Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Action or Talk?

Well, here goes another effort at trying to understand the world around me. I am going to ask a lot of questions in this article and hopefully make a few points worth pondering. Come along, won't you?

If you are like me you watch a lot of the world around you and find many things that make you scratch your head in wonder. I read, I listen, I watch, I debate, and yet there are times when I am still unable to discern an answer, a solution, to the problems that I see. Many days my FaceBook news feed is inundated with memes and posts of articles about certain topics that are obviously very important to the people posting them, as those that I post are to me. However, I often wonder just what the end game is that they are suggesting or if they even know. Please know that it is not my intention to offend anyone or any sect (although if this does then I feel that says more about the offended than it does about me) with my queries and points, I am genuinely curious about these things and I also have some points to make, which I feel are important. I wanted to make that clear, as the subject of religion is a part of this and we all know that when that subject is brought up rational, civil debate often goes right out the window. That being said, let us begin.

In the past several months I have seen a plethora of news stories, memes, and personal commentary about the persecution and murders of Christians in the Middle East, by ISIS, and in some African nations, by groups of similar philosophy as ISIS. We have all seen the photos and videos and I am sure that you have all been, as I have, horrified by what we have seen. It is beyond my ability to comprehend how human beings can be so evil, but they can be and history bears witness to its omnipresence. To kill anyone, no matter what religion, just because of how they worship, can in no way be justified. Yet it does happen and is happening now, if news stories are to be believed. I will not seek here to recount or detail those atrocities. I have no doubt that you know what I speak of.

What I wish to comment on and ask about are all those, maybe some of you among them, who finish such posts with something along the line of, "Something must be done" or "We have to step up and do something about this." That is to be expected and is certainly an understandable human reaction to such evil. However, That is where it stops. No one expounds on it, at least not that I have seen. Nothing specific anyway. There is always some allusion to "the U.S. must do something," but what exactly? And why the U.S...........again? I see the calls for action from those professing their own Christianity and their brotherhood with their fellow Christians, but it ends there. So, what, exactly, are they suggesting?

First, let me make it clear that I agree with them that what is happening is an atrocity and that something must be done about it, but shouldn't that responsibility fall, at least partly, on those who are the potential victims? Why must we always insist that someone else needs to step in and fix it? When they say that the U.S. "must do something," does that mean military action? Is that what our military exists for, to stop atrocities around the globe? My understanding of our Constitution and the role of the military is that it is to protect the United States from attack and to protect U.S. citizens, even if abroad. But how do you go to war against a philosophy, even a philosophy of evil? Will shooting and blowing some of them up make the idea/philosophy go away? When does such a war end? Is ISIS a serious threat to invade the U.S.? And I am not talking about individuals or small groups carrying out limited attacks against our civilian population (That would be a job for the FBI and other law enforcement), I am talking about a military invasion that would require a military response.

Until then the problem is, as others have described it, a "Religious War" between Muslims and Christians. So, let's take that at face value and move forward under that assumption. Is the U.S. military to be used to fight religious wars? Which Article of the Constitution indicates so? You remember the Constitution, don't you. It's that document that so many of you like to cite to show how far from liberty we have drifted. That document that you cite as the Supreme Law of the Land. Is it only the Supreme law of the Land when it is convenient for you and your agenda or is it always so? Will you do as we always blame the Democrats of doing, ignoring the Constitution if it interferes with your agenda? If this is a Religious War, and I am not willing to say it is not, then which nation do we declare war against? Groups like ISIS, Boco Harem, al Queda, the Taliban, et al., are transient and seldom stay in one place very long. If we discover that a particular country is harboring them then do we declare war against that nation? If not, why? If yes, then do we spend year upon year there or do we make a plan to win and leave? And again, how do we win such a war with just bullets and bombs? Would an enemies bullets and bombs destroy your desire for liberty or, more likely, would it simply make you even more determined in your cause? <Please think about that.

Now comes the part that is going to have people going apoplectic, I may even lose some friends because I dare to bring this up. but bear with me. If this is a Religious War and if you are one of those Christians who demands that something be done about it, then what are you doing about it? No, I don't mean that calling for someone else or someone elses sons and daughters to go and fight the fight is doing something about it, I mean what are YOU doing about it?! Many centuries ago there was a Crusade, in which Christians of many nations took up arms against Muslims. Are you prepared to don your armor, mount your trusty steed, have your page gather your weaponry, and ride off to fight the heathen horde? If not, why? Is it simply easier to insist that someone else do it? If you want to fight for your sect it can be done. There are Americans and other Westerners taking the fight to ISIS and not waiting for others to do it. These are people whom I respect. They do not demand that others take up their fight, they do it themselves. Are you contributing money to any of these groups fighting ISIS? Is your church contributing? If so then you have my respect as well. There is much that we can discuss about this entire situation and all the facets surrounding it; Who is behind arming ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups? Can a war of philosophies be won with just guns and bombs? How do we know when/if we have won? Will this madness ever end?

All those questions and more need to be explored, but my focus right now is on those who demand action, but then sit back and wait for others to take that action. This is not a war against another nation or government, it is a war of religions. That being the case should not those who profess to be of the aggrieved  religion be the ones defending it? If it is that important to you, and I believe for many of you it is, then why not pool your money, your church's money, fund raise nationwide, heck, worldwide, and gather the funds to arm and support your own Christian Army to protect your sect from those who would kill you? It can be done, it has been done in the past, perhaps it should be done, but I am not the one to make that decision. So, if you are one of those who makes demands, but takes no action, I would ask that you do a little introspection and ask yourself some tough questions about what action you are willing to take, before you demand it from others. And please, let us remember what the proper role of our own military is and stop asking that it be used to solve the World's problems.