Faith In the Zone

2009-08-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

Introduction

I am privileged to teach Philosophy for Central Texas College's Distance Learning Program, which teaches military personell many of whom are deployed in combat zones. The soldiers' writings in this site are from my courses. The study of religion is not an idyllic interlude for ivy covered campuses, but an engagement of the heart on the cutting edge of life and death, courage and duty. Don't look for easy answers or regimented thinking as these soldiers reveal the richness and diversity of the quest for meaning. (A. K. LaMotte)

P.S. Ignore the dates of these posts. Some are very recent. Dates are just a means of ordering them.

Rites of Passage

2008-02-21T20:33:00.001-08:00

A Secret Community

"Combat is a rite of passage that can only be completely understood by others who have been there. Once you have successfully been engaged in a combat environment, you seem to join a secret community of all that have served in wartime." (C.B.)

Two Angels

“I was running a checkpoint outside of Baghdad.

A car bomb went off 300 meters away.

I was on the waterside of my checkpoint doing checks.

After the bomb, insurgents started firing around me.

Everything was in slow motion.

Then I seen 2 big white figures grab me

and I was being whisped behind the barriers,

running triple my speed.

When it was over, the Iraqi soldiers in the towers

and my interpreter

asked if I seen the two angels

guiding me to safety.

I thought nothing of it

till those soldiers approached me.

I assumed it was adrenaline and all the stress.

But having three others see it

really had me thinking and thanking

God

for saving my life.

That to me was more than

just a vision.”

Baptism of Fire

"Two rites of passage stand out in my life: Combat and Baptism. Without the one, I don’t know if I would have the other. While deployed to Iraq during the initial occupation, I was convoying on 8 August 2003 when my vehicle was struck by a RPG (rocket propelled grenade), fired by an Iraqi insurgent. The blast was significant and basically threw my upper body away from the vehicle while the lower portion of my body was still strapped in by the seat belt. Once the vehicle drug me about 30 feet across the hot pavement, it came to a stop. My femur was broken and I sustained numerous burns on my hands. I now have a titanium rod and eight screws in my leg as a result of that attack. Once I returned from combat, I realized how fortunate I was to be alive. What happened in combat caused me to return to my Christian beliefs and practices. I became saved and subsequently baptized. Combat proved to be my trial and baptism symbolized that my old life was over: I now had a new lease on life."

The Reality of War

"I am going to discuss the day I became fully aware of the reality of war, fully aware that any moment could be my last. It was the day I truly matured. Before it happened, I was thinking about how hungry I was, hoping they would have something good for dinner. After the explosion, all I could think about was my buddies. I believe God intended me to witness this, to prepare me for something in my future.

"I was only nineteen years old and had been deployed for 11 months. We were on a routine route-recon and clearance mission when the lead vehicle of our convoy was struck and completely destroyed by an improvised explosive device. I had a front row seat to the carnage that ensued, being the driver of a much larger vehicle directly behind the hunk of twisted metal that used to be my squad leader's vehicle.

"I watched helplessly as my squad leader was carried to the casualty evacuation point with a hole the size of a soft ball in his head. I knew for certain he was not alive. Tears started to well up in my eyes. I shook off the overwhelming urge to cry and told myself that those men evacuating my buddies needed me to be vigilant or more lives may be lost. I started to scan the terrain in my sector when I heard something that I will never forget. It was a man that not twelve hours prior was playing cards and telling jokes across the cot that we used as a card table. He was moaning and asking for water. A soldier was telling him that it wasn’t that bad, but I could see otherwise. His legs were a mess of mangled bone and flesh and blood. He was the gunner and he was going to survive, or so I thought.

"He was stabilized. The corpsman had started an IV in each arm. He knew what day it was, and his childrens' names, but then he went into shock. I heard him scream. I turned to look. He had pulled the IVs out and was flailing his arms frantically. I can not watch. I must continue to scan my sector. Later, I am told that he died before the medical evacuation helicopter landed. There is so much more to tell. This was the day I became a man."

It Was Here that My World Changed

"Rites of Passage are rituals carried out at key transitional points in an individual’s life. My personal rite of passage is an extremely unconventional one. I was still a kid, merely 19 years of age, and fresh from the nest, as my dad once referred to our home. It was a day during my first deployment to Iraq that marked my transition from adolescence to adulthood. It happened during a cordon and search mission in Iraq. Prior to this event I was going about my time in Iraq with a nonchalant attitude. It was there that I was enlightened to the harsh realities of this world.

My squad kicked in a door during the search of a target house in an Iraqi village. The lead man got shot in the chest. An onslaught of shots followed. “Doc, Doc! he needs your help!” I heard one of the guys scream. I reacted without thinking twice and got him to safety before I started to treat him. The bullet that entered his chest had nicked his lung, causing fluid and air to build up in his chest cavity, and preventing him from breathing properly. I neutralized the bleeding, inserted a tube into his mouth, and a 14 gauge needle in his chest which would help let out some of the pressure, therefore, stabilizing his breathing. After this I decided to call for evacuation. Eventually, we got him out of there via helicopter.

That soldier lived and I could not help but think: what would have happened if a medic had not been near at the time of his injury? I was there for the soldiers, for my team, my comrades, to help save their lives in case they needed me. Until this moment, my time in Iraq had meant absolutely nothing to me. It was here that my world changed. I was not a kid anymore. I had adult responsibilities and I needed to oblige them. Someone’s life depended on it."

Combat

A rite of passage I had to pass through when I was twenty-one was combat. The Army uses rigorous and repetitious training scenarios to instill automatic reflexes to respond to any given situation. The Army does this to short circuit the fight or flight reflex that is build into humans. The passage usually comes when your emotions catch up to the situation you find yourself in and whether you pass or not depends on your actions after that point. Something else often missed is that every time you find yourself in that particular position you have to go through the rite all over again. A veteran can freeze just like a new soldier facing his first combat experience. I personally had experiences where I was totally disinterested in the situation, I felt cold, furious, and mechanical, or I had the sickening feeling that “I am going to die”. The key to passing through the “rite” is how you act and your first indication of whether you have passed is your buddies’ reaction to you."

Fatherhood Is My Rite of Passage

"Fatherhood is my rite passage, a change from a man to a complete person. I currently have six children with my wife. I have been deployed to combat zone five times in my career. I have had soldiers and good friends wounded or die in combat. I never showed much emotion accept anger. But when my first son was born, I cried. It was an overwhelming emotional experience for me. This was the biggest event in my life. His birth changed me forever."

A Soldier's Call

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here I am; send me. ISAIAH 6:8

"How would I know if God was calling me?

I really could not see where any of this could possibly relate to my personal experience. I was standing about twenty feet away, looking out of a very small window. I had confusion confound my brain. I joined the Army at 30. What could this have to do with a calling? I guess all I needed was a nudge in the right direction.

Mine were baby steps to that window. I was pointed in the right direction, by a few good NCO’s and a great Officer, Chaplin Borders. As I neared the window, I began to notice, the picture growing. I saw a world opening up before my eyes.

I was living life for myself. I was making good money, but somehow I felt unfulfilled. Everything I had done up to this point, brought me to this point. I needed something in my life, that was bigger then self.

The window got closer and the picture swelled before my eyes. I suppose all the people I spoke with before my enlistment, in a sense, were my personal conversations with God. I was very conflicted at the time. I felt it though, I felt the burning need for something bigger then myself. So I enlisted, and met one of the greatest men I have known. He was a Chaplin at Fort Jackson and he guided me through my conflict of faith. I still had a long journey ahead, although I could not yet see it.

The test came, and it hit me in the chest like a shotgun blast. Home on Christmas Exodus, of all times, my son passed. The window shattered. I stand at the sill, surrounded by the shards of my broken life, a crossroads. What do I do? How do I coup with such a thing? This singular event could send me back to the other end of the room. It could send me back to seeing only what I could through this little square hole. My world was destroyed. So I prayed, truly, for the first time in years, I prayed. Regression was not the answer. Falling down would not bring my son back. So I put my faith in the same place where my only son now resides, with God.

I stepped through the window, took a deep breath, and a whole new world opened to me.

I am here for a reason. I may not understand why, I don’t have to. Why is not for me to question. If I help one person, touch one life in a positive way, it was worth it. Yes there is a purpose, that person I help could be me.

When God calls will you hear him?"

Wrestling With Faith 1

"I don’t really believe that there is a god or a higher being. However, my mom prays every day for me while I am here in Iraq. Being in this environment, a person needs a source of comfort to go to in order to survive a year out here. I am a non-believer, but I started to pray in my room at night, asking to leave this place unharmed. Why did I start believing? I have no choice. When there are rockets and mortars landing near me, and I lie on the ground helplessly hoping that I will be lucky enough to live another day, I comfort myself by hoping there is Someone who can help me."

Wrestling With Faith 2

"I have also been in harm’s way and felt the overpowering need of prayer, wishing God to see me through. Yet after all that praying, never once did I say, Thank you, God. Instead, I picked myself up and thanked a buddy for looking after me. I seem to reflect Feurbach's theory that religion is just the projection of our wishes. When people become more knowledgeable or powerful, their religion withers away..."

On That Day In January

"The rite of passage that I have experienced is transferring into manhood. My Transformation was not the normal one that every boy goes through. It was realizing that I am not bullet proof.

Sure, I went through the normal stuff. I thought when I turned 18 that no one could break me. Then, 20 years later I got sent to Iraq. One day during a normal deployment I was woken by a knock on my door with one of my soldiers telling me to get to work. Something was wrong. When I arrived at work I was informed that an aircraft in my unit’s formation was shot down. I knew my job and did it flawlessly. Not until about 4 hours into the event did I realize that one of my very dear friends was the pilot of the helicopter.

At that moment I grew up. I had to be an adult. There was no time to grieve for my friend: only time to recover my officer and his crew. It wasn't until four days later that I had an opportunity to realize what had happened to me on a personal level, and react. At that moment, the soldier gave way to the man. Only then did I realize that I finally had become a real man. No matter what I thought or believed for the 20 years prior, I crossed over to adulthood in Iraq on that day in January."

Becoming a Marine

"In my life, I consider to have made it through several Rites of Passage; the most important to me is my earning the title of United States Marine. In 1985, I began this journey that few men and women make to become one of the Few and the Proud. It was a passage from being a civilian, young, seventeen-year-old boy to earning the title of United States Marine. Three months of cognitive and psycho-motor skills were honed, and then evaluated by The Crucible. This transition from civilian to military was the first step in a long career, which gave me tools of courage, poise, and self confidence, because of the mind set instilled upon me at Parris Island, South Carolina."

Combat

"In looking back, I have had many rites of passage.... I think one that had an impact on me is the first time I actually went into combat. I recall that, in the late 80’s as a young Marine, the Marine Corps was lots of partying, drinking, and traveling, with bouts of training in between. The training was serious, and sometimes dangerous, but in the end it all appeared to be one giant amusement park, where we had a great time, worked hard (but not too hard) and life was one big party.

During the deployment to Saudi Arabia and Desert Shield, I got the sense that things in my life were changing very rapidly. Suddenly people around me trained harder, talked survival and combat. We focused on the long term plans instead of immediate gratification. As the ground fighting commenced, I felt this bond with the others that I never noticed previously. We were prepared, focused, and anxious to meet the enemy. We had made this transformation from boys to men, and we were about to enter the ultimate test of our manhood. I was a Marine now, in the finest sense. Hardened by combat like the Marines we remembered from the past, tested in the fire, and bonded to our fellows as only those who share the battlefield can be. I look back at those times even now, and I believe that rite of passage to be quite possibly the defining transition in my life."

Response

"Your rite of passage was very inspiring. Thank you for serving. I know it had to be tough, but I am sure it did make you go from boy to man real quick! The marines seemed all fun and like a party life at first until you deployed and then it was all about staying alive.

I went through a similar situation. I was 18 and wanted to leave my mom and dad's house, so I joined the army. When I first enlisted, I came here to Fort Hood and was having the greatest time of my life! It was like a big party when we weren't working. There was a lot of bonding, like sister and brotherhood. Well, we all became real close and then it came time to deploy to Iraq. I was a young party girl, and then when I deployed I changed my life forever.

My great friend Bryan became a triple amputee when we deployed to Baghdad. We all grew up real quick when we were there. It was all about staying alive. Then a team leader in my squad was KIA. After that, I came home and I have changed so much. I don't party like I used too. Life is too short."

Near Death: My Rite of Passage
“My rite of passage came when I was on my death bed, and God asked me if I was ready. At that time, I had just given birth to my second child and a couple of weeks later I got sick. While in the hospital, I was passing in and out of consciousness and I awoke to see all these people in white standing around me stating they couldn’t understand why I was not dead with all the problems I had going on in my body. I recall managing to look at them all and to smile and to say, GOD.

As I was drifting, God asked me if I was ready. I said, Jesus, if I’ve done my work on earth for you, yes, but I don’t want to leave my infant baby and have my husband raising the children by himself: you know he will be a nervous wreck. I actually saw God smile and say, OK. All the while in my head I could hear myself: I was calling, Jesus.

I was scared as they had flown me in a helicopter to another hospital and my family was many hours away. I recall that the next day I awoke to a nurse beside my bed, smiling and stroking my hand, telling me I was going to live and not die, because God said I could be with my baby. As the doctors came to take me to surgery to operate on my heart, I asked the nurse not to leave me, and could they check my blood again as I did not want to go to surgery. She smiled. Later on, the doctors said they were not going to do surgery, because what they had seen earlier in my echo-cardiogram was no longer there.

That night, the same nurse came to sit with me and talk to me about my life and what I was going to do with it. I told her, I ask God never to leave me: let me stay on earth at least until my daughter is seven. I think she will be OK then as my other daughter is seven. The nurse visited me every day, and in two days I was able to get out of bed to walk, and I went looking for the nurse.

At the time I remembered her name and I went asking for her and they said they had no one there by that name. I described her and the clothes she had worn each day and they stated they had never seen anyone like that. I was totally confused, and then it hit me. Jesus had talked with me: he sent his angel to be with me since my family couldn’t be there. Psalm 91:11 says, He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. Jesus was there and gave me another chance at life, a chance to change my life. That was my personal rite to passage.

As a result of this, I live each day as if it is my last. I have to have an intimate relationship with God. In everything I do, I do it unto God. I not only had to have work done on my heart medically, but more important, spiritually. I now treat people with the utmost respect and kindness.

If you were to die now, what would have been the last thing you said? What is the last thing someone would remember about you?” (Deborah J., soldier and mother)

A Paratrooper 's Rites of Passage

"The most symbolic rite in all of this, would have to be my "Blood Wings". This occurred when, during the pinning of my wings at graduation, Sergeant Airborne punched the wings without the backs on them, and I then had to pull the prongs out of my chest. If not for this, I would not have endured what nearly every Paratrooper before me has endured. I considered it a way of not forgetting the pain that often accompanies the life of a Paratrooper."

Never The Same After You Almost Die

"The one rite I could have done without and consider the most stressful would of course be the passing from a Cherry to a Veteran. This rite isn't an option for most people. One minute you're a rookie, never seen your life flash before your eyes, and the next you're making life or death decisions. You're never the same after you almost die. It's hard to explain, but you're different. You appreciate everything more, and you see everything new, as if your eyes are just now seeing the world. It's a huge transition from a Cherry to a Veteran, and not one every body is cut out for. Among the Native Americans, if a youth fails to survive the Vision Quest in the wild, they are no longer accepted in the tribe. The same is true of soldiers who fail to act in times of crisis: they are shunned by team mates and considered unworthy to serve with. This Rite of Passage marks the transition from being just like 90% of the Army, to being a Soldier."

Dark Night of the Soul

"I am Jewish by birth right and I practiced until my rebellious teenage years. I believed Catholicism was the answer until I was 24yrs old. During my first tour in Iraq, I lost 7 brothers in a helicopter crash. I was at rock bottom. I could not help but search the skies for an answer, but I did not like the one I received. My wife also left me that year. On that note I denounced my faith and started believing in myself as the driving force of my life. I am taking this class to see how other religions and cultures deal with such tremendous losses, and still retain their faith."

Second Tour

"There have been times that I wanted God to deliver me from suffering, but I had to go through something that would cause a change in me before I could be delivered. Sometimes we need to change before we can expect a change in the situation. I wonder if that's why I was sent back to Iraq for a second time. I feel there is still something within me that needs to be changed, and the only way that God can get through to me is to remove me from my normal comfortable environment, so that He can speak to me and I will hear Him."

Air Assault Qualified

This student studied the classic stages of primitive Rites of Passage. He carefully relates them to his military training. These classic stages include: (1) Being outside the blessed community; (2) Introspection, leading to the desire to seek entrance; (3) Induction and separation from the world; (4) Liminality: the twilight between this world and the next; (5) Re-incorporation and re-entry into the world as a member of the blessed community.

"My rite of passage had nothing to do with age, but passing into a select group of Warriors who call themselves Air Assault Qualified. Following the stages, I was among the population without. Then upon introspection I found a need to join the ranks of those who have gone before me, by passing through the gates of the Sabuliski Air Assault School, Fort Campbell, Ky. On zero-day, we were separated into those able and those unable to successfully complete the physical requirement for entrance. Of the remaining 50%, another 50% may not complete the liminality phase of the rite, which is the classroom instruction and testing. This includes hands-on testing plus physical demands. The final stage of the rite, incorporation, occurs on graduation day when students, after a loud rendition of the Air Assault Song, cross back into their unit, Air Assault Qualified."

Response to A Soldier from Another Student

"I sit here in solemn silence as I read your words. War as a rite of passage is mind-boggling. I am lost in thought wondering how we are dealt the cards of life, making marriage one woman’s rite of passage and war anothers. Words can not express my admiration and gratitude to you and all the amazing soldiers, both male and female, that risk their lives to allow people like me to have something as ordinary as marriage, my rite of passage. I was amazed by your strong faith and resilience. How amazing are you. If it wasn’t for you, in the midst of something grim and dreadful, unbroken by the will of evil and destruction.... You are in my thoughts and prayers, now and always. Thank you for being extraordinary so that I can be ordinary."

War Really Can Change You

"I am a combat arm soldier (11B) In Iraq and i tell you them IED's they do not discriminate. The war has changed me as an individual i used to feel bad for those people over here in the middle east, but not now. Seeing dead bodies over here at first used to bother me, but a month or two i became numb. I think being in a war situation really can change you, some for the worst some for the best."

"Rite of Passage Under Moon"
(Should a teacher correct this soldier's grammar, or nominate him for the Penn-Faulkner Writing Prize? Perhaps we should just send this to the White House with a note that says: 'Please, be very careful when you sacrifice the blood of lambs.')

"My rite of passage was over 3 years ago in July 2004. I went trough a very difficult rite of passage from being a civilian to become a mighty warrior in July 14 2004 arrive basic training at FT Knox Kentucky. First time away from home no clue how to survive by myself a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt my only belongings. Nervous but ready to start my odyssey. PVT C----- with a lost look clueless of what is about to begin. The drill sergeant arrive. Oh my GOD what did I did this was voluntary my mind wanders around. My rite of passage just start I lost my freedom my dignity I lost complete communications with the exterior world. My path to become one soldier in the world finest Army begin I went trough sleep deprivation than never seen in my life before. Physical deprivation I took my body over the limit. 16 weeks summit to a total stranger he said and I did, if he said jump I jump if he said run I ran he know what I need to become a warrior he trained me to be effective under stressing combat conditions in 16 weeks I learn all need to go to combat and defend my country at the end of 16 weeks we conduct the conclusion of the rite of passage under moon we conduct the ceremony that recognize us as soldier of the finest Army in the world."

The Rite of Returning Home

"Rites of passage do not necessarily have to be for birth, marriage, puberty or death. For me, the one rite of passage I will never forget was simply returning home from Iraq. The Army did a good job of giving a home-coming celebration, but it was nothing compared to walking in through the front door of your home with your wife and kids in tow. The feeling of peace and tranquility was the only thing that convinced me that, that night, I did not have to worry at all about any thing happening to me. It was late when we got home, so I put my children to bed, and held my wife as we watched TV till we could not stay up any longer. Nothing fancy, we just came home, watched TV, and went to bed. The simplest acts marked a major point in my life, and when I return from the next tour, we will probably do it the same way again." (J. J.)

“Congratulations Soldier”

"One of the most significant points in my life was when I became a Father. I was 21 years old when I had my first child. I was simultaneously participating in another “rite of passage”, Basic Training. I was recently married and in training to become a Soldier. I needed to provide for my wife and soon to be born daughter. While I was conducting extra physical training one evening I received a Red Cross message that my wife had delivered my daughter. My Drill Sergeant yelled, “Private Romeo, get over here.” I ran over to him as fast as I could with my Battle Buddy right beside me. I was standing before him at Parade Rest. My knees were shaking. I thought to myself, “What did I do wrong now?” He looked me in my eyes and told me my wife had delivered my daughter and both were fine. I was then told to call her. Once I completed my phone call my Drill Sergeant walked up to me. He stood right in front of me staring me straight in the eyes. He extended his hand and said, “Congratulations Soldier”. It was at that moment, when this man, who looked at me everyday with a glare of anger and unworthiness in his eyes, treated me as an equal that I realized I had finally and truly become a man.

Shortly after, I completed my training and was assigned to For Bragg. Three months had passed and I was finally reunited with my wife and met my daughter for the first time. I held her in my arms a realized that it wasn’t about me anymore. Any “rite of passage” in your life is significant. I had gone through three in quick succession. I became a Husband, Father and Soldier."

Being Humbled Helped Me Be A Stronger Medic
"A traumatic event in Iraq is my rite of passage as a combat medic. Going through the struggles and tests of basic training and Healthcare Specialist/Combat Medic training were tough, but nothing could prepare someone for their first serious trauma patient. You can go through the algorithms that are supposed to stabilize someone from dying over and over, but sometimes you can’t avoid the inevitable. The trauma team tried everything they could to save a life. The patient was terribly wounded, and this was my first time seeing something so grotesque. After trying everything we could to help, the patient then passed away. The thought of someone leaving their family and loved ones frustrated me. There was nothing we could do that could have saved that patient's life. After that, I was humbled and it helped me become a stronger medic. I will proceed to try to help anyone that I can in any way possible, life-saving or not. Events like this can make someone turn back to religious values. Most religions that I have encountered so far mention that good spirits end up in heaven. The dead and all the memories and thoughts of that person must end up in some type of afterlife. It really makes you think that there must be an other worldly force out there, even if you are atheistic."

A Message for Our Politicians

"If there is one thing I have noticed over my last two deployments to Iraq - hearing soldier stories, eating with Sheiks, working with Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army, including the Sons of Iraq - it is that Politicians don’t know the hardships soldiers face. They don’t know the direct evil of war, and at the same time they don’t know the good being done here. As Sun T’zu said in The Art of War, if you want to understand, then talk to soldiers who have been on the ground, who have experienced the evils of war. And if you want to know what good has gone on here in Iraq, and how much the Iraqi people appreciate us, talk to those who have trained Iraqi Security Forces and supplied schools, talk to medics who have mended wounded Iraqi combatants. Then you will know what goes on here. But all too often, the politicians are just pushing their own personal agendas."

Embrace Them As They Return

2007-12-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

Many Americans ignore our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lamenting the price of groceries, we forget the pain of military families. We paste a yellow ribbon on our SUV, or send a care package of cookies, but God forbid we pay more taxes. In fact, we’re the first American generation to send troops into battle without a war tax.

