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If President Bush said "if it’s about Christianity versus Islam, we’ll lose", he is probably not up to the challenge, or does not know fully our history. Our nation and the free world has walked this path before.

Our war with Japan was a religious war. The Shinto religion, at the time the official state religion of Japan, was used to make war on other nations and enslave people.

The belligerence, the beheadings, the suicidal pilots in aircraft, acts of terrorism, suicide bombers, sneak attacks, torture, intolerance, destruction of churches, religious persecutions, and so much more was brought to us initially from the Shinto religion. It was the religion used by the Japanese to justify their actions. And make no mistake, it was a religious war. This is why it took the emperor, the deity of the Shinto religion, and not the military nor the government to surrender the country. The military fought the war, but the Shinto religion manifested the war.

President Bush may be unaware it was a religious war. That is most unfortunate as so much of what we are witnessing now is history revisited, almost as though scripted from prewar Japan. So many lives could be saved if the President and others learn, and learn quickly. The first step should be to forbid Muslims from entering our nation under any circumstance. Muslims here now that are were not born here should be repatriated to their homeland. Time is short. Diplomacy will not settle our situation any more than it solved the crisis with Shinto Japan leading up to WWII.

We attacked Japan because they attacked us. It wasn't religious. This is a fight over their idea of suppression over our idea of freedom. Nothing more, nothing less. The terrorists are using their faith in a moon rock to justify their actions. We are just trying to kill them before they can kill us. Otherwise we are just as bad as they are if you drag God into the conversation.

There were muslims who betrayed their terrorist bombmakers and aided us greatly in this war. There are Shiites who were, and will be again, our allies against the madmen ruling Iran. It was muslims in the Northern Alliance who played a key role in destroying the Taliban.

Why?

Because of their values.

Bush is right.

"Our war with Japan was a religious war. The Shinto religion, at the time the official state religion of Japan, was used to make war on other nations and enslave people."

At times of war people call on their Gods. In the second world war the Italians, Germans, Brits and Americans all prayed to the same God for help. I think, most people of faith will reflect on this caution from the President.

Pope Benedict and President Bush have said things a little differently but the meaning is the same. It is about values, modernity and reason. This is the ultimate battle for hearts and minds. This battle cannot be won by a military campaign. Do we look to find understanding and moderation in the Muslim world or do we commit ourselves to a hundred years of war?

"If President Bush said "if it’s about Christianity versus Islam, we’ll lose", he is probably not up to the challenge"

Correct, since that is precisely and exectly the basis of the enemy's animus toward the West. Not "issues", not "policies", but religion. Pure and simple. They wat to destroy us so that they can be dominant and in accord with the teachings of Islam.

Japan definitely had its imperialist ambitions supported by and justified in Shintoism, but I don't think it was quite a religious war of the same type as the centuries-long conflict with Islam. Shintoism itself was an exaggerated, militant nationalism (hence, more accurately, a type of fascism). Islam is a trans-national cult which, while it may have a particular ethnic group at its heart (Arabs), is not specifically nationalistic but instead is focused on extending the cult and pulling all the world into its system.

However, other than that, I do think it is a religious war, and while Islam hates all other religions, it particularly hates Christianity and Judaism and we will be on the front lines in the fight against it. Bush is right that it cannot be seen as a religious battle only between Christians and Muslims, but at the same time, I think he could have expressed it a little better.