Posted on 10/10/2006 10:48:37 AM PDT by mj anderson
While Muslim radicals urge their followers to purify themselves so that Allah will give them victory over the world and reestablish the Caliphate, some modern-minded Christians dismiss the idea that God "takes sides." In Portsmouth, N.H., a weekly church bulletin scorns the idea that the Christian victory at the Battle of Lepanto was due to heaven's intervention: "The notion that God is clearly on one side or another in wars and political struggles strikes many contemporary people, including most Christians, as dangerous." Another cleric suggested that what was more dangerous was a "Man of God who did not believe God gave Joshua the city of Jericho, or defended the Christians at the Battle of Tours."
Ninth century scribes interpreted the victory at Tours as divine intervention. They are the source for the moniker "Martel" meaning "The Hammer" – a play on the name of the Biblical Judas Maccabeus (The "Hammerer") whose victory over the Syrians was attributed to God.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
The author might want to ask Boleslas the Chaste, Henry the Pious, Bela IV, the princes of Kievan Russia, Guy of Lusignon and the Emperor of Byzantium in 1453 before he argues that proposition.
God gave Patton good weather in France.
God does not 'grant' vicotries on the battlefield. They must still be own.
God steps in every part of life.
Indeed...the author of the website is a muslim who seeks to encourage other jihadis to purify for battle..the author of the article is... yours truly. The article notes that history from the period written by Arab scribes claim Moors lost because they were worried about their booty. Whatever the mechanisim, God was on the side of Christendom at Tours, at Lepanto. This is not to say that we Christians cannot squander our favor if we abandon God.
I'm a Christian and it doesn't strike me as dangerous.
The Bible is full of God taking sides in war. From the Jews to the Babylonians to the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, the bible is very clear that God had taken sides.
Yes, they must be won...favorite definition of miracle is
"When a believer does all that is humanly possible, God steps in and finishes the job."
"God is on the side of the bigger battalions." - N. Bonaparte.
You bet!! In fact, that pastor seems to be unfamiliar with t he entire book of EXODUS, for Pete's sake... Of course God cares about the outcome of these history -making events.
Bolelas the Chaste....? Yes, and let's not forget Alfonso the Chaste who began the Reconquista for Spain.
No, I think many people were able to see the fact of the matter quite clearly.
"The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party - and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to effect His purpose." -- Abraham Lincoln, September 1862
Absolutely He does. There's a war going on in heaven this very minute. And there's a spiritual war going on here on earth. Whether or not He takes sides in temporal conflicts, is a tricky question. He was clearly on the side of Abraham when it came to clearing the land of Canaan of idol-worshipers and other abominations. God is also clearly against communism, though on a war-to-war basis, except for some kind of extraordinary, sensitive intervention, it's hard to determine whether God is "rooting" for one side or the other. In fact, it doesn't seem to be of any purpose for God to take a side (as if the outcome was in doubt), since He has already seen who emerges victorious on the micro level (geopolitical) and the macro level (salvific). God may reveal His favor in an extraordinary way that we can grasp, but so far as actually "affecting" the outcome... that's hard to prove one way or the other unless something verifiably supernatural were to occur.
Though I'd rather fight on the side of Biblical principles than against them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.