But I speak of war’s moral weight. Our troops have no luxury for simplistic judgments like the left’s “Peace now!” or the right’s “America love it or leave it!” They shoulder burdens of decision-making and ethical ambiguity unknown to civilians: burdens that wound the soul.

When is violence justified? Am I defending the innocent or taking revenge? Who do I really fight for: The politicians my own countrymen disdain? My family? My commanding officer? The buddy beside me? Is war about freedom and democracy, really? Is anything worth killing for?

In a college distance learning program, I teach soldiers deployed to combat zones. They are the most thoughtful, morally engaged people I’ve ever known. One wrote: “Americans look at soldiers with respect, but how does God look upon us? What do we tell him? ‘I took a life because someone told me to?’ I think about this so often, deep inside, it makes me sick.”

Whether you are Republican or Democrat, please embrace them as they return, carrying the burdens we didn’t have to bear. Who but you and I will care for their wounded hearts?

Soldier Psalms

2007-12-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

These soldiers studied the Psalms of the Old Testament and commented on them. After learning the Hebrew literary form, some of them wrote their own Psalms and Laments, filling the ancient form with their own modern experience.

A Soldier's Psalm to His Bride

I beseech you, She-who-must-not-be-named,
Return or release me.
My patience is singed at your pleasure;
The fires burn still, but lower now;
With bundles of fuel unused, and scattered.
My spark you’ve stolen to kindle new fires;
That which was not yours to take;
Treasures gambled or lost or thrown away;
Forever gone.
You opened the world to me.
I cherished your being and dwelled in your shelter.
You’ve borrowed before and always repaid;
Why would now be different?
What’s taken is lost?
On my own I could find it,
If you wish it be found.
It was not lost, but only misplaced.
Free me to seek it. Chain me to hide it.
My life is my own, but I pray it be yours.
To thee I make this solemn vow.
To love, honor, and cherish;
For better, for worse,
For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
Until death do us part.

A Soldier's Lament

Lord, be with me and watch over me, because those who plot my death are many and dangerous.

The dangers are many in this place where I dwell; home is so far away and the days are lonely.

The faces are strange and the language so different; hate can be seen in their eyes each day.

My family I have left, so that I can protect those who cannot protect themselves; but who protects me in this place that is not my home?

Trouble and death fill my heart, because this could possibly be my last day.

Lord, be with me and keep me safe; bless my courage and strength.

Keep my enemies away, dear Lord. Weaken their hearts' desire to rise up against me; cast down their will to fight; and make my strength endure their hatred.

You have never forsaken me; you keep me close to your bosom.

Bring me home to my wife and children, so that my eyes can see no more death and pain.

I have wept for friends you have called home to you, but your love has kept me here.

Strengthen my hope and courage, so that I can strike down my enemy.

I crave the courage to perform every day, but it is you, dear Lord, who feeds that hunger; I need to go on.

Strengthen my hope and courage so that I can strike down the wolf that stands at my door.

I feared death and wanted to cower; you comforted me, and became my sword and shield.

Let peace fall unto the children of Babylon, so that the Eagle may depart the unforgiving land.

Lament for a Distant Wife

Oh great God of Man, King of Kings, giver of merciful love,

You gave me a beautiful wife and I am thankful for your blessings;
but why must you take me away from her.

Not only must we be apart from one another, but I am put in harm’s way each hour.

We were joined as one in your church only 18 months, but we have seen each other only a mere four months since.

What have we done to deserve this painful separation? I know it is your will and your will is true; Therefore, I accept that you will make things work for us.

It is hard for us to be joined as husband and wife, yet not truly know one another.

I believe that one day you will show us why you kept us apart for this time: I know your strength will carry us through these trying times, so that we can live in your name.

So I beg you not keep me from my wife any longer than necessary! I beg you to bring us together as one - as it should be.

I swear, with you as my witness, that if you return me home safely to my wife, we will live in your name for the rest of our days on earth.

Psalm Of A Woman In a Strange Land
(This poignant lament shows the tragedy of cultural misunderstanding. A soldier, who is a Christian woman, is regarded as a "fallen woman" by Muslims who see her dressed as men dress and associating on equal terms with male soldiers.)

My sovereign King, my God. Where are you?

I seek and I find nothing: I place my ear toward the heavens and I hear nothing.

For it was You who placed me amongst the heathen, amongst a group of people who don’t trust in you.

I stand defenseless and naked before them as they treat me like a loose woman who has been unfaithful to her husband.

And when I cry, they laugh, because to them it is a sign of weakness.

But it is I, your daughter, your princess, silently and desperately calling for You.

When the sun has gone down and I am alone, I am bowing on my knees and lying prostrate before you.

I humbly ask you, My God, please open your ear to my voice!

Make me strong, so that I may stand in my time of weakness; so that, when they rise against me, I am planted strong and firm like a tree.

My sovereign King, it is your strength that I am seeking: place your skin upon my skin and cover me with your wings.

I give myself to you, openly transparent; I lean on you with trust.

When my back was against the wall and I had nothing, it was you who provided for me.

You will always be my God, my King, my Lord; I will humbly, and willingly serve you for the rest of my days.

An Airborne Paratrooper's Psalm

Lord, I am an Airborne Paratrooper. Protect us all as we fall from above and hold us with your hand as we land on the ground to engage in battle.

As I land I do not know the dangers that are ahead of me; I will fear no enemy’s ability nor underestimate his power. I will fight him with everything I have until death shows who the victor is.

I will never quit, and I will never surrender if I still have the means to fight, though I may be the last Paratrooper.

Leaving a fallen comrade will never be my path; I will never fail a fellow Paratrooper. Leaders will have my fullest loyalty and those I lead will know that I expect the same.

May God bless my family through these hard times, but may they always know I am fighting for their freedom and guarding the rights that this country has granted us.

Death is always waiting below as I jump out of this airplane: Lord, lead the way as I follow you to the ground.

When you call my fellows home from the sky, I know they watch down on me; I will jump for their honor and remember their names....

In the day or night, in peace or war, my goal is to succeed in my mission; even if asked to give my life, I will do it proudly, for I belong to a proud and glorious team.

I forever will be an Airborne Paratrooper, protector of the skies; I will never fail, anytime, anyplace, anywhere: I am Airborne! (R.C.)

A Psalm for the Covenant of Marriage

Behold, this day I will make a new spiritual covenant with the love of my life.

My Lord, the world seeks to judge us because we are of different colors, but you are the artist who paints the brighter picture.

Today marks the day of a new life as two lives are joined together to make one.

Love, honor, respect, crowned with service to God, will be the formula for success.

Together we will make the eagles jealous as we soar high in the sky, yet humbly serve the Lord.

Together we will be the example of why God joined man and woman.

We will multiply our seed as our father has found favor and blessed thy womb.

I am hypnotized by your presence, for it is of the morning in spring.

Thy fears are many, but we must trust in the Lord.

Finding favor in the arms of another will destroy that which God created for us.

We are blessed if our image mirrors the testimony of the Lord.

Cursed be the day that the Lord is not present in our hearts.

Blessed are the pictures of our love shown to the mind of the world by the angels.

Cursed be the day that we violate this covenant.

Oh Father, bless our home: may we find peace in it.

Cursed be the day that the love for me is greater than the love for you.

Bless us at work and may we escape death as we travel to and fro.

We will renew this covenant yearly; it will be kept in our hearts and manifested through our actions.

Let all who have ears hear and bear witness to this sacred covenant.

Lament to the Earth Goddess

Demeter, Mother of the Earth, hear the pleas of your child!

My days are wasted in this desolate land. You provide neither comfort nor relief from the elements you have unleashed upon this, your living body.

Your children are willful and destructive and your anger has grown with no end in sight.
What must your children do to appease you?

Storms race across the seas to destroy whole cities!
The cry of the souls of the dead linger tortured in the air.

The promises made were not kept. The Great Mother has forsaken us!

The blessings of your presence were once felt everywhere. The ground upon which I walked was solid without fail.

The kiss of your breath brought relief on those days of insufferable heat. Your tears quenched the dry earth and brought life to fields made barren by the sun.

Demeter…Great Mother…you have at one time loved us…can it not be so again?

Great Mother, I beseech you! Bring your tears of joy so that life may flourish again.

Breathe your gentle breath, so that once again we may bear the heat.

Sooth your seas, so that your children will not flee in fear of you.

Forgive your children, for we have only begun to learn.

Upon my oath, your children will see their wrongs, and work to undo the damage wrought.

Bring me your blessings so that I can reveal them to all.

(Cynthia Merchant)

Lament of a Soldier for His Family

My Lord, my God, I am your obedient and loyal servant.

I dedicate my life's success to your name, and I understand that all rewards are blessings from your hand.

You have given me the most powerful of all blessings: a rich and loving family.

As you watch over all of your children, I put forth my efforts to do the same for mine;

To provide life's necessities, and just a few luxuries, I must dedicate my time to an unforgiving career.

In normal work, I can balance the requirements of a loving family wit professional obligation.

But when work calls for extended separation from my family, I find myself fighting lonely and hopeless feelings:

Lonely for the missing pieces of my life, now an empty void in my heart, and hopeless, unable to protect the things which I cherish so.

I now ask you Lord: why must such a great distance separate me from those I love, in order to provide them with a happy and fruitful life?

Should I be torn between the guiding light of my love, and what I must do to keep that light burning, bright and intense?

My faith in your wisdom is strong and unwavering; I know you will bring my pains to ease.

I commit myself to this course, for I believe you will return me to those I love most; please be watchful and mindful of my flock.

Your arms are strong and comforting; I rest peacefully, knowing you hold my family when I am distant.

I will always be true and faithful to what you will have as your will, for you are my lord and my God.

Ever Un-namable Longing
Ever unnamable Longing of the human heart,

Eternally unknowable Adoration of mankind’s soul,

Hear these words offered up to you like incense,

Like the whispers of faith in the temple’s quiet.

Yet who am I to speak of faith?

For it is I who have grown weary of searching after you;

You who hides amongst the morning’s mists,

Which never last the day.

So too did you hide in the morning of my youth,

To evaporate come the dawning of the day.

That is when I learned your name, “Unknowable,”

Because I never truly knew you.

For however much I felt the pull to you,

My own mind, my own opinions, my own image,

These claimed knowledge of you;

These claimed to be you;

And all men’s faith seemed the same.

My faith in finding you was shattered,

Yet even then I saw your touch within humanity.

In mankind’s innermost depths I saw your spark,

The work of your hands is as unmistakable as you are hidden.

Do not restore the faith of my youth, such is not my desire.

Let it remain as discarded rags tossed off into the gutters.

There can be no restoration for that which is untrue.

Do not teach me that which no man can ever know.

Let me remain the same as they, for I am not a righteous one:

There can be no true faith when the dregs cannot be faithful.

Simply let me be a seeker, seeking what cannot be found;

The search is worth the suffering.

And grant me strength to see your work in the creation of your hands

So that, though weary, I will not cease the struggle.

Grant me the desire, though you cannot give me the prize.

All the days of my life I will chase the morning mists,

Worshiping you by loving the spark you placed in all.

Though the path I choose may not be the one you wanted,

It’s dedicated to you all the same.

(Daniel M.)

Psalm of Faith
I am here for you O Lord; in your house I await you; God of power, God of might, please have mercy on me.

You have brought me out of my home, across the vastness of your world; in the land of sand, far from my family and loved ones I now stand;

Close to the blessed land where the covenant was made, even closer to where our savior, your servant. was born.

Many times I was shown your greatness, O Lord, by another; shown how great you are by her, and that I can confide within you.

But my heart drifts from you O Lord, like a vessel being pulled out to sea; like a sailboat sitting in the water with no wind.

Lost am I, like a blind man in the wood with no guide, lost and cannot find my way.

Once before, God, was I confused, and you cleared the way for me; my path was cleared by you as wind clears the fog.

Although I couldn’t see the whole stairway O Lord, I could see the first step.

With faith as my guide I took that first step; like the railing to guide me up the steps, faith was there.

O Lord my God, light up my faith in you again, as a torch lights the cave.

Lay the path to righteousness in front of me so that I can follow; my heart is willing. God: please show me the path so I may follow.

Show me the way to righteous, O lord, and I will follow and keep you in my heart.

Forever, God, will I remain one of your pupils and fight against the wicked and the sinful.

You are the one and only, true mighty God, and in you will my faith be placed.

(Shawn S.)

My Personal Lament
My God, my Creator, my Father, the horizon is always and forever changing;
And with this, I am never able to feel at peace.
I fear the unknown as it knocks on my door, peeks through my window, and breathes down my neck.
At night, peaceful rest does not exist;
Instead, my soul is restless like the ocean waters during a great storm.
Father, my heart knows that you have never forsaken me;
For when I feel at my lowest and it seems as if all hope is lost, you are right there by my side, singing love into my soul like the canaries sing me a morning song.
When my mind and heart rage war upon each other, you are always there to abolish the temptations and keep my spiritual pathway illuminated.
But why is accepting the new so troublesome to me?
O Lord, please give me the strength to face this beast that haunts my thoughts from sunrise to sunset and the darkness in between.
I desire to metamorphose with the unknown like the chameleon effortlessly adapts to his ever changing environment;
Upon a rock he turns gray, on a healthy leaf he is green, and on a limb he is brown.
With my newfound strength, I will welcome change into my home;
I will feed it, nurture it, and grow with it.
I will teach my future children of your love, kindness, and mercy;
And they will teach their children and their children’s children.
You will always be my Infinite Spirit; no one or anything will ever fill your rightful place in my heart.
(Kera M.)

Negative Cards (A Lament)

When negative cards are dealt, you play for survival.

In a world full of choices, you lose sight of the path.

I have been charged for dancing to the Devil’s tune,

and witnessed horrific things throughout my days and nights

in these streets of hatred and evil.

Bigotry taunted me; my decisions landed me in solitary.

I felt like another statistic with no name, given a life labeled, 'No Purpose'.

When I had no one and the room was still,

I called on you, Father, in my lowest time.

I asked You for forgiveness,

and to watch over my loved ones while I was gone.

You came to me in a dream, and spoke of having faith

and hope in this world full of poverty.

LORD God, You gave me the guidance and confidence I needed

to change my life and live through you.

You spoke to me, and my soul began to heal.

From that day forth, I have and will always live

through you, my Savior.

(Anthony H.)

_________________________

Commentaries on the Psalms

On Psalm 121
"Psalm 121, of all the Psalms listed, spoke not only to my heart but inspired me to be more faithful in the Lord. As I am currently deployed to a foreign land, it reassures me that God will protect me, and bring me home safely. It says to me that God will protect me from any evils which I may encounter, as I perform my daily duties.

" This Psalm was once sung by the Israelites as they returned to Jerusalem after exile. It evokes both hope and faith that God will deliver the people safely back to their homes. Verses 3 and 4 state that God will not sleep nor will he tire. He will always be there to protect them on their journey.

"Verses 5 -8 give more examples of how God will never leave the people's side. These verses made me think of when I am out on the ground with my Soldiers and they turn to me for guidance and direction. Who can I turn to? Who can help me make the right decisions to ensure that I bring all my men home safely? God will be there with me and he will protect us as stated in Verse 8, “as you come and go, both now and forever.” (Francesco F.)

On Psalm 3
"I chose Psalm 3. It impacted me the most, due to my current situation here in Iraq. Psalm 3 starts by saying O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! These are the questions that I asked myself getting ready to come over here. I asked God what I was in store for. I asked Him questions so that his answers could put me at ease about what I was about to enter into. When I would get down and scared about coming back over here for another tour, just as Psalm 3 says, God was the shield around me. I had to feel that and believe that. I know that when I fall asleep at night and wake in the morning, it is because God sustains me. There is not a morning that goes by without realizing that. When I am face to face with my enemies, or go into a situation where I fear what the outcome could be, I ask God just as David did: Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked! When it is over, I know again that God has sustained me.

"But I think this is really a Psalm of Thanksgiving. I say that because, when I read this psalm and see how I ask these same questions, remembering that God is my shield and asking Him to strike my enemy down, I am really thanking God for getting me through that hard time when I was scared."

Another On Psalm 3
This is a Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom (his son). I am a soldier deployed to Iraq during the initial invasion of 2003. Our tank battalion set up the first Forward Operating Base. We did not establish adequate perimeter security at this time, and we were surrounded by hundreds of Iraqi civilians on a daily basis. We would sustain mortar attacks around 5 or 6 times per day, including rockets and RPG's (rocket-propelled grenades). While on patrol, we would be hit with IED's on the road, complex ambushes, and small-arms fire (AK-47; usually implemented by the enemy as sniper hits). We did not get very much rest there, for at night we would be woken up by incoming indirect fire (usually from mortars). "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around." (Psalm 3:5-6). We were literally surrounded by potential insurgents and terrorists (enemy combatants) that blended into the civilian population. We had to continue to do our jobs, however, regardless of the enemy threat.

"For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly." (Psalm 3:7) This reminds me of the firepower in which I wielded as a gunner on an M1A1D Main Battle tank with the ability to fire some 120 mm main gun rounds at enemy combatants who dared to expose themselves while I had the ability to engage. (E.D.)

Psalm 31

"I chose Psalms 31 because when I read it I got a weird feeling in my spine. I believe in God so I know that if you ask God to protect you he will: in his own way and not the way you think you should be protected.

"Every night before I go to bed I pray to God, asking that I come home safe from this deployment, and that I will have my wife to come home to. Now that is faith... Then when I awake from my sleep I pray again to thank God for allowing me one more day in this world with the blessings he has given me: just like Psalm 31: 7 – 8, when David thanks the Lord for not giving him to his enemies.

"In Psalm 31: 9 - 18, faith is challenged by people that don’t believe. In the army, this is a daily challenge; like right now, I have this friend who is cheating on his wife and sometimes he encourages me to do it. I shrug off what he says, and I pray for God to give me strength not to ruin things with my wife. I have been deployed for one year now and still have not cheated on my wife, and I don’t plan to either.

"In the last part of the Psalm, David rejoices. God has delivered him even though he cried: “I am cut off from your sight!” He had a hard time keeping his faith, or maybe he even lost it for a while. There have been times when I started losing my faith, and sometimes it takes me a while to come home to my faith. But I always come home, because things are better in the light."

On Psalm 42: When a Soldier Looses His Faith

"I am Agnostic. Now I neither believe nor disbelieve in a higher power. But I was a Christian for many years, and therefore found that this psalm relates to my struggle with faith, and my wish that I could once again be a Christian.

"This psalm is a lament. I believe it was a “prisoner's” lament because his soul is so troubled, it is in a kind of prison. He can no longer go to worship, and feels at times that God has abandoned him. It seems he is struggling with his faith. In the end though, he knows that God has not abandoned him, and he will continue to praise God.

"Many people don't discuss their struggle with faith. Some are afraid or embarrassed to admit that they have doubt. I know that for my children's sake, I will not announce that I am Agnostic. I would hate for them to be persecuted for my choices. Here, the Psalmist openly states that his soul is struggling.

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?

"I can completely relate to that. It reminds me that I am not the only one... that even Christians can struggle with doubt. This gives me hope that some day I will know in my heart what is true.

"I beg God to come into my life. I open my heart and soul to him. But I feel that my words fall on deaf ears. I never once feel that he is with me, although I yearn for that "feeling" that everyone else describes. This verse gives me hope that one day I will again be able to trust and believe:

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."

(R.M.)

God Our Protector

"Psalm 91 means a lot to me. In the military, when you leave your loved ones, many soldiers turn to religion to help them have inner peace. After graduating high school and finishing my confirmation in catholic school, I turned away from God and everything that he stands for. I joined the military, but after leaving my family I realized that I needed to find my God again.

"I read Psalm 91 every night when I was deployed to a dangerous area. The Psalm helped me relieve my anxieties and it purified my feelings. In the text the Psalm states: “He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.” This is one of the best sentences the Psalm contains. It lets me know that there is a magnificent being out there, whom I hope to find and understand. I tell my son that whenever he’s afraid and we are not with him, he can read this Psalm and remember that there is much good in this world."

Covenants

2007-12-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

These soldiers use the ancient Near Eastern covenant form, filling it with the content of their own lives.

A COVENANT WITH AMERICA

My Homeland, Serene Land of my fathers,
Beautiful princess dressed by the seas of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean,
In you I have found songs, caresses and consolation.
On your bosom you received me and imprinted my heart with your tenderness.
I pledge to be faithful even when I am apart from you.
I pledge to love the principles of freedom and justice that make you
almost human and generous.
Oh beautiful land of heroic carmine,
Rise to glory the selfless blood of your heroes, the festive green of your gardens,
and the white of the snow of your volcanoes.
Let them be your witnesses of the pact that we seal today.
Let us not forget the humility and kindness of your spirit.
And to those that have forgotten their pact with you,
unworthy of your benevolence and hospitality will they be.
But those who remain faithful, embrace them, let them feel you within,
and as from our earliest days when we learned to venerate your love…live!

A Covenant With the U.S. Constitution

Students of the Old Testament study the 'Suzerainty Treaty', which was used throughout the ancient Near East as a contract of mutual protection between nations. The genius of the Biblical authors transformed this political template into a covenant with the Spirit. I ask my students to write their own 'covenant with power', to explore their relationship with a significant authority in their lives. They use the six elements of the ancient form, filling them with the content of their own experience: (1) naming the power, (2) history of the relationship, (3) laws, (4) blessings and curses that result from keeping or breaking the covenant, (5) covenant renewal ceremony, (6) calling of witnesses.

Douglas Galick chose to write a covenant with the Constitution of the United States. His writing reveals the heart of a soldier, which we all need to understand, whether we share it or not.

A Covenant With My Ultimate Authority: The Constitution of the United States of America.

Without falter, I have volunteered years of unconditional service to your defense. You provide the foundation and structure in which our great country is formed. The guidance of our military might is also derived from your words. I have been ordered to post in vast regions throughout the world to establish this great influence.

I have sworn to defend you against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. In your words, I must also obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over me. As many have done before me, I must be willing to sacrifice my life in your defense.

Your words provide me and every other American with the blessings of freedom that we cherish so deeply. You are the oldest of governing documents and your words were forged by wise men who could see centuries ahead of their time. By honoring these words we will continue to thrive as a nation and as free individuals. But if I cannot fulfill my obligations to you, I will receive the harshest of military punishments. This will also identify a weakness in our national security. Frequent incidents of this nature could provide our enemies with an opportunity to attack our freedoms and our way of life.

I will renew this oath promptly upon the expiration of the previous one. I will always be under your word. A superior officer of my choosing will recite your words with me and I will raise my right hand, pledging my loyalty. The stars and stripes of our nation’s flag will be positioned in the background. This will give honor to our country and remind those who are present what we fight for.

A congregation of my peers, subordinates, and superiors will be present to witness this renewed covenant. Soldiers with whom I have shared the stinging cold and gut-wrenching fear of battle will stand along my flank. For they have sworn the same oath. All who are present understand that what they witness is an oath of reenlistment and a promise to fellow comrades.

The Covenant Form To Renew A Marriage Vow

My Loving Wife, you have provided me three beautiful daughters and a happy, clean, and comfortable home for 27 years.

You have sacrificed yourself for this family. You have never asked for anything for yourself, other than the bare necessities, instead you have worked to provide the things for our daughters and myself that we selfishly asked you for.

