y'shua, "the Word made flesh," for all.
We are, after all, only human, my friend.
Only one, by your lights, has been perfect.
And he forgives. Godspeed.
The reality of these people being at war with us is what I believe the author was trying to convey. Part of their delusion (IMHO) is that the are "soldiers" in some kind of a justifiable war. Understand, the will to perform acts like this make for some dangerous opponnents; I think it would not serve us well to dismiss them as being a bunch rifle dropping, mass surrendering pansies like the WWII Italians.
Much in the same way that some of the Colonial Pastors urged their congregations to take up arms and "kill" for their liberty.
Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, and Luther (among others) have tackled this issue much better than I could. Christ himself urged his disciples to get swords, even if they needed to sell their cloaks to buy them the night before he was crucified. (Luke 22:36) In a fallen and sinful world, force is sometimes the only solution; indeed, the one MORAL response to pure, murderous, and irrational EVIL.
Worth repeating and screaming from the mountaintops.
So says this "Ego," if you know what I mean.
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