[Cerek the Barbaric]

I've been giving this thread a lot of thought over the last couple of days, especially the original comments made by the general. And after careful consideration, I still don't see anything inherently wrong with what he said and in the context which it was said. Let's look at some of the key issues.

He said that the Islam god is an idol. He has since gone on to clarify his meaning in this statement, but taken at face value, it is still consistent with his Christian beliefs. Christianity holds that there is one - and only one - God. If Allah is different than God, that means that (according to Christian faith) he is a false god - or idol. You may or may not agree with that concept, but I have had to endure the same statements being made about my God on this very forum numerous times. That doesn't mean there is any inherently malicious intent in the statement itself....it is simply a statement of ones beliefs.

The general said he knew his God was more powerful than his enemies god. Again, from a Christian perspective, this is just a true reflection of his beliefs. Christians do believe that only one Omnipotent Being exists. By definition, all other gods would be weaker than God.

The general also said the "true enemy" he was facing in this confict was Satan. This is by far the truest statement and reflection of his Christian beliefs. In saying that the enemy is Satan, he is NOT implying that the Islamic faith worships Satan. Rather, he is correctly stating that Satan has managed to convince a handful of fanatics to commit unspeakable atrocities in the NAME of the Islamic faith. By doing this, he has caused anger and resentment towards those of the Islamic faith here, and given atheists and other non-beleivers more "proof" that ALL religions are inherently "bad". Satan doesn't like religious beliefs of any kind, and anything he can do to smear religion in general is considered a victory in his eyes.

Finally, for those who say the general should be reassigned from such a "sensitive and important policy making position" due to his beliefs...that's all well and good. Provided you are willing to call for the same reassignment of any top aides on the Muslim side who may personally believe that America IS the "Great Satan". After all, we wouldn't want anyone with extreme beliefs to be in a decision-making or policy-influencing position and I'm certain we could agree that this should apply to both sides of the equation equally.

I'm already seeing arguments about people "misinterpreting" or "misunderstanding" the Muslims and their religion. However, I see just as much misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the Christian religion by these same members. Just because the general may have these personal beliefs does NOT mean he is going to call for a "holy war" based on these beliefs. President Bush holds the same fundamentalist beliefs as the general, yet he was the first to say that this was NOT a war on Muslims and that Americans should NOT hold Muslims in general responsible for the acts of a few. I also hold the same beliefs of the general, but I also realize that the terrorist acts of 9/11 are no more representative of the Muslim faith than the KKK is of the Christian faith, even though both groups claim these faith systems as the guiding force behind their actions.

BTW, I think it shows a lot about the generals Christian character that he felt the need to issue an apology and offer clarification of the statements he made. Remember, the only real argument his opponents have is that he was wearing his uniform when he made some of these statements, even though the statements were made in a perfectly acceptable forum. If the general truly were the "zealot" many are trying to paint him as, he would have felt no need to offer an apology or clarification of his comments.

[ 10-18-2003, 08:40 AM: Message edited by: Cerek the Barbaric ]