Your honesty and integrity have allowed me to do my job, without ever having to worry about your faithfulness. With me often leaving for a year or more at a time, there was no greater gift that you could have given me, other than the love you have given me.

I have worked hard to provide for you and the girls and tried to ensure that you had all of the necessary resources to manage our home. I have to say for you to manage our home, because I have had to spend so many years away from you. I am blessed that you are a wife that understands the Army way of life.

I have given you my total and complete trust, never holding anything back from you good or bad. I never even know what is in our bank account. Simply put, I have trusted you with everything.

I promise you in this covenant, that I will continue to support you financially. Never will you be without the money necessary to maintain a good standard of living for yourself and our children as long as I am capable of working.

I will provide you a home that will keep you safe and comfortable, a home that will provide a good place for us to raise our children. This home will be one that you will proud of and never ashamed to invite your family or friends to.

Last, but certainly not the least, I promise to give you my love and affection. Never will I share that love or affection, with anyone other than our family. I can not promise you all of my love. I must love my children and family. But, I can promise you that other than the Lord, I will love nothing more than you.

Any failure of mine to keep these promises I have listed, other than through physical incapacity or an act of God, you will be free of your bonds to me. I will give up all claims to everything that we have acquired or built together throughout the years. You will be free to divorce me and choose another to fulfill your dreams.

We will keep this covenant in the family bible and read it yearly on our anniversary. This reading will be done in the presence of our children during our anniversary dinner. If one of us is not capable of being there for that dinner, the other will take this covenant from the bible and read it with the children.

I ask the Lord, God, and our children to be the witnesses to this covenant. There can never be any question of this agreement, for they will all bare witness against me.

My Loving Wife, I love you with all of my heart and soul. Never will I put another before you. I will always cherish you and you will never have any reason to doubt my love for you.

Covenant With a Comrade in Arms

This is the covenant between you, my Brother in arms and I. You are my watcher when I turn my back to the enemy. You are the hand to lift me when I’m wounded physically and emotionally. Wes Rhodes, my brother, this will be our covenant to each other now and until we can no longer meet one another on this world.

In the past we have trained countless hours for this mission here. We have shared long days and sleepless nights in the cold, in the heat, in the dirt and in the mud. We were together when we left the safety of our land and freedom. We are together now in a land where we share fear and are disliked by the people we vow to protect. You provided me time with your ears to hear my woes when I lost my love and I’ve provided the same to you as you plan your wedding six thousand miles away from home. When we’ve lost brothers in this place, we have leaned on one another for support.

Because of the bond we have here and now, I vow the following to you in hopes you do the same for me. These vows will empower our friendship. I vow to always watch your back as you do mine. I’ll be your eyes in your blind spot. I vow to cover you and help you through any discrepancy you have. If you fall below the rules, I will support you and protect you to the best of my abilities. I vow to be your strong side when you are weak and your voice of praise when you are strong. Your tears of joy and pain are welcomed anytime. I promise to listen and not talk when you just need to vent and to offer thought when you seek an answer. I vow to always be your brother.

I know that if these vows are kept, we both will be able to go home to our regular routines and loved ones. We will both have a strong shoulder to lean on for support with emotional woes and with emotional praise. With these vows, our friendship will last us a lifetime. By not keeping these vows, we both could stumble and not survive our tribulations. We both could suffer emotionally without and open ear. Enemies could find our weak spots without having a second set of eyes to cover each other. We could loose the best friendship we have ever found.

As a way to keep this covenant pure and on going, a copy of this covenant will be kept by both of us and placed in our journals that we have kept here. On or about December first of each year to come, we will meet in a place decided upon prior to the meeting. We must present each other with a copy of the covenant to remind each other of it and to renew it. At this meeting we will bring our wives or girlfriends and children if we have them, so that our families can share in our bond and continue it. The covenant will be read aloud by us together.

I bind myself to this covenant and call upon you and I, to be witnesses. Our fellow brothers will also be witnesses here and now. With this covenant witnessed, other covenants may be made among our additional brothers. In the future, our families and loved ones will be witnesses for our renewal with the hope that our separate families become one family as we have here.

A Desert Vision

2007-12-09T00:34:00.000-08:00

This extraordinary story follows the ancient Biblical literary form of the 'Covenant.' It was written by a Cavalry scout in northern Iraq for the Introduction to Old Testament course. He was serving his second tour of duty at a remote outpost "roughly the size of a postage stamp in the middle of nowhere."

Then in the twenty-third year of the wandering a great unrest overtook my heart, greater than the ones before. The Sun was covered in shadow, and the only noise amidst the dunes was the whispering of my own heart.

“Foolish man,” my heart said, “Look upon the desert spread out before you. Life is but the same. Mankind has paved the springs and plowed the hidden gardens which once were his delight. Do you see how the sands shift beneath the marching of his armies? Do you see how each oasis has been filled with blood, to be used as a baptismal font of hatred? Gaze upon the harvest of man’s hands, and tremble.”

Then walking over the crest of one of the dunes I saw a sight no man should ever see. Spread out across the land were the dead and dying of all mankind. It seemed the aftermath of some great battle where no victor stood triumphant upon the field. In every direction lay the broken remnants of countless battles crying out and reaching heavenwards towards the gods they begged for mercy. As I fell upon my knees a great roar swept down from the eastern sky.

“Foolish man,” my heart said, “each of these is a murdered incarnation of some person’s hope. They went to battle against an enemy far stronger than themselves. They fought against mankind’s cruelty, and were killed for cruelty’s sake alone. That thunder is the cry of holy innocence at the sight of such injustice. It is the lament of those who went before; the dashed dreams of those to come. Gaze upon the harvest of man’s hands, and tremble.”

Tears flooded my eyes as I fell upon my face in terror. All day long I lay there until the Sun sunk below the distant horizon. With the coming of night the pitiful cries and thunderous roar died down. Looking out across the desert plain I found myself alone again. Nothing but the first cool evening breeze shared the night with me. Yet I could not forget. I could not stay silent.

“Oh Holy Spark of Humanity which burns within each of us,” I cried out, “Hear me! From my first moments, from the first beats of my heart you were with me. Your flame tried the actions of my youth. You taught me to recognize the same fire in other human hearts. When I saw tenderness and compassion I saw your handiwork. I also came to understand how easily suffering can smother you out, and learned that our own injustices dim your brilliance more than any other. Such a revelation was too much for me to bear, and it drove me to a place of darkness which deserves no name. For many years I fought there against my despair in your name. Even now I feel its shadow, but I found my faith in your flicker, and it holds enough light to keep the darkness at bay.”

“Yet the more I wander, the more I fall before visions such as this. Despite their horrid truths I will always hold allegiance to that which makes men human. Upon the open book of my soul will be written three promises which shall never be broken:”

“I will always love the gift of life that’s granted to human beings.”

“I will always remember the ease in which cruelty destroys the human spirit.”

“And I will always strive to live accordingly.”

To live unconcerned about the suffering of others is to live separated from all others. Such a life is a life of misery. It places oneself in a mirrored box the rest of the world passes by unnoticed. To alleviate the suffering of others in the smallest of ways is to fulfill our calling to be fully human and fully alive. To make war against that which makes war against all is to live with purpose. To go through life alone is a self-imposed curse. To care about another is to taste redemption. We write this covenant upon our hearts the moment we feel true pain. We are responsible to it the first time we cause true pain. It breathes within our actions, our intentions, and our sleepless nights. It is renewed each morning we wake to face the day. These thoughts and more flooded my mind that night as I stared out across the desert.

Sometime towards the dawn I took up a handful of sand. As it sifted through my fingers I spoke to it. “Dust of my past fathers, dust of tomorrow’s sons and daughters, bear witness what happened this past night. Breath of God which blows across the Earth, send this message to your master. Heart of man inside this chest, forget not your inner workings. Homage has been paid this night to the Holy Spark of Humanity. The first steps have been taken that we may never again have to gaze upon the harvest of man’s hands and tremble.” Amen.

(Daniel M.)Then in the twenty-third year of the wandering a great unrest overtook my heart, greater than the ones before. The Sun was covered in shadow, and the only noise amidst the dunes was the whispering of my own heart.

“I will always love the gift of life that’s granted to human beings.”

“I will always remember the ease in which cruelty destroys the human spirit.”

“And I will always strive to live accordingly.”

2. Mindfulness

2007-09-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

(Soldiers in the zone, or carrying stress home from the zone, respond to 'mindfulness' practice after studying Buddhist meditation master, Thich Nhat Hanh.)

"Rarely do I find the time to accomplish tasks that are for my own benefit. I am in charge of soldiers. Stress arises and moments become tense, constant work begins to weigh me down. During this moment I realize I can take 5-10 minutes to relax so I close my door, sit in a comfortable position and clear my mind to calm myself. “Mindfulness of Breathing” is an ancient Buddhist practice that, sometimes in my line of work is a necessary occurrence.

"After a week of meditation I felt a weight lifted from my body as well as my mind. I was able to focus more clearly on the tasks at hand and was able to leave work on a positive note. While I meditated I noticed that I had many thoughts that varied greatly from schoolwork that was due to the next mission I would go on. I am unsure whether I actually had more on my mind or if I simply became “aware” of the thoughts as they presented themselves. I observed sensations of warmth coupled with a calmness of mind and body. I realized that my mind and body operate as one. They are not separate from each other and, while acting as one, they produce a slight euphoric state. If I felt myself become too relaxed, losing posture, I immediately regained my composure. When I felt as if I had meditated enough, I stood up and continued my day.

"I noticed a change. I felt more relaxed and less vulnerable to negativity. The mundane tasks I worry about melted into a simple goal: to accomplish the greater outcome. Through the practice of “Mindfulness of Breathing” I was able to reduce stress that had compounded upon my day to day thoughts and actions."

*****

"I notice when you are being mindful of people when you walk, you pickup more about what that person is doing. When sitting you can control your breathing and focus on your surroundings, and if you cut down on your senses, like closing your eyes, you can listen and actually hear things that you couldn’t with your eyes open. Basically your acuity level goes up! Being in the military we are taught to “STOP! LOOK! And LISTEN!” For us it is having situational awareness, which is the same as being mindful of your surroundings."

*****
"More than just stopping to smell the roses, mindfulness means being aware of the square inches of space that my body possesses in the universe. Just as the flicker of a butterfly’s wing affects the whole of the rest of the world, my intake of breath is of value, and should matter, and be noticed."

*****

"Breathe, relax, aim, and squeeze... Wonder if Guru has ever visited sniper school? Be safe over there brother... " (Keven B.)

*****

"I have always been up for a challenge. A breathing exercise in a combat zone is one of those challenges I decided to take on. After reading the requirements of this exercise I determined that as it was written, it would not have the effects that was intended. There is not really a way to sit comfortably and let your mind go. So, I modified this exercise in order to see if it would work.

"I am a helicopter crewmember. I sit in an aircraft all day long flying throughout the country of Iraq. In order for this exercise to work for me, I needed to incorporate the long periods of time sitting. I actually took a scientific approach to this exercise. The breathing exercise was performed 5 different times in 3 different situations. I intentionally did this to see if the methods described in the writings would work for everyone in any situation.

"The first situation I put the techniques to the test was in my room upon waking up. It was very easy at that time of the day to allow myself to follow the instructions to the letter. It was very peaceful to just sit there and allow myself to relax during the process. The rest of the day was actually very productive and I was much more relaxed the rest of the day. The next situation I decided on was during one of my “admin” days. It is these days that all of the day-to-day needs are taken care of. This day in my week can become a point of stress for me, so I decided to really put the breathing to the test. I found a quiet spot to sit down and do the technique. I found that these days are not good days to try to relax no matter how good the exercise is. There are just too many distractions on the ground that distract me no matter how hard I tried to focus. The final situation that I chose was probably the craziest idea I have had in a long while. I decided to try breathing just before launching on a mission. As I strapped myself into my seat in the helicopter I pulled out a sheet of paper and followed the instructions on it.

"I was amazed how relaxed I become sitting there. All the tension and anxiety toward the upcoming flight left my body. It actually helped me focus on my mission and not stress out or over react to situations as they came up during the long mission. This technique was such a help for me on the trip that day, that I was commended on my military bearing and poise. My fellow crew members asked for my secret and I shared it. I was skeptical though. I had to fly two more times to confirm my findings.

"Confirmed!

"I have made a conscious decision to continue this practice as a part of my pre-flight mission preparation. I have even taught the rest of my crew, and we now add a few extra minutes to are routine in order to sit and breathe and relax before we launch."

*****

" On the first day of this exercise I was stationed out along our outer perimeter in the middle of the night. It was about three in the morning and it had been a quiet night so I thought it would be a good time to try the Buddhist practice. I went and sat on a pile of sandbags and took one last look out onto the horizon before shutting my eyes. I saw the fires off in the distance and the full moon silhouetted the burnt out shells of Iraqi tanks. There was no question about where I was, but when I closed my eyes all that went away. I sat there and just paid attention to my breathing, letting it come and go without controlling it. Not a lot of thought came to me that first night. I simply sat there and allowed myself to forget where I was, I was just a body in the middle of the desert without a care in the world. When I opened my eyes again after five minutes it felt like I had just had a full night’s sleep. I felt relaxed and calm, almost like I had let my mind take a little vacation. I enjoyed it so much that I came back to the same spot the next night.

"Day two of my Buddhist experiment was surrounded by more distractions, as well as a deeper separation between my mind and body. Once again I was out along our perimeter in the middle of the night. Clouds had blown in covering the moon, making it pitch black outside. I felt like I was the only person around for miles. I closed my eyes and began noticing my breathing as I had done the night before. Except on this night my breathing was accompanied by several thoughts as well. The thoughts started when I heard a pair of Blackhawks approaching from the South. However, the team of helicopters approaching me did not jerk me back into reality. I simply allowed myself to acknowledge that they were there, which took me deeper into my relaxation than the night prior. My next thought was of my three year old German shepherd back in Indiana. I did not miss him, I simply wondered what he was doing right then. It was ten minutes before I opened my eyes again and I sat there for a second thinking about what had happened. Not letting the helicopters distract me, only noticing that they were there, took me deeper into my relaxation. Also, without any guidance, my mind drifted towards my dog. I did not miss him and get sad, or think about the fun we have and smile. I merely acknowledged the thought of him which made me feel like I was in the audience, watching my brain perform a show. For the second night in a row I was completely refreshed and did not have a care in the world. I could not wait for the next night to once again let my mind and body take a vacation.

"The third day of my experience put the relaxation technique of Buddhism to the test. It began as a windy day, which brings with it the wall of dust from the east. The dust set in and the air became gritty and heavy as well as limiting visibility. This also means that the enemy can get closer to set up their rockets without out surveillance detecting them. Twenty minutes into my shift the siren sounded and the rockets began falling. While the rest of the “soldiers” ran to a bunker, my squad saddled up and went to work. It is always a heart pounding, adrenaline pumping experience that is often hard to calm down from. I was anxious for the sun to go down and get to my Buddha bags, as I had come to refer to my spot as. The sand had died down and the moon was shining bright like it was on the first night. I got over to my spot and sat there for awhile to calm myself down and not rush into the technique. Finally I closed my eyes and once again concentrated on my breathing. I noticed almost immediately how good it felt to breathe in fresh air rather than dust. I thought about my lungs expanding and how happy they must be to get clean air once again. As more and more thoughts came to me, I did not allow myself to dwell on them. I simply accepted that I had the thought and let my mind continue on. When I finally opened my eyes it had been almost half an hour. I sat there again and thought about what had happened. For a while it felt like I had not even been there. Not only did I feel like I was not in Iraq, I did not feel like I was anywhere. Not allowing my brain to dwell on any of my thoughts was calming as well as relaxing. The best way to describe it is like sleeping, but being awake to enjoy it.

"In conclusion, my experience with the Buddhist method allowed me to escape reality and just “be”. I was able to separate my mind from my body and see my brain as just another organ doing its job. I learned that when I turn my mind off, my body is finally able to relax. I have never been one to turn my mind off or ignore my thoughts, but I found the technique made me feel more relaxed than I have in months. The assignment was to do the exercise for three days; however, I will definitely put the technique away for a rainy day. I may not do it every day, or even once a week, but I know that if my mind and body ever need a vacation that I can give them one."

*****

"The month of September had been a very difficult month for me because I was experiencing several factors causing stress. My youngest brother was killed, I just decided to retire from the military, I had to buy a house for my family, work had me traveling all over the place, and I had to start looking for a second career.

"I tried the relaxation technique a few time and I did not experience anything. My wife saw I was frustrated so she asked what was going on. I explained to her that I was trying this relaxation technique to help me relieve stress and to help with a writing assignment for my college class. As I started to explain the technique, she immediately stopped me and said that she has been doing this for years. I explained to her that I had not experienced anything from doing this technique. My wife then proceeded to talk me through it.

"She had me sit on our bed with my legs folded across each other. She turned down the lights and ensured it was quiet. She then talked me through the technique ensuring I focused on my breathing and not to try to control it. She told me not to sleep but to observe my thoughts as they came through my mind. She explained how important it was to be aware and experience the peaceful visions. I did this technique for some time before I actually allowed myself to experience peacefulness. Suddenly, all the stress I was experiencing seemed to be nothing of true importance. This allowed me to focus on what needed to be done and to stop worrying about failing.

"Through mindfulness meditation, I realized that the solutions to everything were right in front of me. My body felt so peaceful. I do the relaxation technique before I go to bed now, and I truly sleep. I wake up refreshed and full of energy." (A. H.)
Ryokin Sand Garden
We offer a Live Classroom in Zen Buddhist art, after which students can comment on their virtual tour of the Ryoken Sand Garden in Kyoto, Japan.

"The Buddhist term Sunya refers to "emptiness or voidness." In the picture of Ryokin's Sand Garden I envision an area where someone comes to their inner peace by reflecting and unwinding. As a Soldier, I am not as fortunate to have a beautiful garden like Ryokin's Sand Garden to connect with my Zen experiences. However, I did find myself on several occasions going to a quiet place after stressful combat operations, trying to unwind and reflect. This was undoubtedly a positive experience. It allowed me an opportunity to reconnect both spiritually, and emotionally. There are many times in combat when getting away and being alone can be the best remedy to a situation.

"Our unit has our own Ryokin Sand Garden. It is our memorial to our fallen comrades. It is here where we can go and pay our respects to these warriors who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Their names are forever engraved on this granite monument, where they will never be forgotten. It is here that every member of the organization can pay respect and carry on the standard that these fallen heroes have set."

*****
"The first time that I started the mindfulness relaxation practice, my body kind of rejected it no matter what I did. In a way I felt like I was cheating on my religion. We as Christians have tunnel vision, so when something new comes along our mind, body and soul reject it.

"Day two of the relaxation process, I see that it had some effect on my every day trials. For the past ten months I have been in a combat zone,so there is always an edge on my shoulder. However, when I woke up in the morning I felt a calmness about me much different that any other day out here. As the day went on, it seemed as if nothing could get me upset. Immediately I started to think of the relaxation process which I did the night before. I even thought about continuing the process every day.

"The third day was a test to see how I would react. We received a mortar round in our compound. The impact rattled everything within a half mile radius. However, it seemed as if something inside said to me, Everything is going to be alright. Throughout this process I have learned that its OK to be open-minded. After all the events that happened, I am seriously considering continuing the mindfulness practice. It is really an internal learning experience about my abilities. Considering how calm I was during all of the events, I am sure that repeating this relaxation process will help me manage my stress." (Michael T.)

****
"I went into this meditation exercise with a closed mind. I always thought that I never had time to meditate or that it would not work for me. Today was especially true. As I sat down my mind was telling me, 'You have a lot to do right now, you really do not have time to do this.' I argued with myself for a few minutes more before I finally did it.

"I sat down, closed my eyes, and started breathing. I envisioned the stream, because as soon as I closed my eyes a list of things I had to do just flooded in. One by one I would toss a petal in the stream. I do not know if this significant or not, but each petal would turn into a lotus flower. Each flower I watched float gently down the stream and over rocks. I swear for every flower petal I tossed my head would feel lighter. I did not feel lightheaded. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my head. I have always heard that cliché, 'a load off my shoulders', but I never realized what the person truly was saying. This exercise taught me that stress is a weight inside your brain, if you are not careful you may pull something.

"I will definitely take the time to meditate, especially when I have way more to do than I think I can handle. This exercise taught me to slow down and put my flowers into order by what was more pressing to least important. When I figure out what problem needs to go where, I can send it floating. I did not realize how uptight I was. This exercise helped my mind to breath and my body to relax.

****
"I am reading the book, Peace Is Every Step, by Thich Nhat Hahn. I would recommend it to anyone who was interested in trying to live in the now... Being in Iraq really helps me stay centered, because you never know what will happen if you stop paying attention."

****

"I experienced 'mindfulness' during my 2nd deployment in 2004. My unit was convoying from Kuwait to our forward operating base in Iraq. I was the driver of my vehicle and I also had to point my weapon outside of the window while using my other hand to steer. I remember feeling several mixed emotions; I was terrified but my face was emotionless. I would engage in eye contact with any local driving beside me to let them know, 'I see you and I will shoot you if you do anything.' Lord knows, I did not want to kill anyone. "You never know what could happen on a convoy so with that in mind, everything I looked at was as if it were the last thing I would ever see. There could be debris and dead dog carcasses along the road, and still I was able to see beauty. Every breath I took was savored; every sunset I saw was etched in my mind. I never felt more alive in my entire life than I did during that convoy, because I appreciated every breath, every sight, and every sensation felt through my body. I was living in the present moment and felt an incredible oneness of my spirit and body. "Thinking back on that experience, I would love to live my whole life taking that approach. There are moments when I feel that way, but it normally happens in the face of danger or when I suffer loses in my unit. Although I am not Buddhist, I would love to understand this way of being and incorporate it into my life. I believe it is something for every human soul, regardless of one’s religion. I hope that others approach it with open-mindedness. I wish you the best applying Hanh’s practice to your daily life."

****

“Before encountering the teaching of “mindfulness” in Buddhism, I would have never thought breathing or living in the now as a spiritual act. I realize how often I have done this as a way to relax. I remember sitting in a bunker at dawn and being able to face the mountains at a sunset, and it really is nice to be able to just stop for a second and relax and take in the beauty around you. I think it just proves that this practice can be done anywhere, and sometimes it needs to be done. I see it as a way of almost resetting your mind, even if it is just to think about how nice the sunset is, instead of wondering if the next mortar round is going to land close.”

****

"I was in Iraq for eleven months and on most days did at least twelve hours of patrolling on the streets of Baghdad. I think I and my soldiers became experts at walking mindfully there. Any thoughts of the past or the future have no place while you’re in danger of being shot with every step you take. I think it is great that something taught in a peaceful religion just comes naturally in a hostile environment."

****

"Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your attention back to the present moment, primarily through breathing and awareness. As I begin my research and take the first steps into this journey, I find my self trying to find my own words for the Experience of mindfulness. On the search I discover I am able to do just this every day: 30 minutes have passed, heart rate is 160. I will push another 20 or 30 out on the never ending staircase. As I keep pedaling along but never moving forward, I start to think about my breathing, smoothing out the jagged edges.

