Posted on 08/02/2003 3:50:06 PM PDT by Destro
01 Aug 2003 14:14:56 GMT
U.S. soldiers pray for safety on Baghdad streets
By Cynthia Johnston
BAGHDAD, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Every time Private Kyle Jason leaves his Baghdad barracks, he asks God to protect him from attacks that have killed 19 U.S. soldiers in the past two weeks.
"I just say a little prayer to myself. I just ask him to watch over me and keep me safe, to let me see my family again," said the U.S. soldier from Detroit who has just turned 19.
"I feel there is danger... I feel a threat every time I walk out the gates, and I ask God to watch over me."
The streets of the capital have grown deadlier for U.S. soldiers as shadowy attackers try to drive out the forces occupying Iraq since the invasion that deposed Saddam Hussein.
Fear also stalks Iraqi civilians who never know when they might be caught in the crossfire -- the U.S. military has admitted killing up to five innocent people who strayed into the path of troops hunting for Saddam in a Baghdad house this week.
American soldiers, led to expect only gratitude from Iraqis glad to be rid of their iron-fisted ruler, now say they are homesick and scared. Some chainsmoke. Some can't sleep. Some rely on superstition, wearing pendants and crosses for safety.
Guerrilla attacks in Iraq have killed 52 U.S. soldiers since Washington declared major combat over on May 1. In the latest fatal assault, a soldier died on Thursday when his armoured personnel carrier hit a mine on the road to Baghdad airport.
The U.S. military says the attacks have not multiplied in recent weeks, but have become more sophisticated and lethal.
The soldiers all say they try not to think about the danger, but it is never far from their minds.
"The way I look at it, if you can hear the gunshot, that's good. It probably didn't hit you," said Private Rory Mannino of Texas as he smoked a cigarette atop an armoured vehicle.
"You've got to have a different mindset," he said.
LUCK RUNNING OUT?
Sweating under a searing summer sun in heavy body armour on Palestine Street, soldiers say they depend on their training to keep them safe.
"We look to each other. There are no weaknesses," Sergeant Mark Chavez of Los Angeles said. "A guy is shooting in the air every other day. You find a bomb. You stop worrying about it."
Despite the rising death toll, some soldiers sense a brighter atmosphere, saying more Iraqis smile and wave at them.
Others say they can understand Iraqi frustration with the slow pace of restoring services in a city where half the phones don't work and power outages are common.
Exhausted by the heat and sick of monotonous daily rations -- endless crackers with cheese or peanut butter -- they say they wonder if their luck is running out.
"I think we've got it too good. I am just waiting for something to happen. I feel like something is going to happen," said Sergeant Kenny Raynor, adding that he frequently rubs his wedding ring to make him feel close to home.
Another soldier, Specialist John Eads of Kentucky, pulls out dog tags from under his shirt to show a tiny pendant his father gave him that he believes keeps him safe.
Soldiers say they don't air their worries to families at home and hope to avoid night patrols and dangerous places. But in the end, they say, all they can do is stay alert.
"The people that wave at you during the day, you wonder if they are the ones who are shooting at you at night," said Specialist Jason Boyle of Salem, Massachusetts. "There's really nothing you can do."
Depends on the wearer's intent. But like I say, if someone is wearing a cross thinking it will increase their chances of not being shot, that is simply superstitious. There's no Biblical basis to lead one to think that God will reward someone for simply wearing a cross. I'm all for someone wearing a cross with the intention of reminding themselves of Christ or in order to spread the word of Christ to others... but doing it as some quid pro quo is simply superstition.
Really??? I guess they don't teach about the history of the Emperor Constantine in Texas schools anymore.........
Really??? I guess they don't teach about the history of the Emperor Constantine in Texas schools anymore.........
Emperor Constantine is mentioned in the Bible?
Totally different. I was asking for a Biblical basis for thinking the wearing of a cross would increase a person's safety. I wasn't asking about the Arc of the Covenant (which was a sign of God's Law given to men before Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and offered himself as the New Covenant). Like I said, I'm all for wearing a cross as a personal reminder of Christ's work done for you or as an item used to advance the spreading of his Word, but someone who wears it simply to get a reward for themselves is missing the point entirely. If anything, the Bible tells us that wearing a cross should bring us more danger and persecution... and to count that as a blessing.
To simplify, you use the cross as a form of "prayer". Even a Protestant has to admit that God listens to prayers, even silent ones formed by the meditation on what the cross means. The protection would come from God answering your prayer.
Like I said originally, thoughtful prayer is one thing, and I'm all for that.
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