10/17/04 (7:00 AM)
Hi Don!
I’ve been studying your response for some time now,trying to marshall my thoughts together for your further valued consideration. First of all I am sure you agee how lucky, fortunate, or perhaps blessed we are that we can openly discuss and agree to disagree as the case may be. I use the word, “blessed”, cautiously as it might seem to relate to God giving us a gold star or particular commendation for making “right choices”. That may be subject for further discussion at a different time and I admit to the nagging thought some of the time that we may be Don Quixote jousting with wind mills.
At any rate I awakened this morning at 4:30--too early as far as getting enough sleep is concerned--and was exploring your thoughts as recorded, trying to get behind them or inside them to see if I might figure out from my standpoint where we might find some reasoned explanation for our separate conclusions. Such thinking on my part led me (perhaps pretty far out) to basic deliberation on the subject of Prevenient Grace as Bob Kaylor presented to us recently in the study of John Wesley’s beliefs.
As I understand it at the moment, Prevenient Grace is offered to us by God for the taking at our own will. (If you happen to have been raised in the Presbyterian tradition as was I, it has already been predestined as to whether or not you will accept Prevenient Grace!) I am thinking currently that a partially acceptable metaphor for Prevenient Grace may be the order in the universe that came with His creation of it. It is difficult for me to see the continual unveiling of more and more of the order in the universe (through what we learn through science or revelation) as anything but the hand of God at creation. Now how does all this rumination relate to our discussion at hand.
First of all, if we violate the order in the universe there is “Hell to Pay” until order is re-establised. A rather strained example may be what would happen if I should decide that I could fly on my own--and jumped off the roof to prove it. My violation of the law of gravity would come to an end when I hit the ground and “order” would be re-established. Man’s inhumanity toward man (such as war) is a violation of the order of God’s universe and it seems we need to come crashing down violently.
I agree with you in so many ways:
1) We should protect America from terrorism.
It is what and how we do it that matters.
2) The “People” of any country do not want terrorism.
The terrorists are a fringe group in any country.
3) Our goal is to work with all other countries to eliminate terrorism.
Our goal cannot be realized unless the people of other countries take it upon themselves to eliminate this cancer. Hopefully our leadership will encourage them and I think signs are positive.
4) People do not want a foreign occupational force in their country.
We are not an occupation force. We are a support to new governments with a great majority of “The People” behind them.
5) It is naive to think that we can win the war against terrorism -- regardless of how many troops and dollars we commit.
The other countries in the long run must do it themselves.
6) We should respond to humanitarian needs as best we can.
We can never do it all and perhaps should do much more.
7) We should not force democracy or elections on others.
We cannot hold elections for them but can help to make such possible. If they choose a non-democracy, we will accept it.
8) Perhaps a temporary peace can be realized through war but not a permanent peace.
History certainly proves this. When will there be such peace?
9) I wish I could vote for one who believes in the teaching of Christ.
I believe that both candidates believe “in the teaching of Christ” as it has been revealed to them--not necessarily as revealed to me.
10) The Christion church should take leadership in a peace movement.
Ecumenism beyond just Christianity has never been stronger.
Now where might I disagree with you to some extent. But first let me quote from the Baptismal Covenant which was read from our hymnal Sunday before last when a mother and two children were baptised by our pastor.
“On behalf of the whole church, I ask you: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world and repent of your sin?
Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?”
Everyone anwers “I do” of course, but what does it mean? I am truly troubled by it. One person (whom I respect greatly) with whom I discussed this, does not believe it was a call for action, rather it only implies that we are given the freedom and the power if we should want to use it.
Were we wrong to take action in Afghanistan and Iraq? Use of the word, “invasion”, bothers me. I think it is an inaccurate connotation here when taken as something negative. I guess we invaded Italy and France during the Second World War but there was no intent to take over those countries any more than our desire to take over Afghanistan or Iraq.
I have difficulty finding a parallel between our revolution and the idea that when other countries want a change, they will do it just like we did in 1776. I don’t believe the people in Iraq or Afghanistan could possibly “rise up” and free themselves of such first-hand oppression as meted out by the Talaban or Saddam--nor could the people under Hitler or Stalin.
I think it is “Christian” for the USA to take action as best we can against such apparent evil. In this case I also believe that the best defense of our country is a stong pre-emptive offense (although it is really incorrect to use the word, “pre-emptive” in light of 9/11 and all the attacks against us in the several years prior when we wished it were not too serious).
I realize the world may always tend to resent the powerful until it is quite apparently in their best interest. But I hope I am properly humble in thinking that, like it or not, we have been handed the baton once again in my life time, to struggle overtly against “the forces of evil”---as no other nation has sufficient strength or will to act.
I do not think other countries have a valid “reason” to fear us. They may rightly expect reaction from us but I believe history will show that our support of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan was anything but a colossal blunder but to the contrary, was a major deterrant against the spread of the obscenity that is terroriism.
No comments:
Post a Comment