"1,2,3,4, hold; 1,2,3,4, out; 1,2,3,4, hold; 1,2,3,4.... The slow rhythmic internal chant brings me away from the woes of these days. In here no soldiers are lying in the burn center in Texas. In here we don’t have to memorialize a young female Lieutenant who was said to have been the best in his command by an Infantry Lieutenant Colonel. In here, there are no spouses to notify of their husbands injuries. In here, just 1,2,3,4 hold; 1,2,3,4 out; 1,2,3,4, hold; 1,2,3,4...

"I open my eyes. The gauge on the elliptical running machine says my heart rate dropped to 148, yet my effort hasn’t decreased."

*****
From an 'Essay' on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice
How do you maintain mindfulness in a busy work environment?

"For me look impossible my upsets supervisors my workers unhappy look for the welfare of other person don't give me time for relax I try everything that i human can to avoid stress even medicines and nothing work. Maybe I forgot the basic when was I kid take time to think in the now and enjoy live take a minute and breathe relax enjoy that I am alive that live smile to us I said AHHHHH!!! while I'm in stress I smile the rest of them don't understand what we go trough if we forgot about smile a breath and relaz we be living on hell. When I smile and breathe problem goes away for a split second and I walk in heaven." (Antonio)

3. Prince of Peace

2007-09-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

I Forgive Them to Clear my Soul
"After being on the receiving end of IED attacks, I find it difficult to love any of the people that are involved in them. In Christianity, we strive to live like Christ and all of his perfection, but as humans, we know that we will fall short of that. It is a bitter feeling you feel when you detain a person with bomb-making materials in his house, and he is married and has children. I did truly feel sorry for those people. Unfortunately I also felt disgust for them. In the end, I forgive them to clear my soul of any ill feelings."

I Have Taken Human Life
"I have taken human life. I wastrained with that purpose. I have never committed murder but I have killed. Idid so to protect my self, my friends and fellow soldiers. Now in my case wecame under fire and I returned fire. I did not wake up in the morning hoping tokill. I did not even have hate in my heart as I pushed the butterflies down onmy fifty caliber machine gun. I was scared. I have asked for forgiveness formany things in my life. The true test is not whether The Lord will forgive, but whether you can forgive yourself."

'Love Your Enemies'
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

Basically, the Sermon on the Mount teaches that the way to heaven is not in doing what you know is right, but what is pure of heart. Prophets before Jesus taught us to love our neighbor and hate our enemy, but does God not love Stalin as much as he loves Ghandi? Or as Jesus would say, “he makes the sun rise on the evil and the good.” According to Jesus, the way into heaven is not just following a set of rules, but living our life the way the Lord would live his.

How can this be applied in a time of war? War is a nasty thing. It is evil: full of killing, hatred, greed, stealing and destruction. I know first hand, for I have seen, experienced, and participated in war. Those who say that the only way to win a war is to seize the objective on the battlefield are fools. Wars are won off the battlefield in a peaceful setting, using civilized and peaceful means. Even on the battlefield, we can win without destruction. We are finding this out right now: we have more success winning by humanitarian missions, winning the hearts and minds of Iraqi and Afghan citizens, than by killing."

'If Anyone Strikes You On the Cheek'

"Verse 39 states, But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Being a soldier in Iraq, I endure harsh name calling and get spat upon. But I have learned to hold my peace and try to understand where these people are coming from, and why they feel the way they do. Reading these verses has opened my eyes a little more, especially when I get upset at the Iraqi people. I must remind myself that I wouldn’t like it if someone I couldn’t communicate with had come over and tried to take over my homeland. I must turn my other cheek and walk away, because I don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize my freedom or livelihood, or my self-respect as a husband, father, soldier and as a man." N.C.

A Christian Asserts His Truth

"In 2004, while serving the United States Army as a member of the 1st Calvary Division, I was assigned to conduct street patrols, Explosive Ordnance Disposal security, and various other missions to provide stability in the southwest sector of Baghdad, Iraq. This proved challenging on a daily basis. The emotional spectrum that one journeys through in a combat environment can only be understood by those who have been there. Without writing a book on this subject, I can only say that a soldier’s ability to adjust to the environment is a test like no other. On one hand they are asked to show dominance without using force and remain under control with a steady hand. When chaos surrounds them a switch must be flipped and the exact opposite becomes true: become the most chaotic in order to survive.

For those who have faith or follow a religion as I do, during these time ask themselves the question “how can it be God’s will for followers of any religion to kill another person?”. In the circus of events leading up to my moment, I was asking this question myself, searching inside to reaffirm my faith and to make me stronger in the danger surrounding me. Feelings of hopelessness and despair had come over me with our Rules of Engagement, I felt I'd become more of a politician than a soldier with each passing day. Exercise restraint when fired upon, fight against an enemy who cannot be seen, and defend yourself without being offensive. These were just a few of the “new” ways in which a soldier is asked to perform, ways we are not accustomed to.

One day at sunset when the local citizens of Iraq started their evening prayers, songs from the loud speakers of each Mosque began. My surroundings became that chaos of which I speak. Like dueling voices, the eerie calls echoed off the walls of the buildings and through the streets of the neighborhoods. I had enough of the citizens around me continuing to live as they pleased thanks to the security that my platoon was providing daily. I pulled out a pocket Bible that I carried with me on my missions, turned on my vehicles loudspeaker, flipped to the Lord’s Prayer, and began to read aloud. My English voice reciting my Christian prayer rose to join those foreign voices. My fellow soldiers one by one joined in from memory as I continued to read. At this moment, strong feelings of peace and calm filled me up inside, overtook and filled those places that were empty just a few moments before." ~Gerald Z.

PTSD and 'Faith Healing'
In these two healing stories (John 5: 1-9 and Mark 10: 46-52) note especially the dialogues between Jesus and the afflicted men. If we want healing or transformation of any kind, under what conditions is it given to us? Does it just happen, or must we ask? If so, how should we ask?"

With what I have seen in my combat experiences, it has certainly shaken some of my faith in God. I have witnessed horrible brutality and violence on a scale most Americans cannot even fathom. I KNOW what message these scriptures are trying to get across: that if someone has enough faith in God and truly believes that Jesus is the Son of God and asks for healing, it will be provided to them. Both these stories paint this picture; with Jesus healing both the blind man who knows that Jesus is 'Son of David', and the paralytic man who cannot figure out who Jesus is, yet still has faith.

Here I would like to provide a reference to some examples of how, under the Bush administration during the early years of the Iraq War, niether the VA nor the Army was adequately prepared for the mounting cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder manifesting within the ranks of the military. That administration tried to use 'faith healing' as a substitute for spending the money to provide Soldiers and Veterans with adequate resources to assist them with their mental health:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23990.htm

Those of us who were deployed to Iraq (during the first couple of years, especially) still are affected by the trauma and are forever changed. I prayed many times for God to heal me of my night terrors and other symptoms of PTSD. I have had steadfast faith and trust in God to rid me of this mental disorder; a 'souvenier' (if you will) of Iraq. If I don't take my medications at night and go to my therapy routinely, my night terrors and social withdrawls, severe depression, panic attacks, etc. will all come back. Faith in God or not.

I remember my Christian fundamentalist mother accusing me of not having enough faith in God in why my back injury could not be healed (back injury I sustained from combat duty). I felt that my integrity was put in question; I was astounded that my character/integrity should ever come to question after what I had endured because of me questioning fundamentalist religious 'reasoning.'

I want to make a case in point here that there are a many injured 'Christian Soldiers' (burn victims, severely injured from IEDs, etc.) who will never be 100%. They have their devout faith in God, yet still they ride in a wheelchair. I'll be fair; faith can help to a point, but it should never be used as a replacement for modern medicine.

Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe in Jesus' ability to heal while he was here ON EARTH?? Absolutely. Do I believe in 'faith healers' such as Benny Hinn, or our own faith in God enabling the healing of all our afflictions? Not anymore. (Elijah D.)

'Thou Shalt Not Kill': An Internet Dialogs Between Soldiers

Not for Me to Decide
"In today’s times, Jesus' teaching seem very hard. The war on terror and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are so violent at times, how can one “turn the other cheek”? I have had many discussions with Chaplains on this very subject, and I have learned that what I do in the military is not what Jesus is lecturing on. I am not taking an eye for an eye, nor am I killing for the sake of killing. As in many religions, I belong to a warrior class where I choose to offer my services in the defense and protection of my brothers. Unfortunately that involves death and destruction, but it is not done out of malice and hatred. It is not for me to decide if what we are doing is just or not: history will decide this. "

Use Your Ethical Filter
"Every time we pull the trigger and have time to think about it before hand, we should run the decision through our ethical filters. If the required task brings up a red flag then we have the duty to say no. That is why the military gives us all these classes on ethics. I personally am not going to wait for history to decide whether what I am doing is right or wrong. I am going to decide right then and there whether it just and act accordingly."

This Is Something I Think About So Often It Makes Me Sick
"Being a soldier, I couldn’t help but take special notice to Matthew 5:21, “You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” As a member of the military, I can tell you how it really is, its simple. Do what your told, when you’re told to do it. They train us not just to kill, but to stay alive. So what do you do when you’re told to kill? As a soldier, you don’t question; you execute. People of this great nation look upon the American soldier with such respect for what we stand for and what we do, but how will God look upon us when it is our time? What do we tell him? "I took a life because someone told me to?" This is something I think about so often it makes me sick. I have come to realize that this question can never truly be answered until that day of judgment, when all a soldier can do is hope they were right."

Look at the Bigger Picture
"I like the way you emphasize that 'Being a soldier, you can only hope that you are right'. This is true, because we face the adversity in both questions, 'Shall we kill for our country or shall we kill for the protection of the persecuted?' I, for one, know in my heart that what we are doing in the War is right. For if you have any regrets toward what we do, how can you go to worship God when your heart is heavy and unsure? I know that it sometimes seems that we do the wrong things, but look at it in a bigger picture (The armed forces always say that). If you can't answer the cry for help from Iraq/Afghanistan how will you face God in the final judgment when he asks you why you did not help the less fortunate. It is called self-sacrifice for the better good in the world, not just in your backyard. As I would say: 'Stick to your convictions and never regret what you have already done.' For adversity is what some people are made of. Treat any situation as a step toward God's will."

God Judges the Heart
"I too am a Soldier, and I've been on plenty of missions outside the wire here in Iraq over the last two deployments. I thank God everyday for putting his hedge of protection around me and the prayer warriors back in the States that lift me up daily. So far I've been very blessed and never been in a fire fight or even had to fire my weapon, just my camera documenting and telling Soldiers stories. I think you're right, that those tough questions can only be answered at judgment, but I encourage you to take comfort in the fact that God called David, one of the greatest Soldiers of all time, a man after His own heart. I think God judges the heart, and when it comes to that, Soldiers have to be able to answer if they did what they did out of malicious intent, and if so, if they've asked for forgiveness and truly repented."

Trying to Be a Christian Soldier
"I understand that fighting in this war may not be done out of malice or hatred, but it can be the breeding grounds for such emotions. I have developed emotions that I never thought would surface. I have witnessed individuals turn to hatred in order to kill the enemy. In a perverse sense, it does make it easier to do ones duty. But what we do as stewards of our Nation’s armed forces is not done without compassion or love of our fellow man. I offer my prayers for the enemy that I must fight. I offer them in hope that he will put down his weapons so that we all may live in harmony."

Love Bears and Hopes
“Love bears all things. (I Corinthians 13:7) I think that the strength of love is powerful in getting humans through the toughest of times and the hardest decisions. I can relate to this because I am a soldier. Since I have been deployed I have been to over 20 fallen comrade ceremonies in the last 5 months. The emotion that is so invigorating is that those soldiers died because they loved their country and the thought of justice. Without the strength of love the fight would be insignificant.

“Hopes all things. (I Corinthians 13:7) Hope is derived from love and drives people to keep going. Hope is powerful in pulling people from the darkest of places and pushes people to not give up. I think that hope is the power behind peace; without hope peace would be a futile attempt. Since I have been in Afghanistan I have met a plethora of Afghani’s and most of them hope to get to America for a better life; they hope for a life away from the Taliban and poverty. From what I have seen here in Afghanistan; hope is one of the few things that the people here have to cling on to."

Blessed are the Merciful
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Yes, this applies to a soldier. If an enemy soldier has been wounded on the battle field, as an American soldier it is my responsibility, in accordance with the laws of war, to provide that human being with first aid and medical treatment as if he was one of our own. It is true he is not an American soldier, but he is our brother under God and must be treated as such."

Thou Shalt Not Kill
"When I was in Iraq in 2004, there were many times when soldiers of different faiths came to some sort of peace when trying times were at hand. We have all heard the commandment: Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. This passage of scripture tells us that cold-blooded murder is not permitted. But protecting the innocent from the evils of the world is a soldier’s way of helping to spread kindness to people of different faiths."

All the Faces and Bodies Are With Us
"We pray before we go into the battlefield. We ask God to forgive us and we pray for those that we will hurt through the path that we have taken. I think of my soul every day: shall I partake in the feast of the saved or the unsaved? I must carry on even if it means that I must kill someone. What gets me is that we sometimes do it without remorse because we have made ourselves hard, but when we are alone all the faces and bodies are with us."

I Did Not Turn The Other Cheek
"While deployed to Iraq, I was faced with a situation that truly tried my morality and discipline. Matthew 5:38 states, "Do not resist one who is evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." According to the Geneva Conventions, enemy combatants are to receive the same medical treatment as an American soldier would. I am a Flight Medic in the Army. I was on a MEDEVAC mission to pick up two injured patients with multiple gunshot wounds. I was not given any other information.

"We landed the bird on a dirt road and I jumped out. Two injured patients were brought to the bird on litters. We loaded them up and took off. One patient was clearly an American soldier, the other was not. Immediately I started working on the Soldier and asked the pilots on the communications system for information about the other patient. They said he was the insurgent who shot the soldier I was working on: then our other soldiers shot him. After receiving that information, I just looked at this frail old man's eyes and wondered, "Why?" I could hear him yelling and knew he, like our soldier, was in severe pain. I also knew that, because the insurgent was yelling, he was breathing.

"So I continued to work on the American soldier, giving him Morphine for his pain. The crew chief was watching me; he asked if I was going to render any aid to the insurgent. I told him that the insurgent was breathing and that's all I needed to know.

"I did not resist the one who is evil. But I did not turn to him the other cheek after he struck my fellow soldier. I used to think that I would do the right thing if put in that situation. I had ample time to assist that man, but opted not too. In the end, I did not follow the Geneva protocols.

"Now, I no longer say what I would do. I can only say what I hope I would do in a certain situation. I am not bragging, nor am I proud of my actions. I simply discovered that my morality, and my discipline to render care to that patient, abandoned me as soon as I heard the word insurgent."

War is Necessary to Prevent even Greater Evil
"Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. He is referring to a law that deals with punishment, making sure that the punishment is equal to the crime committed and is just. But on the terms of personal retaliation Jesus says in verse 39, …But if anyone slaps you on the right check, turn to him the other also. Jesus does not want us to retaliate and seek revenge but react by showing love. In verse 44 Jesus tells us, But I say to you, Love you enemies and pray for those who persecute you. And in verses 47-48 He tells us, And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus is telling us that no matter what another person does to us, we must love them as God has loved us.

"A lot of people may take these verses about of context, and say we should never go to war because there is killing and we are retaliating in some way. But the Bible does not say, You shall not kill, the Bible actually says, You shall not murder. The Hebrew word for murder literally means “the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice.” God often ordered the Israelites to go to war with other nations because Sometimes the only way to keep sinful people from doing great harm is by going to war with them. If Hitler had not been defeated in World War II, how many more millions of Jews would have been killed? If the Civil War had not been fought, how much longer would African Americans be slaves? So in a world filled with evil people, sometimes a war is necessary to prevent even greater evil."

Is All The Killing Really Worth It?
“These are such powerful teachings of Jesus, they are almost too emotional to reflect on, especially when you need to relate it to war. When I read these passages, I feel a sense of childhood emerge back into my body….

“When it comes to the subject of war, being a soldier myself, I believe protecting my country and family is the ultimate sacrifice I could make. It bewilders me though, when Jesus speaks of turning the other cheek, and when he talks about not resisting one who is evil….

“Is war okay if you are threatened? Is protecting others the right thing to do, when killing is involved? War is not pretty, but I do believe we are doing the right thing by keeping our own country safe. Yet I cannot help to hear a small voice inside of me ask, "Is all of the killing really worth it?”

Thou Shalt Not Kill
“It is always good to help others. I know the Bible says thou shalt not kill, but when you are in the military, I believe God will forgive. He will forgive if you ask and are sincere, whether you did it intentionally or unintentionally. Since we are not perfect, God sent his son, Jesus, to take up the cross for us. We just have to have the right motives in our heart for whatever we do. We have to be accountable for all our actions and know when we are wrong and ask for forgiveness. In times of war, you have to do whatever the commander states. Won't the decision-makers and war-planners be held to a higher standard than you, as you are just carrying out their orders?”

Thou Shalt Not Kill
"In our eyes murder is, of course, a major sin. In the eyes of God sin is sin. Murder means to end someone’s life, but Jesus is not talking of a physical murder, but a spiritual murder. How much pain are people enduring just because the words their parents uttered, or the taunting coming from children when they were in school, or even words from your boss?

"Words of insult can kill the spirit of a person. That’s the murder Jesus is talking about. It is easy not to kill a person, but killing the spirit of man, woman or child can come at the opening of one’s mouth. With the things we say we can build, but often we opt to destroy. We look at actions: since the law says thou shall not murder, we think we are okay. After all, we would never kill anyone. Jesus, however, is tackling the source: anger in the heart. The same heart where the life of a Christian begins....

"So in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives the solution: Reconcile, forgive, and love those who do you wrong. It may not solve all problems, but it will keep your heart free of anger -- the anger that leads to murder, physical and spiritual."

Jesus and the Sinful Samaritan Woman
“Like the Samaritan woman, I was not born into the “right” family or on the “right side of the tracks”. I knew of the road to salvation but felt that I was not good enough to be saved. I tried to work to earn my salvation by being legalistic. But then Jesus helped me to realize that He had taken care of me all of my life and preserved me from a terrible death at the hands of my ex-husband that I realized that Jesus really knew me… Laying in a hospital bed with a collapsed lung after being stabbed in the back 8 times with a screw driver, I realized that Jesus shielded me from the pain. I heard him say, “I who speak to you am he.” It was then that I was finally able to worship God in spirit and truth.”

Being A Soldier
"Being a soldier, I think of Mattew 5:9, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. We are constantly put in harms way to preserve the freedom that every American experiences, and I think God has a special place in his heart for those who serve."

Turning the Other Cheek
“You have to be the bigger person and either walk away from the situation or try and make it better. But it’s pretty hard to turn the other check in times of war. I am in the Army and in a way it is not up to me to turn the other check because I have orders and have to obey those orders. Even though we are going through times of war right now, I know that I will not be judged for my acts of war if my acts are justified and I am following the orders that have been given to me.

“I feel that when my judgment comes, I will be forgiven for the act of killing if it was truly self defense. Every one will be judged in a different manner depending on the circumstances in which the sin was committed.”

I’m Sure Some Think We Are Murderers
"Even after seeing so many soldiers die over here on a daily basis, I pray constantly. I not only pray for myself but for the people of Iraq and Iran. I try to live by the passage, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, because I want to meet my father in heaven one day and hear him say, Well done, my good and faithful servant.

"I know as soldiers, we are not exempt from God’s teachings, but are we in a position to follow such words as, Turn the other cheek? Does this make all soldiers in war sinners? I’m sure some think we are all murderers, but I believe that we can be forgiven, because God is a forgiving God.

"I also believe that is why the Geneva Convention created laws for soldiers to be tried for war crimes. Regardless of what the enemy does to our soldiers, we are not to retaliate with the same force. We are not allowed to take an eye for an eye. The United States is still a gracious country and we still try to help people in Iraq with the things they need to become independent."

Just to Stay Alive
“While all those Bible passages are comforting, and they have deep thought-provoking meaning, as a soldier I can guarantee you that isn't what is going through the minds of those in combat. In the heat of combat, a soldier is not thinking about being judged, or considering himself a peacemaker. He is only trying to survive, and to keep his comrades alive. As ironic as it is, though a soldier is the one who has to fight for the political issues in the world, while he's fighting he isn't fighting for those issues, or even for freedom or democracy. He's doing it to stay alive."

Killing and Christ's Command
"Simply stated, broken relationships can interfere with our relationship with God and we are hypocrites if we claim to love God while demonstrating hate toward each other. If we are to make it into the Kingdom of Glory, we must keep peace in our heart with our fellow man. Killing for any reason, other than that which is transcribed in Exodus 21:13, is wrong and will ultimately lead us to the fire of hell. As a member of the military, I believe that these passages apply when we are placed in the unenviable position of having to kill in order to protect and prevent the same from happening to ourselves. Since we are in a time of war, many of us while in combat are placed in a position where we are forced to act extemporaneously and we may never know if it is in violation or in support of God’s holy demand."

Sermon on the Mount: Struggling to Be Christian
“Matthew Chapter 5, verse 21 and 22 concern about our morality. Our sins are liable regardless of their size. We are liable for anger or even foul language. We live our life with so much anger and bitterness, especially during wartime. When we hear death of our fellow soldiers, we feel sad and angry at the same time. Soldiers in combat unit may think about killing the enemy for revenge. Recently, there was shocking news that a few soldiers killed innocent civilians for revenge of their friend’s death. It is difficult to live our life without feeling anger. As Christians, we need to pray for our sins in daily life and follow the teaching of our Christ.

“Verse 38-48 are Jesus’ teaching on how to love others. In verse 48, Jesus told us to be perfect as our God. We know no one is perfect in this world. Nonetheless, we Christians must follow Christ’s footstep and get closer to perfection of love. Jesus said Christians must open their heart, even if they have different religious background. We cannot assume that non-Christians are bad because they do not believe in Jesus. Recent fights between the U.S. and Iraq make some Christians hate Muslims even though it is only a very small percentage of Muslims who are terrorists. According to verse 44 we should “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.” It seems like some Christians have forgotten the teachings of Jesus.”

Sermon on the Mount and Rules of War
“In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states. “Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see god”. I believe that he is saying that if in your own mind, you do and think what is right, then you will go to heaven. I think this is a difficult idea to discuss in the time of war. Unfortunately all of the world’s inhabitants have different ideas. So does a young man trying to get to heaven, never get there because he is killing his fellow man? I don’t think so; I think if that combatant is following basic rules of war, and killing only when he has to, then he should believe his heart is pure. On the other hand, those that purposely kill none combatants, or destroy things of no military value, cannot be pure of heart.”

Rules of Engagement
"In Matthew 38-48, it speaks on self defense, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” If you are struck, strike he who has stricken you. It seems God is giving us permission to defend ourselves, but it is much more preferable that we forgive, because it goes on to say, “But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” If someone comes to you and strikes you, turn and let him strike the other side. I see it to imply that we aren’t to let another’s evil or anger affect us personally.

"This is what we use today, as we are deployed, in our Rules of Engagement. This gives guidelines to what actions we are to take given different circumstances. One thing is certain; we aren’t to engage until we have been engaged, or our life is endangered. "

Averting War Through the Forgiveness of Jesus
"In a time of war, it is even more important to forgive and to give what you can for peace and joy. For example, in the Iraqi War, if the Muslims or the people who are trying to kill American here in Iraq, would heed Jesus’ teaching, to love thy enemy and pray for those who persecute them instead of retaliating , it is possible the war would be over and there would be peace among the Nations.

"The same could be said for us. If America had acted with forgiveness instead of persecuting Saddam for his actions, the war may have been averted: maybe we could have eliminated all this chaos and destruction that is going on in the world today. Maybe the price of oil would have gone down instead of going up. The relations of the world would be more peaceful if we solved problems with love and forgiveness, instead of violence, which makes the innocent suffer the cost of war.

"If everyone in the world would just learn to live by the teachings of Jesus on forgiveness, giving and loving unconditionally, this war or any other war would be unnecessary. "

Forgiving Civilians in the Department of The Army
"The message I have received from the Gospel is to display forgiveness. Currently I am deployed in Iraq. I've been in the desert a total of almost 22 months out of the last 2 years. How it's supposed to work is, when you return from a deployment, civilians in the Department of The Army are supposed to evaluate your time overseas. However, this hasn't been the case with the individual in charge of my career. I finally returned home October of last year and I figured that I would remain stateside at least a couple of months. Instead, I was redeployed as soon as I got my new duty assignment. As you can imagine, this was not what I anticipated.

"Because I would be separated from my wife again, for an undetermined period of time, I felt spite toward these particular individuals. So far I am doing fine. I've learned how to deal with my contempt through exercising and reading, as well as just talking to other people. I know I will come out of this better than I came in. We have it pretty good out here. I gain strength in my relationships every day. I am thankful for everyday I am living, and I hope I will continue to grow."

A Personal Experience of Forgiveness in Christ
"Growing up, I thought I would never forgive my Dad for what he did to my family, but as I started learning Christ's teaching, my heart was soften. I decided I could forgive him but still didn't plan on him being in my life, nor my children’s.

"After a while I really started to understand that, in order to free myself from the pain, I not only had to forgive him, but I had to remember those things no more. I started making an effort to get to know him, and even made a trip so he could meet my children. We now have a pretty good relationship; but the best part is, I am able to reach my full potential because I completely forgave him.

"He still has never apologized, but that is between Him and God. We are not called to judge, but to love. And that is when we unlock our full potential, and receive the greatest joy."

"Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount tells us that not only should you not kill, but you will also be judged on even having anger in your heart. “You have heard that is was said to the men of old, you shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment. But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.” How can we live by these words in a time or war?

Killing for a Nation
"If we strictly interpret these words, they are impossible for Christian soldiers to uphold. But killing for a nation is different than killing out of anger. As a soldier, you carry out the work of a nation. We are killing the faceless enemy. The act of killing is personal, but the motive is not. I think love and sacrifice at the mention of Jesus, the same feeling I have when I hear mention of the Medal of Honor. God and country are deeply rooted in me. In order for a nation survive, a portion of the population must share the responsibility of soldiers. While we may be judged, one thing is sure. We would all meet that judgment very quickly if there were no patriots to fight off the wolves."

Who Would Be Judged?
"In time of war, I as a Soldier often made decisions that have consequences in this world - and the next world. I was leading my men on a combat patrol in the city of Baghdad. When a Sniper engaged my men in a narrow alley, we were fortunate to have God on our side, because the bullets missed my men and hit the concrete wall around them. When my men returned fire at the direction of the Sniper (which was determined by the direction of the concrete pieces impacting on the ground), the Sniper disengaged and relocated to another position within the neighborhood. In the Sermon on the Mount, it states, you shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.

"But I trained my men to kill those who are trying to kill them, and also to protect the innocent from harm. My men reacted as they were trained, and that saved lives. If one of my men would have killed the Sniper during that engagement, then who would be judged: the man who pulled the trigger or the man who gave the order to pull the trigger?

"As a Soldier, I often have to make decisions that I believe a civilian probably would never make in his or her life time - decisions like telling a Soldier to go into an open area, under fire, and retrieve a dead Iraqi National Guard Soldier in order to return him to his unit. My Soldier executed that task and I thank God that he did his job and we returned that Soldier to his unit for last rites. I do not know how I would feel if my men would have died in combat under my command. That is all I can say on this matter…"

I Turned Away
"During my last few combat missions while serving in Iraq, I had the pleasure of securing some detainees that were caught handling a cache site containing explosive materials. All six of the men and children surrendered with no problem, but one decided to escape and send a message out to warn others. Well, he did not get the chance to execute his plan; he had to undergo several interrogations with our intelligence department. Now, I come to an impasse, because I can hear this man making noise that is pleasant to my ears. I know my fellow Soldiers are probably doing things that they should not be doing in order to extract pieces of information... But I turned away and did nothing.

"The emotions that go through Soldiers while in combat makes it very hard to determine what is right by law, or right by God’s law."

A Soldier's Love for his Wife (Paul's 1st Letter to Corinthians, 13:1-13)

I believe that as we mature in our relationships with our significant others and with age, what love is also matures.

When you first fall in love, there are the stomach butterflies, anticipation of when you will meet next, and overall excitement. Initially there cannot be a whole lot of trust ("Love is not jealous"), especially for those that have had bad relationships in the past regarding trust issues. There may be initial responses of resentment. But as my relationship has progressed and as my maturity level has increased, I believe that the love I have for my wife is much tenderer than in those first few months. I have learned that she is her own person, and I am mine. It is better to accept this ("Love does not insist on its own way") than to try and control.

Our love has given us two wonderful son’s that mean the world to us ("Love bears all things"). We have been married for seventeen years and have had a steep learning curve as with most relationships, and as of now we have prevailed. I know what makes her happy, and she knows the same of me. We have had to endure years of separation ("Love endures all things") due to the military, and she has been my rock.

I have seen, in people I work with on these deployments, that their relationships have turned to dust. I can always count on the fact that she is there and she is taking care of our children and our home. So in conclusion, when I read this paragraph, I instantly have the vision of my true love, my wife. (Master Sgt. David P.)

Agape: An Essay On 1 Corinthians
"1 Corinthians 13:1-13 is one of my very favorite Scriptures of the New Testament; not just as a believer in Christ who knows that this can and should be used as a guide on how to treat ALL people, and not just as a husband who knows that it is one of the best guides on how to treat my wife, but because upon deep study it truly reveals to me how much my Lord and Savior loves me and has sacrificed for me.

"In the context of Christian belief, the single biggest reason that love is superior to all other emotions and feelings is simply because it is, quite literally, responsible for eternal salvation and destination. The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 and its description of love as not being rude, self-seeking, easily angered, not keeping a record of wrongs, but being protective, trustworthy, hopeful and persevering, is my entire reason for life. Without it, what Christ did for all mankind would not be possible.

"Consider the fact that despite Christ’s knowledge (not mankind’s finite knowledge, but an omniscient knowledge he was indwelt with as a result of being God in the flesh) that the VAST majority of humanity would reject Him, He chose to die for them anyways….and not because He knew that it was ‘right’ or because He had to, but because He loved them. Every one of them…ESPECIALLY those who chose to reject him.

"There are three types of love spoken of in the Bible. The first is eros, which is intended to convey the sense of erotic, intimate love, such as that shared by a man and his wife. The second is phileo, which is intended to convey the idea of brotherly love or personal affection between two good friends, yet expects some type of return.

"The third type of love, however, and the type of love that Paul speaks of here, is agape. Agape love is unconditional love; and it is from and of God Himself. 1 John 4:8 backs this up, saying, simply, ‘God is love.’ Agape love is perfectly described in 1 Corinthians 13. It loves without expecting anything in return; it loves those who desire no love or deserve no love; it does not anger or grow jealous; it forgives and keeps no tally of injustices suffered; and it is sacrificial.

"I myself got a glimpse of this recently, in my kitchen, of all places. My son began to choke in a malfunctioning high chair, and despite my best efforts I could not undo the clip to release him from the chair. I was ready to literally break the chair in pieces to rescue my son; thankfully, just as I was ready to, the clip holding my son in the high chair separated by itself (why it would not separate for me, yet literally sprung apart seconds later, I cannot say, although I can come up with a reason or two why, given the context of this essay), and I was able to administer the infant Heimlich maneuver and restore his airway.

"Upon reflection, it hit me that God wanted to do exactly that with His own Son. He wanted to save Christ from what He knew awaited His Son…yet because God loved the world, He stood by and allowed His own Son to be sacrificed in one of the most torturous ways known to man, in order to provide a path to Him for those who would accept His Son as Savior. The knowledge that my own love, ready to break apart the world in order to save my own son, pales in comparison to that displayed by Christ towards us, humbled me.

"Faith allows us to believe in an eternal, almighty God and His Son; self-sacrifice allows us to gain for our own personal ends. Knowledge allows us to learn more about God, and prophetic power allows us to know more about the future and God’s plan for us; but ONLY love, in the form of Christ, allowed us to gain eternal life. To me, that is why love is superior to all else. Without love, and more specifically, agape love, mankind would be spiritually lost, not just now but for all eternity." (M.W.)

The Call
"The felt the call to join the Army many years ago when I was still 17. I was just a punk kid floating around, causing a little trouble but as I grew up I felt a stirring I couldn't contain. I dropped out of school and joined up. I finished training, went to college for a while but there was a war in Bosnia going hot and I dropped out of college to go there.
"I just felt that my place was there. I was drawn there for reasons I still cannot understand. It was an eye opener and when I returned I was changed, so I taught the myriad lessons learned from that place to my young troops. Again I tried to return to normal life, but I couldn't make it work; there was that calling and stirring telling me I had to go. To where I didn't know, but at that point it didn't matter; I knew God had a plan.
"Iraq was drawing me fast and once again I dropped out of college to go to war- again. Away I went, running the lead gun truck for a small patrol element for a year. It wasn't until after I retruned that I realized God had put me through all he did up to that point to train me for my part in the war. God meant for me to lead those men and do what I did there for reasons I still struggle with. God meant for me to do the things necessary to get my guys home alive. I still try to reconcile things from our days there and it is a burden God placed on me. I was called and I answered; I was afraid and uncertain but I let myself be guided.
"I know the call very well, it was the same call that made me a father and a husband. I never intended to be a husband or father, I never considered myself to be of the right character to be a good one, but once again God had other plans. While there are things about my service I will never tell my children, I do my best to be the father and husband my family deserve. I have tried to understand the motives of the call of God, but I failed. Now if he calls, I just answer and do my best. then again maybe that is just what God wanted in the first place."

Responses to Paul's Passage on Christian Love
1. "Love is frustrating. Love is pain. Love is calling someone at any time. Love is hurting oneself without knowing it. Love is caring. Love is hurting oneself while knowing it but letting it happen anyways. Perfect love is One. Love is kind. Love is forgiving in a heartbeat. Love is a need. Love is confusing. Love is exhilarating. Love doesn’t want to let go. Love is sleepless nights. Love is my best friend. Love is my enemy. Only One love is always unfailing. Love is trust. Love is laughter. Love is tears. Love is promises kept, promises broken. Love is timeless. Love is what we all want. One love holds the world together. I enjoy love. Love is taking someone else's pain to be yours. Love is continuous. Love is the story of our life. Love is nightmares. Love is beautiful. Love is sacrificing. Love is keeping the mouth shut. Love is treating someone like I would like to be treated. Love is an action. Love is foolish. Love makes me look at myself. Love is needs met. Love is dreams. Loved is being totally rejected. Love is thankless. Love is unhealthy and healthy. Love is chivalrous. Love is manners. Love is universal. Love is expected. Love is thankful. Love is uncertain. Love is absence of judgment. Love is helpful. Love is cute. Love is bliss." (Tayor. C., Navy corpsman)

2. Love Is Patient
"Love is something that grows over the course of time. It does not have a schedule. I have been married for twelve years now, and I can truly say that I love my wife more now than twelve years ago. “Patience” is definitely a key element in “Love”. Without patience, love will turn into hatred very quickly. When I met my wife about fifteen years ago, I didn’t love her as much then as I do now. There were times when she cried and I would ask “why are you crying?’ But if she were to cry now, I would start crying as well, without asking anything. I am at the point now where I can just look into her saddened eyes and tell what is wrong." D.L.

"Combat will cause growing pains in your personality. I am most thankful to my Lord Jesus for giving me the strength to survive and the constant strength to deal with the aftermath of war. PTSD is a curse I would not put upon my worst enemy. But one thing that has come of my experiences is that I have not had a bad day since August 2005. I have lost my best friend of 37 years in combat. Then my own experience of being caught in a deliberate attack that blew up my vehicle. I had to fire my weapon at the enemy, trying to kill him. I have no confirmation of any enemy dying, but I am an excellent marksman and I was trying. All of these are short abbreviations of what has been happening in my life. They have bound me to Christ in a way that goes straight to the soul of who I am. I live with the guilt of surviving combat and with the knowledge that I have committed the greatest of sins against humanity, the taking of another’s life. All of which has been forgiven by the Savior.

"I am amazed at how people will live their lives without any regard to the consequences of their actions. The truth of life is love. In the Christian belief Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. God himself gave up his human life as a sacrifice so that all other inequities are forgiven. With this act he only left us with one true Commandment, Love your neighbor as you love yourself. True Christian life is about serving others. I try to be a servant to those who need my assistance. It is a hard life to live. I am human and all the selfish tendencies that come with that. I am a work in progress!" ~G. C.

Sermon on the Mount Through a Soldier's Eyes
"Many of the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels can seem, on the surface, as contradictory, and these lessons are sometimes easily dismissed as antiquated, or out of touch and no longer useful to the modern world. However, what some people may consider contradictory, others may simply view as open to interpretation. Let us examine some of verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as an example, and attempt to apply them to modern life and the profession of arms:

In the Beatitudes of the book of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples that "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Interpreted at its most basic level, one might understand this lesson from Jesus to his followers as implying that if they fought, or waged war, they could not be considered true Christians. However, in the verse immediately proceeding this one, Jesus tells us that "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." To me, these statements must be read and interpreted together, and my resulting conclusion regarding what Jesus thought of warfare is that war, fought for the right reasons, is considered just. If a person fights another person to protect the innocent, or a country fights another country to depose a tyrant who is guilty of genocide, are these not two examples of being "pure in heart"? Further, the term "peacemaker" is open to wide interpretation, and does not necessarily mean Jesus was referring to those who were strict pacifists. In World War II, the Allied nations could easily be seen as "peacemakers", in that they undertook arms only to stop the belligerent Axis nations.

Jesus tells his disciples in verses 14 through 16 of chapter 5 that they are the light of the world, and they should not hide their worship of God, but instead let their light shine so that others might learn from their good works. I view this lesson as an analogue to much of what modern, democratic countries such as the United States try to teach people around the world regarding human rights and the value of democracy. When the U.S. military goes to war, it must follow strict rules of engagement, and is bound by moral principles such as those set out in the Geneva Conventions, regardless of if our adversaries adhere to these same rules or not. In fighting a war "the right way", the U.S. seeks to serve as an example to other nations and other peoples of the world. Some may consider the United State's continuing attempts to spread democracy to other nations as imperialistic, but to many Americans, it is simply our duty to "let our light shine".

Finally, in chapter 6, verses 14 and 15, Jesus reminds his disciples that we must forgive others the wrongs they have committed against us, in order for God to forgive the wrongs we ourselves have committed. This concept is applicable to Soldiers and warfighters everywhere, in that once an adversary is beaten, he is entitled humane and fair treatment, just as we would want for our own forces. If the United States conquers a country for whatever reason, upon defeating that country's army we do not slaughter it's civilians in retribution for the fight. Instead, we forgive whatever wrongs have been committed on both sides, and work together to forge ahead. It is as simple but important a concept as "treat others as you would be treated."

In taking a little time and thinking more about the concept that Jesus was trying to teach rather then taking his words at their most literal meaning, we can bring all of his teachings from the Sermon on the Mount into line with modern life." ~Brandon S.

4. Islamic Jihad

2007-09-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

The soldiers quoted in this chapter study passages from the Qu'ran and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) concerning Jihad. Our media continually conveys the meaning of this Muslim term as "holy war." But its literal meaning is, "To struggle in the path of God."

A Personal Witness to the Real Jihad
"When I am asked what jihad means to me, I know that hate-mongers and the media would want me to believe that it means to make war on all non-Muslims, and if they will not yield, to kill them. But here in Afghanistan, I see what jihad really means on a daily basis. Everyday, a group of local doctors and nurses come to work where I am at. All of them know that they could be killed for helping Americans and defying the Taliban's decree. I see the stress in their faces, the caution that they must take just to help their own people; and I see the real meaning of jihad. Jihad means to fight for what is right, to take care of the man or woman next to you, to protect."

The Four Points of Jihad
"After reading the Koran and essays by Islamic scholars, the term jihad became clearer to me. I was going to sit down and write about how jihad simply meant war against unbelievers, but that is untrue. There are only four instances in which it is ok to raise the sword in jihad, and they are: (1) if fighting is initiated by the unbelievers, (2) extreme persecution of the Muslims, (3) if the aim of the unbelievers is to destroy Islam, and its freedom of worship, and (4) self defense."

An Internet Dialog Between Soldiers on 'Jihad'
AJ: "Radical Islam preys on the uneducated and underprivileged. On an earlier post I wrote about the link between level of education and racism. The lower the level of education a person had, the more likely they were to be racist. The higher the level of education, the less likely they were to be racist. It is easy for radical Islamists to recruit in 3rd world countries because poverty is at a high level in these areas. Poor people are easy to persuade to do things for money. I think if we can educate more people we can fight the root of the problem. Unfortunately, I think there is enough poverty in this world to provide radical Islamics with plenty of recruits forever."

TG: "I totally agree. Radical Islam feeds on the uneducated, but at the same time that is the majority of the people in these countries. Females don't even have schools past Middle School, and most males don't either. They are taught the concept of Jihad from a corrupt point of view at an early age and taught to hate the Jews and hate the West. Radical Imams will preach death to the West from the Mosques, and these people are exellent propagandists. They use the media to their advantage and the West's political correctness against us. The majority of the people here in Iraq are sick of the violence and see the good we are doing here, rebuilding schools, getting sewage out of the streets, purifying water and helping them out, but then there are those radical factions that don't fight defensively but offensively."

His Jihad Was Keeping His Family Safe
"As in all religions, I feel there is always a good and a bad. When I was in Iraq, I talked to many local people who did not feel that the acts of the insurgency were real Jihad. I had an interpreter who would always try to teach us about a peaceful Islam. I recall him saying that he was in a Jihad for his family. His Jihad was keeping his family safe and raising his children. It was good to hear about this side of Islam and to know that the struggle (Jihad) for most Muslims was not all about war."

The Qur’an and The Bible
"In reading the passages from the Quran, they sound so familiar. So I asked one of my soldiers who is a Christian and reads the bible. I read these Quran passages to him, not telling him where they were from. I asked him where he would find these in scripture: in the New Testament or Old Testament. He answered, “the New Testament.” When I told him that they were actually surahs from the Quran, he was surprised. I also have a Muslim person in my unit and he is very knowledgeable on the Bible. I guess if we took the time and learned about their religion and they learned ours, we would understand each other a whole lot better."

Most Muslims Here Do Not Read the Qur’an
"I questioned some of the Muslim Afghans that I work with, and asked them why the Taliban act the way they do. They said that most Muslims here do not read the Qur’an but they rely on the imam, or what they call here the mullah, to relay the message. Most, according to my sources, live by the Muslim culture but do not delve into the Qur’an. I was told that most rely on the mullah, and his teaching is his work, and he is given money, food, and clothing. So I naturally assume that what the Taliban fight for is their local way of life and not the Qur’an. I think it's insulting to group the Islamic community into one, or say that the Taliban represent all Muslims."

Using Mosques for Jihad
“But fight them not near a holy mosque until they fight you there: then, if they fight you there, slay them: such is the recompense of unbelievers” (Quran) This is where the train falls off the rails for true believer in Islam fighting this war. On countless occasions the coalition forces have been attacked from Mosques. I have never heard of any US forces instigating a battle on the grounds of a Mosque. Every engagement that I have been involved in, dealing with a holy site, we were attacked; and the Iraqi Army was the only force to enter the Mosque out of respect for the Islamic faith. True believers would not use a Mosque to launch an attack. Often times, we have to pursue attackers as they flee away from mosques. If they were true of heart, they would stand their ground and defend that mosque until their end."

Jihad
“During the Crusades, where the intent was to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Lands from the Muslims, the Pope inspired the soldiers with religious rhetoric based in the Christian faith to justify the wars. During the turbulent American slave trade on through the civil war, many supporters of slavery justified the servitude of a race of people by using twisted excerpts from the Bible to show racial superiority and divine right.

“I believe that Jihad has been twisted in the same way by Muslim extremists. It suits their purpose de jour: they use it at every occasion show how the infidels are a threat to Islam.

“The word Jihad is further bastardized by our press and politicians to stoke the American public with fear and mistrust. It’s understandable why American Muslims are concerned and fearful. By the way, were we infidels when we helped Osama Bin Laden against the USSR in the 80’s?”

Jihad
“The word Jihad and the scripture of the Quran have surely been misused in modern day settings. This misuse is mostly blamed on extremist Muslims but the reality is that the Western media groups redefined the word Jihad to the world. It is just like the ancient Hindu symbol of a swastika that is now seen as a symbol of hate and violence, when truly it was a symbol of unity and peace. When you can put a label on evil that the world can recognize, it usually tends to stick even if it is something used out of context.

“If you look at things from a different viewpoint though, you can easily come to the conclusion that a true Jihad against Americans in the Middle East is justified. I am not talking about terrorists that attack us from our own planes, but about Middle Easterners who fight us on their own soil.

“The passage, Slay them wherever you come upon them and expel them from where they expelled you, for their persecution of you is a more grievous sin than your slaying of them, says to me simply: ‘Defend your homeland.

“We Americans seem to love liberating people but in truth, not everyone we liberate wants it."

Jihad and Jizrah
"I have done some research on the subject, having deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. As stated in the Qu'ran, 'If they surrender, there shall be no hostility, except for evil-doers.' On the other side, if their enemies don’t convert to Islam they must pay a heavy tax known as the Jizyah. It also states in the Quran 9:29; 'Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Fakhry’s Translation)' I have spoken to a lot of Iraqi’s and Afghan’s and some of them are the most peaceful and loving people I have met. But they also have stated that they don’t take the Qu'ran word for word, and those who do take the Qu'ran literally are called extremists."

Jihad
“ Jihad is a religious term and the war in the Middle East is a religious war even though our politicians don’t want to think so. This part of one of the passages really keys in on why we will never have peace in the Middle East “holy things demand retaliation, when desecrated.” I have been to Afghanistan for fourteen months and Iraq for twelve; there are many people there that if you mention the crusades to them will talk about it as if it happened yesterday. Middle Easterners have an outstanding faith and will remember what Americans are doing not as liberation but as conquest in years to come. They will remember how we desecrated their “holy things” and will “retaliate” in some way.

"Yes, Jihad is being misused by extremist and westerners alike; but it is also being used by people who, although we may not agree with them, are just fighting for their homelands.

"Note: I am in the Infantry and have seen more than one firefight where both sides were given the chance to see if their religion was the right one. I have seen the battle first hand so do not think that though I can see the viewpoint of my enemy that I sympathize with him."

Distortion of the Qu'ran In Iraq
"Last time I was in Iraq, I was assigned to work with an Iraqi Police unit. During the night there was a raid done by the police unit, and a lot of bomb making electronic equipment (over 200 pounds) was seized. The police unit found also some explosives, and they detonated them. That set fire to the house, which burned to the ground, along with some other structures. The next day, we were told that the Imam of the mosque down the street was inciting the locals to rise up against the American infidels. He was broadcasting the passage from the Koran you mentioned in the text; Whoever fights against you, do you fight against him to the same degree that he has done it against you...

"To make a long story short, he was told by the local Al-Qaeda cell that in the night the Americans had come and burned down the house of an old man and his daughters out of vengeance, and he must incite the citizens to rise up. Well, he did just that, and so did the locals, even though the local citizens new exactly what happened because they were all on the street watching!!! So, for three days we had bombs going off inside the town, fighting in the street, and bodies of Shiite’s all over the place. Al-Qaeda was using the Imam to incite the Sunni’s to kill them, and using the fire as cover to get the locals to do it.

"I want to believe that Arabs view the Koran as a justification to fight when the persecution of their religion and way of life has gone so far as to extinguish any and all hope of survival unless they fight back. Unfortunately, I believe that politician’s, clergy and anybody who would be in power or commit acts of terrorism, use the Koran to urge the people to more violent acts. Call it religious zealotry, or call it brain washing, they use the Koran to justify there actions. Yet I don’t recall any instance in the Koran that says that strapping a bomb to your chest and blowing yourself up in a marketplace is going to get you to heaven."

Exploiting the Disenfranchised
"It is an absolutely true statement that the insurgents use Mosques as caches. They know our ROE (Rules of Engagement for those reading this not read in on acronyms) and exploit it. As far as beheading it is simply a terrorist tactic used for shock effect, and it has undoubtedly worked. Most people loose sight of the fact that because of their tactics, we have been able to maintain the moral high ground. Imagine if we made a public display of dipping rounds in pigs blood. It is also funny to me that most people don't understand what a typical Muslim in Iraq is. The misconception most people have of Arabs being strict adherents to Islam is because they have never seen a group of Iraqis with a Maxim magazine. Another aspect that gets lost is the fact that a large portion of terrorist cell leaders in Iraq are not even Muslim. The amount of foreign mercenaries in place who simply like fighting is a fact that is equally neglected. Jihad, as its used by militants based on my experience, was simply a word used to motivate the

disenfranchised and weak minded, and the true motivation for the insurgency was purely political."

Islamic and Christian Concepts of God
(This is the conclusion of an essay written by a student who had recently been stationed in Iraq)

"In Islam, God's omnipotent nature is stressed above all else. He is the one, the only, and in control of everything. Christianity agrees with this, but also places self-imposed limitations on God's power, which Islam does not. The Muslim philosopher Ibn Hazn said that, "God is not bound even by his own word." With this, Christianity adamantly disagrees.

"God's goodness is no less stressed in Islam than in Christianity. The Koran refers to God over and over as "the Merciful, the Compassionate." However, in Christianity, God's power is limited by his goodness, whereas in Islam God's goodness is limited by his power.

"To be all good and all powerful simultaneously one of these natures must be limited. If God is all good, he cannot do evil. If God is all powerful, he can do whatever he so chooses. Ibn Hazm makes clear Islam's view on the matter. He states that God is not bound by rationality or by his own goodness, going as far as to state that God could command us to worship idols (considered to be the gravest of all sins in Islam) should he wish. Saint Paul, though, states the opposite of God, saying that God "cannot lie." (Titus 1:2) This, of course, is in direct contradiction to Ibn Hazm's statement that "God is not bound even by his own word.

"In Christianity, God's nature is one of goodness and logic first. God cannot contradict himself and his goodness. If "God is love" (1 John 4:16), as the Bible states, God cannot do what is not of love. Therefore, as the Pope tried to say, things such as violence are simply incompatible with the nature of God. God, in Christianity, is coherent and reasonable. While unattainable by human sense, God is at least, to a certain extent, understandable.

"In Islam, God is unlimited, even by his goodness. He can act in whatever way he chooses, doing good or evil. He can contradict himself, break his word, do violence or make peace. This is the essential difference between Christianity and Islam."

Essay On Islamic Jihad

The current war in Iraq and Afghanistan has wrongly become synonymous with Islamic Jihad. Jihad is the Islamic struggle to maintain the path of God, or Allah. The terrorist groups fighting against us today are in no way justified in claiming their actions as a Holy War. Despite western misconceptions of the term, Jihad, when applied correctly is a meaningful and righteous struggle to defend Islam. In the following paragraphs I will reflect on three Qu’ranic passages and discuss how the idea of Jihad should be a staple of every religion.

The idea that Jihad is the Islamic idea of destroying western civilizations could not be further from the truth. A true Jihad is fought from the defensive position. The Qu’ran states, “slay them wherever you come upon them and expel them from where they expelled you; for their persecution of you is a more grievous sin than your slaying of them”. This is an extremely important passage concerning the justification of a Holy War. Jihad does not involve going out and slaying all non-believers. It is a defensive struggle used when Islam is the victim of unjust persecutions. Unlike Christianity, Islam gives its followers the religious right to defend their beliefs whether on the battlefields of war or politics. However, persecution is not a green light for Muslims to wage total war. The Qu’ran also establishes important guidelines to ensure that Jihad retains its righteous focus.

The concept of a Holy War may seem like an oxymoron. However, The Qu’ran contains several passages used to guide Jihad. Such as, “fight in the way of God with those who fight you, but commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors”. Jihad is not to be undertaken with hatred in the heart. The entire concept is about ending persecution and protecting the Islamic way of God. Aggression is the fastest avenue towards evil, especially on the battlefield. Aggression clouds the mind and can become distracting. When I first encountered my enemy in Iraq I was filled with hatred, fear, and anger. As time has gone on, I no longer feel anger toward our enemies. It has become more like a game of chess, where afterwards we can shake hands and thank each other for the match. It is hard to describe, but the absence of anger and aggression does much for the soul. It is clear why the Qu’ran establishes this guideline to keep the Holy War holy.

Perhaps the most important guideline the Qu’ran imposes on Jihad is the effort to reestablish peace between the involved parties. This is evident from the verses, “but if they surrender, surely God is all-forgiving and all-compassionate” and “if they surrender, there shall be no hostility, except for evil-doers”. When one party concedes, it is the end of the war. Both forces must then extend the olive branch recognize that the outcome has been decided. Jihad is about ending persecution which interferes with the path of God, and therefore should not be used to persecute another party. In the ideal Holy War, equality is achieved and that is where the line is to be drawn. There is nothing just about subjecting the defeated to the same persecutions which the victor had fought to overcome. The Qu’ran does not submit the idea that war is avoidable. Instead it wisely notes that after the battle we must once again become neighbors on the same planet.

In conclusion, Jihad is not the Islamic attempt to rid the world of other beliefs which it has become associated with. Instead, the concept of a morally justified defense from religious persecution is only way a war can truly be fought in the name of God. The guidance the Qu’ran offers on this matter would benefit all religions who adopted the ideas. It is at the hands of extremists that religion has become a dividing factor among the world. Defense of religious persecution is the only justifiable cause to pick up the sword, and do so in the name of God.

(Uriah T.)

5. Tao of Peace, Art of War

2007-09-16T14:40:00.001-07:00

Students in this class read passages of Laotzu's classic 'Tao Te Ching' and Sun T'zu's ancient military treatise, 'Art of War.' The relationship between Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism in China is problematic because they thoroughly inter-penetrated. Equally problematic is the relationship between war and peace in Chinese philosophy. Those who expect a rigid distinction between the 'art of peace' and the 'art of war' impose European moral dichotomies onto a philosophy whose heart is paradox: the integration of opposites.

Laotzu sounds pacifist, but the application of his teachings to combat by later Taoists spawned the martial arts. Peace-loving Buddhist monks practiced these martial arts for self-defense in a land governed by violent war lords. The same principles that govern a peaceful state may win a war with minimal violence. Taoist principles like Wei Wu Wei (doing without doing), the force of Yin (the feminine), and the triumph of water over rock (soft over hard), were used by Vietnam to defeat mighty Western armies. Whether or not Sun T'zu was Taoist, Confucian, or preceded both of them, he is part of the matrix of Chinese wisdom, and he is still studied in military history courses.

Excellent Essay on Sun T'zu's 'Art of War'

One of the greatest pieces of literature on war is "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. It was most likely written over 2500 years ago and it is still used today at West Point. In Vietnam, captured Viet Cong officers could recite entire passages of this document. It is on the Marine Corps' recommended reading list and it is required reading for all CIA officers. To merely say this is an important war strategy manual is to deny the book enough credit.

Sun Tzu truly understood the concept of waging war. He understood that loses were to be suffered and sacrifices were to be made, but he also knew that complete annihilation of one's enemy was not necessary, and there were better strategies than just killing the enemy's people.

"It is only when one is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that one can understand the profitable way of carrying it out." This basically says that only someone who has suffered the atrocities of war knows a better way to wage it. Someone who was tortured in interrogation camps or lost a father to war or whose fields were burned during a siege knows fully how devastating a war can be, and therefore also knows a way to wage war without committing such atrocities.

One of Sun Tzu's main points in "The Art Of War" is that great victories aren't won by fighting. "Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemies resistance without fighting." He adds, " The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdoms without lengthy operations in the field." Not only did Sun Tzu know how to fight, he knew that the best way to wage war was not to fight.

The most economically draining thing a society can do is wage a lengthy war: as seen now in our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sun Tzu knew the best way was to either intimidate the enemy into not fighting, or to govern one's own kingdom in such a way that one's enemy would rather join and be a part of it than fight against it.

Sun Tzu was truly a master in "The Art Of War." (Mst. Sgt. Bradford C.)

There Are Really No Rules In War

“Battles can only be won if rules are broken” (Tao Te Ching). This statement reminds me of Iraq, because everything that we do over in Iraq is not always right. In war you have to learn to adapt to your environment, and be able to make quick smart decisions, for survival. I have seen leaders act out of character, not even considering regulation or standard procedures in order to find out answers in certain incidents. No war is fault clean, all the proper rules of engagement are not always followed, and a lot of paper gets tampered with to paint a pretty picture for the public. Yes, on paper there may be rules to follow, but there are no real rules in war.

'Art of War' In Iranian Strategy
"In the Art of War, Sun-Tzu wrote, The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

"At the basis of this verse is the Taoist belief that small states should surrender to larger states without a fight because, warring is useless and wasteful. The principle is demonstrated in Iran's successful takeover of Iraq's government, army, and police.

"Without firing a round themselves, Iran has placed it's Shiite Muslim loyalists in top political positions through the so-called democracy that the United States put into place. They use Pro-Iranian political parties like the Islamic Dawa Party, Office of the Martyr Sadr, and the Supreme Islamic Council to control Iraq. Iraq's police and army consist almost exclusively of members of the Office of the Martyr Sadr - mostly from its military wing, Jaysh Al-Mahdi - and the Supreme Islamic Council - mostly from its military wing, Badr Corps."

Commentary On a Verse of Sun T'zu
“In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it. (“Art of War,” Sun Tzu) With me being a Military man and studying battle tactics, I see this principle demonstrated time and time again, most recently in Iraq. We came in and destroyed more than we needed to and now we are rebuilding. The Iraqi military was basically eliminated when they where needed most. Now we are putting in billions of dollars and countless hours rebuilding the Iraqi military so it can defend itself."

Know Your Enemy, 1
"If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. This verse teaches us that with every battle against our enemy, even if it ends in victory, the enemy is getting to know us and our tactics better and better. Our military today does not know the enemy we are fighting. But the terrorists in Iraq know us all too well. They are able to predict our next move and know when we are going to strike.”

Know Your Enemy, 2
"In The Art of War, Sun T'zu states, 'If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.'

"I think that our country has proven this statement time and time again, the most recent being with the Iraq war. It is true that the war was quick, but it is our lack of knowledge of the enemy that keeps the conflict going. Our Army demolished the Iraqi Army with little effort, and yet here we are, years later, and still not done. We knew what we could do. We knew the kind of power our weapons had. However, we did not know the average Iraqi citizen, or the effect that he would have on our ability to accomplish victory. And thus with this war, for all the victory gained, we have truly suffered a defeat."

Lao-tzu's Rules of War
"Lao-tzu writes: Kingdoms can only be peaceful if rules are followed. Battles can only be won if rules are broken. I am in a battle now, while in Iraq I have seen how following the rules can hinder our action of obtaining the information we have to get, to receive the upper hand on the war on terrorism. Some times I feel that the Geneva Convention is a hindrance in our efforts to capture the enemy. We have to capture them a certain way or doing a certain thing. Then we have to baby them and care for them like they are our friends. I work in a detention facility watching detainees for twelve hours a day. Some things we can not do to them are raise our voices at them or be hatful to them in any way. I understand that the enemy is human and that we should care for them like they are human and treat them as such. But sometimes I think they know our hands are tied because of the rules we follow. This is why we have to bend the rules “not always break the rules” in order to win. I feel that if we show them that we are going to win this war and not worry if we offend them they will quit fighting as much. Right now the enemy feels they are winning because we follow the rules and we lose the battle. Those who break the rules win the battle."

An NCO Is Like Water
"Lao-tzu writes: Nothing is softer or gentler than water: but nothing is its equal in destroying what is hard. Water is soft and gentle but when confronted it is fierce and unstoppable. I think that is a lot like our NCO core in the military. NCO's need to be soft and gentle to be approachable for teaching. They also need to be fierce when teaching soldiers how to fight."

Reading Taoist Philosophy
“I appreciate the words of Lao-tzu in his statement that, "Nothing under Heaven is softer or more yielding than water; but when it attacks things hard and resistant there is not one of them that can prevail." This statement coincides closely with what the book of Proverbs in the Bible says about the heart being the "wellspring of life", and how everything we speak and think flows forth from that "water" source. I know in my own life that my attitudes and actions are the result of one of two responses from my heart: humility (softness or gentleness), or the stone wall of pride--a powerful will that does not move except by the touch of God. That the same heart can produce two such profoundly different responses is a truth eloquently expressed by Lao-tzu.

“On the other side of the same coin, the philosopher states later in the same passage that "the yielding conquers the resistant and the soft conquers the hard". The strength of gentle speech and a response that is non-violent is contrary to popular propaganda and is atypical in the world today. If we could wrap our minds around this reverse psychology, we might begin to see change in the violent tendencies that are so prevalent in our world today.

Lao-Tzu, Sun-Tzu, and Machiavelli
"Sun Tsu wrote, "All warfare is based on deception." A line from Laotzu in our assignment says, "Battles are only won if rules are broken." I find it amazing that thousands of years old texts can bring insight into modern times. In an age where warfare is defined as "asymmetric" the principle of "framework operations" based on deception and coercion are alive and well.

"Sun Tsu was and still is very profound to anyone who views warfare as a craft and his most famous work calls it an "Art". The overall theme of his writing is to make the enemy fight on your terms rather than his. Today we call it "framework operations" and that is how I interpret Sun Tzu's concept of "attacking the enemy's strategy" rather than attacking the enemy directly.

"Laotzu says: 'The adherence of all under heaven can only be won by letting alone". He also states: "So long as I act only by non-action, the people will of themselves become prosperous." These verses bring a point of contention for me. I find myself much more cynical in my view of mankind. More reflective of my view on government and leadership is Machiavelli: "Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it." While I am not quite THAT cynical of the nature of man, I do feel that the large majority of people are driven toward moral responsibility not by their innate goodness, but their fear of repercussion through either worldly law or the fear of hell.

"No place is this more evident than among the people of Iraq. In both my tours of duty I observed how the infrastructure of the entire nation literally fell apart once Saddam was removed from power. To our folly we had assumed that the nation did not need such a tyrannical ruler. Even after 6 years the government is in shambles due to the overlooked fact that man by nature is selfish and in particular in the region, worries about himself before all other things. Men turned on their neighbors and clans on other clans, simply due the the fact that the repercussions were taken away. One particular example that stands out in my mind is watching a Iraqi Police officer literally taking a soccer ball out of the hands of a crying child whom only minutes before had received it from a soldier. One will see occurrences like this on a daily basis over there, so the concept brought forth in these readings of a Utopian concept of trusting man to live without enforced laws and prohibitions, may be poetic but misses the true nature of men."

Commentary on a Verse from 'The Art of War'
"Thus the highest form of generalship is not to attack the enemy, but to attack the enemy's strategy. This reminds me of the 'wu wei' principle, or 'action without action' in Taoism. This principle holds that what appears weak may actually be a display of strength. A good example is water. Sitting still, it is moldable, completely passive; but anyone who has ever been caught in a storm at sea knows that it is one of the most awesome forces on earth. Even a gently flowing stream over centuries can carve rock. 'Conventional' military war strategy often believes that the best defense is a good offense. However, the BEST strategy is to know your opponent's strategy. By NOT immediately fighting the opposition, but instead appearing peaceful and refusing to fight while studying one's opponent, one will learn how best to defeat that opponent, while possibly frustrating him in the meantime, and thereby weakening him. M.W.

On a Verses from 'The Art of War'
"The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness."

" I completely disagree with this statement. The commander that I see has none of these traits. The commander I see is corrupt and crooked, deceitful and foolish. In today’s wars, we don’t fight each other to protect any one. We fight each other because it’s convenient. We fight wars so the higher echelons can collect bloody revenue from oil and land. This statement is how a commander should be, but isn’t.

"In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it."

"This is another statement relevant to the war in Iraq. This would have been a good strategy to use when we started this war on “terror,” but we didn’t apply this strategy at all. Every thing that has or had value in Iraq is now destroyed because we invaded Iraq. This country is useless to a point where the people of Iraq don’t even want it any more themselves, much less the U.S. This is another good statement that the “Commander” should have applied to his little war on terror Iraq invasion tactic.

"Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

"I like this statement because it a good strategy if you can actually pull it off, but it will never work in today’s world."

Taoism: Wisdom of Experience
“The line I want to comment on is, Only he who has accepted the dirt of the country can be lord of its soil-shrines. I take this to mean that if you haven’t tried something yourself, you have no knowledge on which to talk, and any thoughts you may have on that subject are prejudiced or preconceived. Even if you have studied something for a long time, if you don’t have first-hand knowledge of it, you can’t be an expert. That’s what I teach my soldiers. I ask, “In what Field Manual do you find experience?” They usually don’t like to admit they don’t know, so they hazard a guess. No matter what their reply, though, I tell them, “Wrong. You can’t get experience from a book. You have to live it."

Geneva Conventions and Laotzu
"Laotzu's line, Battles can only be won if rules are broken, really hit home with me. I've been serving in Iraq for nearly four months now, and never have I seen that phrase make more sense than over here. Coalition forces, for the most part, have strict guidelines we must abide by while we are here. It's obvious how far that's gotten us. Meanwhile, insurgents are planting bombs in markets, making attacks during a holy month, and using women and children to aid their brutal campaign. I have personally dealt with a detainee, and not only did we act in accordance of the Geneva Convention, we fed the guy. This is us following the rules. I do not expect the same treatment if I was to ever be captured. They break the rules and secure themselves small victories, while we follow the rules of war and struggle to keep our heads above the water. "

Not Following the Rules
Tao Te Ching Chapter LVII: "Kingdoms can only be governed if rules are kept, battles can only be won if rules are broken" This passage grabbed me when I read it. I was deployed to Iraq in 2005. The country was falling apart because the citizens there were not following the rules or the laws of the land. The country or kingdom was in total chaos. We were brought into the country to regain order or fight this battle against the Iraqi insurgents. These insurgents attack American Soldiers with no remorse or respect for the laws of war. They cut the heads off of prisoners, set up road -ide bombs and booby-trap innocent women and children. With all these obstacles placed in front of American soldiers, we are still required to win this war by following all the rules. After seeing many of my battle buddies die, I find myself wishing that we could go back to the old days."

Commentary On a Verse of Lao-tzu
"The more laws that are made by government, the more thieves and vagabonds will arise in the land. ('Tao Te Ching')

"I am reminded of a lower enlisted Marine many years ago. This Marine lived in base housing and had a family to feed and payday was not close enough. He was turned down for food stamps and needed food desperately, so he went out and shot a deer on base and was cleaning it in his tub. Unfortunately, there had been numerous rapes on base, and MPs were making rounds and found this guy covered in blood. He was charged for a terrible crime because he was not permitted to hunt on base. Thankfully, this man’s commander felt that it was just a good time to get the guy some financial help and the case was dropped....

"There are definitely laws made that are completely ineffective. In South Carolina, there is one that states that a man must not beat his wife on the steps of the courthouse… on Sundays."

Commentary On a Verse of Lao-tzu
"Nothing under heaven is softer or more yielding than water; but when it attacks things hard and resistant, there is not one of them that can prevail. " ('Tao Te Ching')

"Water is a kingdom unto itself, if we look at the way it moves and how it affects our world. Sometimes water breaks the rules of life in order to give us a deeper appreciation of life.

"Water is a force gentle and loving, yet a force to be reckoned with. It can refresh, sustain and give life to a dying body, or bring death to the masses... I think about the tsunami in Thailand and Indonesia, how people were washing their clothing with water before the tsunami hit. Fisherman were fishing in water, trying to catch life-sustaining food for themselves and their families. Near-by, there was a water purification plant used to make this same water a drinkable substance. But in a moment, a shift occurred below the ocean, arousing and awakening a beast in hibernation, one that doesn't want to be moved or touched for a season because it's time is not yet. The hard part about this is that you have to love the beast for who it is, because although it can be a source of death, it can also be a source of life."

The Weak Can Conquer the Strong
"The weak are conquerors of the strong, the pliable are conquerors of the rigid. In the world every one knows this, but none practice it".

"As a veteran who served a year in Iraq, I find this quote to be very true. While I do believe that Americans will win the war on terrorism, I also believe that we underestimated our opponent. We didn't expect them to be as smart and cunning as they are. The technology that they are using is far better than I would have expected. We went over their with our chests puffed up, not thinking that we could ever be pushed back. I pray every night that Americans would humble themselves and learn to respect their opponents on all sides."

The Iraq War Through Sun Tz'u's Eyes
* It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

"In the light of Sun T’zu, I cannot help but think that Taoist philosophy goes against everything regarding war and profit (which I think are different sides of the same coin). From my point of view, this reminds me of all the times that I and my comrades said, 'Every politician who supports this war, and is getting paid by it, should have to send their children to the line units in Irag/Afghanistan.' I truly believe that until one has fought in a war, toe-to-toe with the enemy, they shouldn’t be sending troops and dictating rules of engagement when life and death are at stake for soldiers.

* In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it.

"Ironically, since Taoists believe in discarding profit, any war would violate Taoist philosophy, since all wars are fought over profits. Some people believe that wars are fought over religious ideals, but the reality is, even with ideals, someone at the top is getting paid.

"In the modern sense, this passage has particular significance to me. I remember being a freshmen in high school and hearing General Colin Powell describe what is now known as the Powell Doctrine: Attack with an overwhelming force, have the support of your nation, and have an exit strategy. When I read this passage by Sun T'zu, I think of the current war in Iraq, and the hole that our military has dug itself into. I compare this to the Ottoman empire, how they practiced the policy laid out by Sun T'zu: invade, mantain the local native police force, since they know the culture, then install an Ottoman chief to monitor them. I note how this policy was totally ignored by American leaders. Now our military must become the police, and train corrupt new local recruits. And yet we expected this war to be over, by magic, in one day.

* If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle.

"As a soldier, I can’t help but think of the people running our military. So often I feel as if they have no clue who their enemy is, or who their soldiers are. The lessons laid out by Sun T'zu are so simple, but as modern corporations strive for profits (including the corporation we call our Army), the lessons are ignored by incompetent leaders."

Five Essentials for Victory
Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory:
(1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
(2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.
(3) He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
(4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.
(5) He will win who has freedom in strategic decisions, and is not interfered with by the emperor....

"The five essentials for victory sound like something today’s officers would learn in training. 1. Assess your enemy and pick your battles, only fighting when you know you can win. 2. Winning means knowing how to work with people above you in your chain of command but you must have the respect of your subordinates. 3. It takes motivated troops to win in battle and maintain readiness throughout times of peace. 4. Training battle drills until they become instinct makes your unit react quickly to combat situations. The element of surprise can help you overwhelm an unsuspecting enemy. 5. Micromanagement of subordinates leads to predictability and causes dissension in the ranks. The army would say do your job and delegate responsibility to your small unit leaders."

6. The Bhagavad Gita

2007-09-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

In the Hindu classic, Bhagavad Gita, the Lord appears to the warrior Arjuna on the battlefield, teaching the philosophy of devotion: not to make him a pacifist, but a better soldier. For that is his duty, his Dharma, and to fulfill one's Dharma with devotion the path to salvation. But this warrior path is only righteous when the war is just, preserving the order of civilization. That is the Gita's teaching, studied by these soldiers.

"Krishna delivers this teaching to Arjuna; a soldier, because Arjuna is struggling with the fact that the upcoming battle is pointless and that no good can come of it. Krishna is telling Arjuna that he can neither destroy nor be destroyed as ultimately everything we perceive to be real is just like a dream.

"Krishna also reminds Arjuna of his place in this world or caste as a soldier or Kshatriyas, and that his duty in this life is to fight, thereby avoiding Karma, the force that binds us to an endless cycle of reincarnation.

"As a soldier who has seen battle, I was very interested in this passage and read it many times. In every firefight I have been in I entered a state of mind which I can only describe as blankness. I never worried about dying or killing: it was my job and it was no more a significant event than shaving. Many of my soldiers have experienced this same feeling. It is interesting to me that the heart of what Krishna is teaching to Arjuna is that he should be free from worry and just fight because he is a soldier, as I have felt this way and seen it in many of my soldiers as well."

7. Many Branches, One Tree

2007-09-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

'In all religions, if you dig deep enough, you will find the branches of another religion within its roots.' (Keegan B.)

One
"When we compare religions and how people worship there are innumerable differences, but there is one common denominator and that is God. It does not matter whether God is called Allah, El, YHWH, or Ishvara; he is worshiped and revered because he is the One." (Stephanie L.)

The Value of Prayer
"My first tour in Iraq, I saw very minimum praying by my soldiers. I guess we were too focused and confident in our jobs that we did not thing of the dangers. The second tour I saw more soldiers praying before missions and asking for a safe return. I also saw the numbers increase when our unit started to experience several of our soldiers being injured or killed. This is when I started seeing soldiers praying in groups instead of by themselves. It was during my third tour that I started to join them in prayer before missions. I’ve never been a person that you would call religious. It wasn’t until my third tour that I started to understand the comfort that praying brings in people, as it did to me and my men." (A. H.)

Synthesizing Faith From Diverse Religions
"I have been to

Iraq

every year since 2003. I once felt that this country was nothing more than sand and heat, until I began studying World Religions. I realize that I am in a country with so much history and the setting for many biblical stories; I am walking on the same soil that figures from the Bible may have stood upon! I have opened my eyes to the other cultures around me and respect their customs and religions more. I even have a desire to travel all over the world to visit different religious shrines and significant historical sites.

"For the first time in my life, an inner light is starting to shine and I feel moments of peace... I thought I was confused about my religion only because I was interested in learning about others and even considered converting, but a person can appreciate and find beauty in different religions without disrespecting their own beliefs. My outlook on life is comprised of several small segments from different religions and belief systems. I feel that everyone can take a little from each and apply them to their daily lives. I do believe that no matter which religion is practiced, you are praising God and seeking goodness in your life worthy of God’s love."

A Soldier's God
"He is your inner being, helping you to decide what is right and what is wrong."

Faith Overcomes Fear
“How do we train not to fear death, when fear of death is human nature? You cannot train someone not to fear death, but I believe faith in God and the understanding of life after death gives you the strength to accept death. I was not a man of faith during Desert Storm, but I was fearless on the battlefield when I was inside my tank. Yet when I got out of the tank, I did not have the same sense of security and I did experience fear for my life. Then I became a man of faith. This was just before Operation Iraqi Freedom. Here, I ride through the streets of Baghdad in a vehicle with plastic doors: yet I have peace of mind, a sense of security ,and no fear of death. God is awesome!”

A Vision of Humanity
"I have spent many many months in Iraq and have had the opportunity to interact with the people and communities here. There are bad people in all cultures and religions. Much the same way that Christians tried to justify the crusades, so do some Muslims attempt to justify terror as a legitimate Jihad. Sure we do get attacked and the enemy is always present, but from what I have seen the majority of the population here are peaceful, beautiful people.

Too often the images shown of Muslims through our news and papers involves very serious, unfriendly looking males and females who are not treated well, and who have little respect for life and those around them. I have had the opportunity to speak with the people here and to see the way that they interact with their families. I have seen a man kicking a soccer ball with his young son who was badly injured in a vehicle-born IED attack. He had the same look of love and caring in his eyes and on his face that we are used to seeing at home. They laugh, and joke and love each other. Most seem to be at peace with their lives and the situations in which they find themselves. And for as much as I don't want to be here, I am honored every time I am able to help one of the people here, or just to make a child smile. Despite all the hardships they face, the kids here genuinely appear to be happy. "

The Essence of Spirituality
"I've been a Soldier for 16 years.... I deployed to a war zone with the infantry in March 2003, and during that time, I had plenty of opportunities to reflect on my spirituality. I found that my "religion" and view of worship had substantially changed. My "religion" now revolves around what we were taught as children. Treat others and you would like to be treated. Practice the Golden Rule. I believe that all the goodness you inject into the universe finds a way of returning to you. I am trying to love strangers as I do my family and have found that, in doing so, some of those strangers have become my family."

Religion Can Build Us Up Or Tear Us Down
(This portion of an essay from Mike Hodgin offers an Emersonian reflection on the philosophy of religion, and our responsibility in using or misusing aith.)

"In the same way that religion is grand and mystical, it is also subject to us. In the same sense that religion builds us up, it can also tear us down. Religion can be made to justify the greatest of human evils, just as it can encourage the best of all virtues. Religion, as the fulfillment of our needs, can be made subservient to our vices. It is strange to think that ideas as grand in scope as divinity and perfection can be corrupted to the point that they are used for evil. But it is true; if men are corruptible, then it follows that religion, as an aspect of men, is corruptible as well.

"All religions tend to this duality. Large and profound beyond our comprehension, they are also subject to our interpretations. We are subject to religion by the need of it, and religion is subject to us by our perception. If I have learned anything about religion, it is that I should take great care with it; for religion, in all its magnificent and glorious scope, is very delicate, and just the slightest injury can shatter it.

"It speaks to mankind's benefit that he should have such a need. A natural need of something larger and greater than ourselves only recommends our humility. And a natural need for justification only represents our conscience and our longing for righteousness. Is it wrong to infer that something better than ourselves, something more majestic and incapable of our own fallacies, should have instilled this need in us? It is impossible to say with any objectivity, of course, as I am just as subject to the need as any other, but it is good to hope."

God's Beauty in Iraq
"I truly realized the meekness of GOD the first night I spent in Iraq, gazing at the beauty of the night sky, and marveling at how the stars seemed as if I could jump and pull one out of the sky. It was a beautiful sight and I gazed all night, all given by the grace of GOD.

"Through the convoys, the mortars, and the gunfire, I understand that the GOD I serve holds all authority over life and death. I need not learn so much on my own understanding, reasoning. Through faith, the simple things: water to drink that is not in a bottle, the sun, the rain, the hot and the cold. Even dealing with people who don’t agree with me: this forces me to accept the fact that we all have opinions, so why get angry?

"More than anything, I enjoy sharing GOD's love with people. Through a simple hello, one can share GOD's Love. People say that I will talk to anyone, and I recently realized why. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you are, or what you do, I love to share myself with a simple hello: but moreso, a smile. Smiling makes my heart feel GOOD. My heart is where GOD dwells within me, which reflects in my smile, and makes my smile say, HELLO….

"Through Love comes acceptance: so what is there to hate?"

No Reasoning with Fanatics
"I've had Islamic friends for many years. I lived in Saudi Arabia immediately after the 1st Gulph War and still have a very high regard for Muslims. But when I served in Iraq, I was disgusted by our enemy, and their distorted interpretation of Jihad and God's law. One of my interpreters there was a very devout Shiite, and he told me that the insurgency was upset with their religious leader because he wouldn't declare Jihad on the Americans. But there are rules to declaring Jihad. Considering the reasons given by the insurgents, their Jihad would be against the rules of Islam, and therefore against God.

"I've found no greater hypocrisy than when I've dealt with religious fanatics. And I'm not singling out Mulsims. I attended a Baptist university and dealt with my share of fanatics there. Their hypocrasy was rapant. I think that fanaticism stems from people wanting things to apply only to them. When Itzak Rabin was assassinated by a right wing Jewish extremist, his own countryman, I felt that there truly was no reasoning with religious fanatics. How unfortunate it is to live in a world of technology and communication, only to be a couple of steps from the crusades and inquisition."

God Courses Through the Veins of All Faiths
(This perceptive and eloquent essay on religious pluralism was written by Casey Normon.)

"Being raised in a Christian church, I had never really thought about the exclusivity of the Church. I was taught from an early age that, “we were right.” I never really thought about whether or not anyone else could be “right” to. After many years of education, particularly in the history of Christianity, it became impossible to reconcile what I knew about religion and what I was being told. When religions have evolved as we have, can a singular religion be “right” or “true” as opposed to another? Religions overlap and intermingle. As in evolutionary theory, one can assume that religions can be traced back to a common origin. If all religion is of a single source, then no one religion can be superior to another. All things are relative. God's revelation has been adapted as relevant to different cultures. But the universal truth of God courses through the veins of all faiths.

"Prior to the Babylonian Captivity in 538 BCE, Judaism gave little thought to the afterlife. After their captivity, the Jews embraced what can only be assumed to be remnants of Persian Zoroastrianism, the religion of their captors. The concepts of judgment, heaven, hell, Satan, the afterlife: all were foreign to Judaism prior to the Exile. Monotheism and free-will, which are essential to Judeao-Christian belief, are also present in the teachings of Zoroaster. We almost certainly derived our eschatology from Zoroastrianism. Prior to the captivity, the Hebrews believed that the dead lived in a place called Sheol, eventually vanishing into oblivion. In post-exilic Judaism, a person’s soul is judged by God and accordingly rewarded or punished.

"Zoroastrianism is sometimes referred to as dualistic, meaning that two higher powers compete for the control of the universe. The evil spirit in Zoroastrianism is Shaitan, or Satan as we’ve come to know him. The influence of Shaitan has created an interesting dynamic in Judaism, and subsequently in Christianity. God created the universe, and rules it with omniscient and omnipresent power. Yet there is Satan, whom God created. Therefore Satan cannot be equal to God, but can compete with Him.

"Judaism has perhaps affected its daughter, Christianity, more than any other faith. In common, we have our monotheism, albeit somewhat altered. It could be said that without an understanding of Judaism, one cannot understand Christianity. This is due to the fact that the founder of Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth, was Jewish, as were most of his early followers. Early church buildings were designed like synagogues. The Lord’s Supper was based on the Jewish Passover meal, or seder. Baptism recalls the ritual cleansing in the mikvah before entering the Temple, a familiar symbolic act to the Jews of Jesus’ time. To Christians, this Baptism symbolizes cleansing before entering the eternal Temple: the Body of Christ. Like the Jews, Christians also inherited the eschatology of Zoroastrianism. And from Judaism, Christians inherited a Biblical respect for the Law. Our rules and rituals are set out in a legal canon.

"Turning Eastward, we also find an evolving pluralism. In India, Buddhism grew out of Hinduism much in the same way that Judaism took on aspects of Zoroastrianism, and Christianity was an extension of Judaism. Just as Christianity is a refined way of reaching God, Buddhism is a refined way of reaching the soul's enlightenment and release, the ultimate goal of Indian religion. Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, was a Hindu prince, much in the same way that Jesus was a Jew, born in the lineage of King David. In both Hinduism and Buddhism, meditation is an important method for reaching enlightenment. Both faiths believe in reincarnation. Neither religion proselytizes. Both value non-violence (ahimsa). Hinduism teaches that suffering one's negative karma with dispassion is a valuable way to reach enlightenment. Similarly, the Buddha taught dispassionate acceptance of the First Noble Truth: 'all life is suffering.'

"The point of all this is that no religion can be 'right' when every religion has evolved, changed, transformed, and renewed itself in some way. Reflecting on my experiences in the Church, and studying Church history, it became apparent to me that my Church could not be the one and only true church, or the only way to salvation. No single religion was conceived out of the blue, out of context, straight from the lips of God. It struck me that my protestant Church practiced baptism and communion much like the Roman Catholic Church. In reading the Bible, how would I take the words of Jesus, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body”? How do these words pertain to me, now, two thousand years later? In what way do I repeat that same feast? Of course, this is a tradition we received from the Catholic Church, through our protestant forebears, passed down to the modern Church of Christ.

"In reaching this understanding about Christianity, I come to the same conclusion about other faiths as well: that all are equal and valid. I am a Christian, because that is the context through which I understand God, but that does not negate the validity of the faiths of others."

The Family
"The thing that binds me back would have to be my family, not just my biological family, but the massive family that I have accumulated since I joined the Army. They are there when the bullets are flying by and the beers are being passed out. I am currently on my 3rd deployment since Sept 11. Since I have joined the Army I have been all over the world and seen just about how everyone lives. I have worked with people from many different cultures and religions. The thing I find most interesting is that we all want the same thing, for our children to grow up in a safe place and to be a little better off than their parents. I believe there is a God and that people should be allowed to worship God however they see fit. I also believe you don’t have to go to a church or a designated place to worship God; he is everywhere and is always watching and listening. Many people believe that we are fighting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for oil. I am not fighting for oil. I am fighting to make sure that the Soldiers I came here with make it home to see their loved ones again."

Essay On Religious Tolerance, by Kenneth K.
"Growing up in a Christian home in rural Maine provided me with a truly biased education on other religion. My parents were like Edith and Archie Bunker, my mom being blissfully ignorant but having good intentions and my father being prejudice which came from isolation from the world and not out of hatred. You might think that the following observations are racist and hateful; I assure you they are not. Maine is one of the least populated states in terms of density. In the 1970’s and 1980’s the minority population was approximately 1%. Opinions of other cultures and faiths were usually gained by television or word of mouth. It was easy to live life without interacting with non-white Christians, they just didn’t exist. I love my parents and know they meant well, but they were so far from the truth.

"Very little mention was made of other faiths in my home. I knew my father had been Catholic and my mother attended a Congregational church. I had heard of other religions, I saw Southern Baptists in movies and had driven past a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall. Other than television I had never seen a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh. We never talked about the Jewish faith except for some “enlightening” social-economic observations my father had.

"As a teenager I began to read more books and talked to different people outside my family. I found out that Christianity sprang from Judaism and that they believed in the same God. As I have grown older I have become more aware of the common ties between the two. Before this course I had never known that the relationship was more similar to father and son than broth and sister. I didn’t know that the Pentateuch of the Bible was the same as the Torah. The text has taught me of the Diaspora and the extent that the Jewish people have been persecuted over the centuries. I had also known of the Crusades, but had never known their affect on the Jewish people “Jewish communities all over Europe, particularly those in the Rhineland, were ravaged by the Crusaders. Many were killed, others forced to convert to Christianity, and still others committed suicide.” (Hopfe and Woodward). The Holocaust was a truly horrible event in mans history, but it often overshadows other events of lesser magnitude.

"As I have said before, I have known of the unity between Judaism and Christianity. Through talking to friends and coworkers over the years I have also learned of the ties between Christianity and Islam. I have always believed in a common thread between most religions, but have never had that concept demonstrated in a religion. Then I read the chapter on Baha’i. The concept of religious unity taught by the Baha’i is very appealing to me. In Religions of the World we learn that “The basic belief of Baha’i is that all religions come from the same source.” (Hopfe and Woodward). Coincidentally there was a Baha’i center near my home town. My father and I passed it every time we went fishing at our favorite beach. I didn’t know it was a religious center and I regret not being able to visit now.

"Baha’i is very appealing to me because of its religious truths including: “There is oneness of the entire human race…” and “All forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class related, or national, are condemned.” (Hopfe and Woodward). These ideas are very important to me and I hold them dear to my heart. I was struck with the concept of universal peace regardless of religion: “The establishment of a permanent and universal peace should be the supreme goal of humankind.” (Hopfe and Woodward). I look forward to further investigation of this faith...

"I now understand that not all Christians are intolerant. Unfortunately, it is not the moderate Christians that make the impression, but the ones who judge and attempt to convert with a sheer bombardment of Scripture. I was feeling this way with a fellow student in this class until I read the chapter on Buddhism. I conducted the Relaxation exercise during the discussion board and was able to look at this person with a new perspective. I then read the chapter on Taoism and was able to see things with even clearer eyes. I am glad I did, because I normally wouldn’t be able to read Biblical verses without being prejudiced. I say this because I feel fortunate to have been able to read the real teachings of Christ and the exquisite words of I Corinthians:

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices at right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

"I realize now that people who act this way do not always do so out of malice, but out of an inability to face people without the shield of their faith. They use their faith as a compass, a guide and sometimes even a crutch. It is the nature of faith to depend on that same faith when facing adversity. Mahatma Gandhi once said. I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. This used to be one of my favorite quotes, but now I disagree with its generality. I think it can be true at times, but it is the exception, not the rule. I have found a quote I like more: Toleration isn't much. But it is the first step towards curiosity, interest, study, understanding, appreciating and finally valuing diversity. If we can get everyone on the first step of tolerance, at least we won't be killing each other."

I Am a Non-Believer, But I Pray
"I don’t really believe that there is a god or a higher being. However, my mom prays every day for me while I am here in Iraq. I am a non-believer, but I started to pray in my room at night, asking to leave this place unharmed. Why did I start believing? I have no choice. When there are rockets and mortars landing near me, and I lie on the ground helplessly hoping that I will be lucky enough to live another day, I comfort myself by hoping there is someone up there who can help me."

My Religious Perspective: Pluralism

What is your religious perspective, pluralism or exclusivism? Simply put, this is asking if you believe all religions lead to God or if you think only your religion leads to God. For many this is an easy question, but for me I had to think long and hard about it. I thought about all I have learned in this class and what I know from religious experiences and I used that knowledge to make my decision. First of all, Christianity originated from Judaism and Islam (Muslims) believes they are the completion of what others have started. Second, Baha’i believes all religions come from the same source. This religion also uses multiple scriptures from other religions for its worship. Third, Hinduism was so successful due to the fact that it incorporated and absorbed features from other religions. Lastly, in Chinese religions it is totally acceptable to be Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian. Though all these religions may worship differently and believe different things, they have had an enormous impact on my way of thinking. I will use some of these examples to prove my religious perspective.

First of all, I will describe how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all related. ”Christianity began as a sect of Judaism.”(Religions of the World, pg 280) It is my belief that both of these religions made way for the Muslim religion. “Muslims considered Judaism and Christianity to be God-given faiths.” (Religions of the World, pg 256) Therefore they considered themselves as “the completion of what others had begun.” (Religions of the World, pg 336) By others they are referring to the Jewish and Christian religions. The above quotes are just one way these three religions are related. They seem to originate from and build from one another. These three religions are all monotheistic and believe in one creator. Jews call their God YHWH, Christians traditionally use the term God but some still use the term YHWH when speaking of God, and the Muslims call their God Allah. “The basic belief of Islam is that there is only one God, who is called Allah, the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians.”(Religions off the World, pg 333) They are all worshipping the same God. They all three believe in angels and demons and they believe that a correct belief and good deeds are the guide to salvation. Along with correct belief and good deeds, Muslims incorporate the Five Pillars and Christians incorporate sacraments. They believe they had prophets to spread God’s word. Abraham and Moses were common to all three religions. Jesus was common to Muslim and Christianity. The Jews believed Jesus was not a prophet and the Muslims believed that Mohammad was the final prophet. There are some differences that have separated these religions from one another. The Christians believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The Jews don’t believe he died for our sins. The Muslims believe that he didn’t die but ascended to heaven during the crucifixion. The Jews had their Hebrew Bible which later became the Old Testament in the Christian’s Holy Bible. The Muslims had the Qur’an which was the written revelations to which Mohammad had received. “Islam respects the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians, but the Qur’an is understood to be God’s final message.” (Religions of the World, pg 339) Though they have many similarities and differences, I feel that these three religions are worshiping the same God.

Second, followers of the Chinese religions are allowed to be Taoist, Buddhist, or Confucian. “It is perfectly acceptable for the traditional Chinese to be a Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian.”(Religions off the World pg 169) The Buddhist teachings can be summed up in the Four Noble Truths which are as follows: “right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.”(Religions off the World, pg 132) Early Taoism was centered on the following themes: “The basic unity behind the universe is a mysterious and undefinable force called the Tao.” “Life is the greatest of all possessions.” “Life is to be lived simply” and “Pomp and glory are to be despised.”(Religions of the World, pg 176-178) Tao is best defined as “nature’s way.” The Confucians believe in the five basic relationships of life. The five basic relationships are: “Father to son”, “Elder brother to younger brother”, “husband and wife”, “Elder to junior”, and “Ruler to subject.”(Religions of the World, pg 186-187) They believe “li is the outward expression of the superior individual towards others in his society” and that “the inward expression” is called jen. (Religions of the World, pg 187) Reading these basic beliefs, it is easy to see how you could be all three. Although these religions are polytheistic, who is to say that one of their many gods is not the same god that the Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship. Most people, whether they know it or not, try to live by the Four Noble Truths. For example, right view could be interpreted having the right God or belief, all religions believe their God or religion is the right one. I feel like that we all live life in “nature’s way” or Tao. We pick our religion and led God lead us in our lives. Finally, we all have some sort of “basic relationship” to the people we know. “Husband to wife” is a great example because Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe the man is in charge and the woman is to be the obedient one. So not only can these three Chinese religions go hand in hand but I believe they also bring out some of the religious and social characteristics of people from other religions.

Finally, the belief of Baha’i “is that all religions come from the same source.”(Religions of the World, pg 373) This religion discards angels and demons and says “heaven and hell are symbolic.” (Religions of the World, pg 373) In the Baha’i religion, “the Qur’an takes its place, along with the Christian and Hebrew Bibles and the sacred writings of other religions, as holy Scripture and as a source for Baha’i worship.” (Religions of the World, pg 373) It teaches that the missions of Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, Zoroaster, Bab, and Bahaullah were the “continuous and progressive process” of divine revelations. The Baha’i doctrine to the world consists of the following: “there is oneness of the entire human race”, “there must be an independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition”, “ there is a basic unity of all religions”, and “all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class related, or national, are condemned.”(Religions of the World, pg374) These are just few parts of the doctrine; there are a total of thirteen statements. I believe these statements show just how much this religion believed that all religions “come from the same source.”

In conclusion, I believe that the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths are all worshiping the same God and have all derived from Judaism. Christians and Muslims just built on to it and changed what they did to adapt to their beliefs. I believe that the Chinese religions go together easily and make it possible to be more than one of them. I also believe that they have some qualities that people use in their everyday life and religion. Finally, I believe that the Baha’i religion sums up all religions. They all “come from the same source.” Is my religious perspective pluralism or exclusivism? Before I started this class, I knew that my religion, Christianity, was the only religion that would lead to God. After this class, I have seen the ways each religion ties into or compliments one another. I strongly believe that even though they follow different paths, all religions lead to the same God. My perspective is pluralism. (Tina R.)

'God Will Never,' By Reinaldo D.
This wonderful meditation came out of an assignment to do Buddhist mindfulness practice. This student, who obviously can hardly write English, for he is a Brazilian-American infantryman in Afghanistan, is in its own way a profound synthesis of Buddhism meditation and Christian prayer. It is so wonderful, I will not attempt to correct any of its grammar.

God will never abandon you! Absolutely! The Father does not abandon nobody. He dresses of multi-colorful the teeny birds, he decorates of beauty and he has perfumed the flowers and He does not leave to die of hunger nor the insects nor the teeny worms. It is certain: the hair of my head does not fall, without allows His permition. Trusts the FATHER! He will never abandon you!

I used this message above for my meditation, and use the technique on the discussion board.

I started my meditation in each word and started to control my breathing, I was very stressed because in my line of work, sometimes I ask myself where is God? Why these bad things have to happen? Why we if kills to ones others? I'm a infantryman, find that we are doing a good work here , the only thing that bother me the most is why of hatred? We are all brothers has the same God, and why they treated the women so badly? I thought about everything this and tried to release myself from this word and trying to find an answers.

I thought about each word of above, controlled my breathing and found some answers. Today I feel very better for now on all the time before leaving out I look for quiet place to mediate and to think that everything has a reason to happen. Nothing is this world happen without God's will. He never abandon us, He is with us in every step off the way.

I use a Christian meditation I hope is all right.

Student Essays on Islam

2007-09-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Superb Essay On Jihad by a U.S. Army Soldier and Student

If a person from outside of an Islamic culture is asked about Jihad they will probably tell you that it is the fight that Muslims take against non-muslims. This is an example of how Jihad can be twisted with ignorance because it is nowhere near the truth. Ignorance however is a universal fault and can be used to manipulate even Muslims themselves. The meaning of Jihad has been defined by a famous lexicologist, Imam Raghib as, "Jihad is of three kinds; viz., the carrying on of a struggle: 1. against a visible enemy, 2. against the devil and 3. against self."

   The Quran says, "Fight in the way of god with those who fight with you, but commit no aggression, for god does not love aggressors." saying that the follower of Jihad should not start the fight. In the Quran 26:69 it says, "Those who strive for us, we guide them in Our ways" This means that the Muslim who strives (struggles) for god should follow gods ways. If the Muslim wants to be near to god and should follow gods ways to do that, why would he be the aggressor that god does not love?

   In the Quran it also states, "Slay them wherever you come upon them, and expel them from where they expelled you: for their persecution is a more grievous sin of you is greater than your slaying of them." An extremist or fundamentalist would probably lead someone to believe that they have been expelled from their lands in the present day with the coalition presence in the Middle East. This is the most likely justification that the Jihadist finds, however, it is an ignorant assumption based on a lack of education. In no way does any other country in the world (save other Muslim countries) plan to take land from the Muslims in any of the occupied countries in the Middle East. Ultimately the coalition is present to help the Muslims of these countries with a variety of problems that they may not even realize due to a lack of awareness (news), lack of education (ignorance), and indoctrination into a specific school of thought.

    Another passage of the Quran clearly ignored or misunderstood by many extremists is, "but if they surrender, surely god is all-forgiving and all-compassionate". Since the Semptember 11th attacks there have been instances where coalition soldiers and/or civilians have been captured. In only one of these incidents in the past eight and a half years, only twice do I ever remember the captors letting their hostages go (excluding the Iran incident with British reporters). When a Jihad is a struggle to find nearness of god, and god is all-forgiving and all-compassionate then why should the Jihadist kill his captive? I am doubtful that Allah's definition of compassion and forgiveness to torture and/or kill hostages.

   Many people think that Muslims live only to conquer and subvert all non-Muslims. That to a Muslim it is a grievous sin to be a non-believer. In the Quran 25:52 it says, "Obey not the unbelievers and hypocrites, and strive against them a mighty striving with it". In this passage a person can think of "it" as the Quran or the Jihad. No matter what "it" is there should be no violence involved. If it is the Quran that the person strives with then according to this passage the Muslim should seek to strive against the unbelievers and hypocrites with his tongue. If it is the Jihad, then the Muslim seeks to strive against them with by seeking the truths of Allah through himself.

   Nothing expels the Jihad further from aggressive fighting than the Quran itself. In 2:190 the Quran states, "Fight in the way of God those who fight you, but do not go over the limit" clearly stating that the Muslim should fight only the ones who fight them. In a speech by Dr. Mohammed Ahmad at the "Islam and World Peace" Symposium in Columbus Ohio he reads the four reason for permitting Jihad of the Sword. He states that four conditions will allow for Jihad by the sword, they are that: The Muslim must not be the aggresor; The Muslim must be extremely persecuted; The unbeliever must be trying to destroy Islam; The Muslim acts in self defense to protect themselves. All of this shows the reasons that a Muslim on Jihad could fight, but, remember the Jihad is the Muslim's struggle to be near to god.

   The actual definition of Muslim is, "One who submits to god". In the Quran, it also states, "And submit to god, knowing that god is with those who submit to him". Based on the passages within the Quran it easy for a person to see that Allah, the god of Islam, is a forgiving and compassionate god. For the Muslim to submit and be near to Allah, he must have the forgiveness and compassion that Allah himself has.

   Jihad is a term that commands a person understand the will of Allah and the passages of the Quran. If a person lacks education they can be manipulated to comprehend the poetic phrases of the Quran in a different manner than was intended. With the lack of awareness of Islam in western societies, a person can be told just about anything and have that as their only point of view in Islam. Between the lack of education in some Islamic cultures, and the lack of awareness for the passages of the Quran in the Western societies, the world is thick with ignorance towards the true interpretations of Islam and Jihad. Until Muslim cultures and Western Societies become more educated on this issue both parties will suffer from the realities of their ignorance.
(K. Benson)

'This Religion Has Been Distorted'
(Excerpt From A Well-Researched Essay)
“I think that most societies regard the word Jihad as a holy war and this is not the definition of the word. The radical Muslims would lead you to believe this statement because they are reading into the text. They have taken this word and twisted it to be their calling from Allah.

“Fight in the way of God with those who fight with you, but commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors”. The meaning here is to spread the word of God in a peaceful manner, for God does not want you to harm someone, but to be vigilant about the word of God. If you are harmed then you must defend yourself. “Obey not the unbelievers and hypocrites, and strive against them a mighty striving (jihad) with it.” (Qur’an 25:52) This verse gives the command to conduct jihad against the deniers of Islam, not by the sword but by means of the Qur’an itself.

“Slay them wherever you come upon them and expel them from where they expelled you: for their persecution (of you) is a more grievous sin than your slaying (of them). “ In this verse, Muhammad tells Muslims to kill those who have pushed them from their lands. Because they persecute you and remove you from your land, God gives you the right to slay them. During the period of persecution at Mecca, Muhammad’s followers came to him asking permission to fight. The Holy Prophet replied, “I have been commanded to forgive, so do not fight”. The Muslims emigrated to Medina and took refuge, yet their enemies from Mecca did not leave them alone. The enemy from Mecca issued a proclamation to the people of Medina, that if they did not expel the Muslims, all their men would be killed and women taken as property. The enemy from Mecca then attacked Medina. Only then did God permit the Muslims to conduct jihad with the sword. Not to do so would have been suicide.”

“The jihad that Muhammad speaks of in these verses has many interpretations, but none can be conveyed as an all-out war on unbelievers. Many times throughout the Qu'ran and the Hadith, God states that he wants his people to live a pure and peaceful life. It is a shame that this religion has been distorted into a violent evil in the minds of those who know only what they hear from radicals, and from our news organizations.”

Terrorism Is Rooted In Economic Division, Not Religion

This essay is remarkable because it was written, not by a campus academic, but by a soldier with direct experience of suicide bombings in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, it offers a progressive view of the Mideast conflict, and a compassionate vision of Islam.

"I honestly believe that Islam is the closest religion to Christianity. The cultural differences and the technological advances that separate Christians from Muslims are the factors causing division. Opportunity, access and wealth may be the primary problems in the current Mideast conflict. Religion only gives the conflict added energy, targeting peoples' emotions instead of their reason.

"While in Afghanistan, I dealt with suicide attacks. I was in charge of the Mortuary Affairs Collection Point and saw first hand the actions of suicide bombers. While Dick Cheney was visiting, a suicide bomber struck our base, killing 26 people. That is a day I will never forget. The bomber was paid to carry out the attack and his family was given money to sustain themselves after his departure. Shortly after that, a 6 year old boy was given a bomber vest and told to press a button. He was convinced that flowers would come out once he pressed the button.

"These are not Islamic values: they are political instructions given by barbarians to achieve their goals. In my opinion, the Islam/Christian conflict will continue as long as strong differences in socio-economic status separate the two. Islam thrives among minorities and people of color all around the world. Minorities find refuge in Islam in a less accepting world. Minorities are often more radical in their ways because of the desperation they feel, and lack of resources to express their demands.

"The current conflict is between the haves and have-nots. Those who have argue that their success comes from God's will, and he punishes those who rebel. The have-nots argue that they are the true believers, and the time will come when God's signal will be given, and they will conquer again, and take their rightful place in society."

Jihad is Not So Different From What American Soldiers Fight For

(essay from a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan)

“After studying the Qu’ran and the scholarly article on Jihad by Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, my eyes were opened to several truths. Honestly, I did not understand much of what the Taliban was fighting for (jihad) until I was finished reading this assignment. The true meaning of jihad is important for a soldier to understand…

"The true meaning of jihad is “struggle in the path of God”; the struggle can be applied to physical struggle or “human passions and instincts.” According to Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, the struggle can be “a spiritual struggle to attain nearness to God; struggle for self-purification, or ‘disputing’ with unbelievers.” (‘Jihad in Islam’) Clearly the meaning of jihad is different than the “Holy War” that it is often proclaimed to be. Muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam, did not believe in aggressive war: “Jihad was not equivalent to war in the Holy Prophet’s eyes.” (Jihad in Islam) The veil of lies that justify the Taliban’s war are insulting to true Islamic culture and Qu’ran.

"The Qu’ran states: “Fight in the way of God with those who fight with you, but commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors.” I believe this means that God wants his followers to fight “in the way of God” which means to fight with love and forgiveness. Jihad in this sense means to fight with the power of his word and love. Muhammad himself said: “I have been commanded to forgive, so do not fight.” (Hadith collection Nasa’i, Book of Jihad).

"In traditional Islam, justifications to fight with the sword are limited to four conditions: The fight must be (1) “initiated by the unbelievers,” (2) A response to extreme persecution,” (3) A response to “destruction of Islam and Muslim culture,” or (4) A fight for “self-defense and protection.” (Jihad in Islam) The Qu’ran states “Fight them, then, until they end their persecution, and religion is God’s.” The Muslims in general and in history have fought for the true jihad against persecution or annihilation. Jihad was justified in the “resistance to the Christian Crusades,” which “was considered a war to defend Islam.” Also in the fight with Makka, “It was then only that God permitted the Muslims to conduct jihad with the sword, because not to do so would have meant suicide for the Muslims.” (Jihad in Islam)

I conclude that jihad is not terribly different from what American soldiers fight for. Jihad is not defined differently than what Western countries define as “just war.”

"The Qu’ran’s statement, “Fight them until they end their persecution and religion is God’s,” is often misinterpreted. True Islamic beliefs condemn the 9/11 attacks and all of the killings done by the Taliban since Usama bin Laden “called for a global jihad against both western and Muslim governments.” The Taliban use Jihad as a reason to kill unbelievers (non-Muslims). Usama said in “Unveiling Islam,” “I was ordered to fight the people until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad.” (Jihad in Islam)

"But real jihad is similar to what most American soldiers define as war: protection and defense. Jihad may have a more religious meaning, but that does not make it the crime that it has been represented as. The Taliban do a terrible job representing the Muslim community because the “majority of Muslims believe that attacking non-combatants, especially women and children, violates the Islamic law of war.” The true meaning of jihad is admirable and powerful."

The Old Testament & Today's Middle East

2007-09-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Isaiah's Suffering Servant As American Soldier

"It may be impossible for a soldier to read Isaiah 53 without drawing parallels to those he’s served with. On a personal level, when reflecting upon these words, I cannot help but think of those I’ve known and dearly loved who fell beneath the hungry scythe of war. When the rest of the world has gone astray, they were the men upon whom was laid the result of mankind’s iniquity (Isaiah 53:6).

"The mass insanity that leads to war is a sin of the societies involved, and yet when it comes to the point of bloodshed, only a few are sacrificed like sin offerings for the safety of others. They become an object of hate, despised and rejected by those we fight, and live a life familiar with suffering while fulfilling our duties (Isaiah 53:3). While the rest of the world debates public policy or tramps around in impotent protest, soldiers keep their mouths shut and are led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). The fallen have borne the punishment that brought peace upon us (Isaiah 53:5).

"We now live with a wartime propaganda machine that idealizes everyday soldiers to the point that the heroic all-American image most citizens have of the troops is so out of touch with reality that their deaths become nothing more than nightly news clips. It’s easy to become disassociated from what’s happening in the Middle East.

"Isaiah says this about his man of sorrows in verse two: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him; Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. I say the exact opposite about the modern man of sorrows, but with the same end result. By flooding popular perception with an impossibly unrealistic image concerning soldiers, we’ve emotionally segregated service members from society.

Isaiah gives a more honest portrayal of the sufferer than Army recruitment videos. That stoic warrior raising his right hand to defend the constitution in the ad is triumphant and invincible in his holy calling. The people who actually do end up taking up to soldierly vocation in real life are a far cry different. To begin with, they are actual human beings. When Isaiah describes his man as somebody with no beauty or majesty to attract, or having nothing in appearance that we should desire, I understand what he means, for I am a soldier (Isaiah 53:2). Isaiah's suffering servant, like our soldiers, will not inherit our magnificent expectations. Idealized soldiers are not real soldiers. It is common men with all their shortcomings, plainness, and infinitely deep humanity who must live the painful fulfillment of what true sacrifice entails." (D.M.)

Deuteronomy: Liberating Iraq from the Bondage of Pharaoh

“In Deuteronomy 6 it says, I am the Lord your god, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of Bondage. I relate this passage to freeing the people in Iraq from Saddam Hussein by the United States and the Allied Forces. The people were freed from and evil man, who punished and killed them because of their ethnicity. This is just like the Israelites being freed from Pharaoh in Egypt.”

God Set Me Apart to Perform his Work

"(Jeremiah 1:4-10). The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." This passage touches me dearly because I feel that God has set me apart to perform his work. God has guided me to perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. I have been tasked to eliminate explosive hazards from the world. My job entails me to put innocent lives above my own. I firmly believe that God has chosen this specific role for me. I have performed in one of deadliest regions of the world (Iraq). I was blown up countless time and injured during my tour in Iraq. In the bible (Jeremiah 1:8) it stated, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. This scripture affirms, I have been chosen as one his children. I have saved lives of innocent American Soldiers and local Iraqi citizens. God has given me the strength and courage to save them."

How God Calls Us: Commentary on Jeremiah 1
In Jeremiah 1:5, “before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart: I appointed you the prophet of the nations,” God is saying that He knows us more than we know ourselves. He has already given us a destiny and implanted the foundation for us to grow into leaders of nations. In Jeremiah 1:6-10, God is telling us that it does not matter our age or knowledge for he has a mission for us. All we must do is go where He tells us to go and say what He instructs us to say. If we cannot find the words, He shall fill our mouths with His. We need not be afraid for He is always with us.

If God has chosen us to compete His work, it will not matter what sins we have committed or our status in this world. In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah says, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the king, the Lord Almighty.” It was then that his guilt and sins had been wiped away, and god sent him to his people.

What we become in our life has already been predetermined. It is our destiny to become who we are, yet we are afraid to shine sometimes. We forget that it is not about where we come from or what we have that determines where we go from here. When you are ready to follow your destiny, you begin a new life leaving your old life behind. When you have a calling or a natural gift for something, it will not matter your age, wisdom, strengths, things will just begin to flow to you naturally. So no matter what you do in this life, if you have the faith in yourself and your destiny, it will come to pass. What you become is not determined by the wrong you have done or the company you keep, but instead will be measured by your will to succeed. Who you are is not determined on what cards you are dealt, but yet, how you play them.

(Anthony H.)

The Problematic God of Deuteronomy

"The politics of the Middle East concerning Israel are ever volatile with no end in sight. I find it worthy to note both verses 10 and 11, the bold lettering being my own. "And the Lord your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you with great and goodly cities, which you did not build, and houses full of good things, which you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which you did not hew, and vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plant, and when you eat and are full,". Basically it acknowledges the fact that there were those which did plant and build, and are basically getting evicted by God, as a reward to his chosen people. If I were to walk into my neighbors house and tell him to leave all of his possessions and just simply go somewhere else, he might be a little upset. I am sure that telling him "God said so" would not hold much weight. Understandably, with both sides claiming a right to the land promised to them by God, the situation has no foreseeable solution.

"There are several other verses that caught my attention, particularly how it defines the nature of the "Old Testament God". Verse 15 states it clearly enough, "for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from the face of the earth." Jealous, wrathful Gods that walk among mankind seem more in line with Aires and Zeus than what we traditionally think of as a kind and caring God. What caught my attention in this passage also was the use of the phrase A JEALOUS GOD and in the earlier chapter NO OTHER GODS before me. It implies the existence of other deities, and that this particular God is ours. "

Thou Shalt Not Steal The 'Promised' Land?

"Deuteronomy 6 contradicts itself... The ten commandments declare, "You shall not kill;" and "You shall not steal;" and ".... You shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servent, his ox, or anything that is your neighbor's." But this scripture also says that land will be given that you did not earn, with "houses you did not build, and orchards you did not plant, and wells you did not dig." Clearly this advocates stealing, and taking the land the was "promised."

"The impact on modern politics in the Middle East in seen in Verse 18 when it is said that they may go in and "take possession of the good land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers by thrusting out all your enemies from before you." It pretty much says that they may take the land by force."

Critique of Deuteronomy

This student dares to reason and doubt where others might only offer an uncritical or blind obedience.

"The words in Deuteronomy 6 are very powerful and I can understand how someone could be persuaded to follow them. Unfortunately it seems that they are not persuaded by love, but by fear.

“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name... for the lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.”

"So if you do not do what the Lord tells you to do, he will wipe you off the face of the earth. This seems like a contradiction. Isn’t the Lord supposed to be the almighty who loves, cherishes, and forgives all God’s children?

"Chapter six builds fear. How can a person be so vulnerable to allow these words to control their life? As a person who does not understand the need for religion, I do not mean any disrespect, but the idea of not taking charge of ones own life baffles me. A person cannot live on faith alone.

"Chapter five contains the Ten Commandments. While these are good, sound, moral judgments, I must seriously ask what will happen if you do not follow them? Show me one person who has never told a lie: does this make them an unworthy person who should be destroyed? When someone commits adultery, do they get wiped off the face of the earth? They might loose the respect of their peers and end up in divorce, but they will survive.

"Although one should try and live by good morals and be respectful to others, the arrogance of religion is in stating that, if you do not do what you are told, then you are going to hell. How can a man or woman truly be free if they cannot do and live they way they want?"

Joshua Is My Model

" Joshua piqued my interest in the readings. His story stood out to me so much that after reading his story I spoke with a close friend of mine that is very religious. He said of Joshua that he is "the bruiser of the Bible". What he said is very fitting of Joshua; he was ruthless and complete in claiming the Jewish homeland. He was an absolutely brilliant military leader as well as an excellent statesman for his people. He was the right person at the right time and got the job done completely as the Lord wished. While he may have had moments of doubt (he was only human after all), he did his job perfectly according to the will of the Lord. That statement only applies to a few characters in the Bible.

What got my attention the most was the very beginning of the story. Verse 8: "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night.....and you shall have good success." This spoke to me deeply based on my own experience in Iraq. I fell into the job of leading 25 troops on gun trucks for route clearance and vehicle recovery. I went to the great books on war that have endured through the ages. Sun-tzu, Lao-tzu, Sun-pin, Mao tse Tung, Von Clausowitz, Ferenbach and Machiavelli mentored me day and night in preparation for opening game day. Not being a highly pious man at the time, instead of prayer, I studied the masters until I felt I got it.

Many long hours were spent reading the classics, along with Military manuals and memorizing intel reports and every feature to be gleaned from maps and aerial photos of our future area of operations. After I studied it, I drew up plans for every possible scenario and we rehearsed them, over and over again; refining them and rehearsing them until they worked. I never breathed a word of where the information came from, but my troops saw me late at night studying, every night.

As Joshua had his charge and instructions, I had mine. I was given a mission and I knew failure was not an option. We got hit on our first mission out the gate but because of the late nights with the masters (and buckets of cold coffee) and much rehearsal, the troops did great. It was after that mission that I became a praying man too! Joshua demonstrated utterly stunning tactics and strategies. He understand how to lead Soldiers into combat and he understood the concept of "total warfare" that General Sherman exercised on his march through the south.

He was not without his mistakes, as when he was duped into an alliance with his supposed "neighbors", Joshua 9:16. He was not without his frustrations, Joshua 7:6. But he made up for it in spades. I feel a kinship with him on that. We had our own teething problems too. But through determination and teamwork, we overcame those problems and made a good team out of what our commander deemed the misfits of the unit. We had our charge and mission and hell or high water, we were going to do it. Joshua is the type of leader that any true Military leader or civic leader should aspire to emulate."

Friends Must Be Chosen Carefully (Judges 16)

"One of the biggest challenges while serving in the military is fraternizing with individuals that that make good choices. There are civilians and military personnel who want to take advantage of a soldier, because many are so young and naive to the real world. Intimate relationships between men and women who serve in the military will pose many of the same problems that arose for Sampson.

"In Judges 16, Samson falls in love with a woman from the Valley of Sorek whose name is Delilah. The Philistines offer her money so that she can find out the secret of Samson’s strength and capture him (Judges 16:5). Samson, being blinded by love, trusts her and eventually discloses the secret of his strength. Delilah has deceived Samson and this results in his capture and demise.

"If Samson had abided in the Lord's word and avoided Philistine prostitutes, he would have avoided many problems. This passage reminds me of all those service members who have trusted someone they thought loved them, but in the end they were betrayed and hurt. These service members socialize in places that are off limits, and consort with individuals who have low moral standards. The service member will eventually fall into the pitfalls of an immoral lifestyle, which will result in their punishment by the military or local authorities.

"My spiritual journey has shown me that if I become friends with people who do not have my best interest at heart, then I will fail. I know that every person in the world is not good for companionship or friendship. Friends must be chosen carefully."

God's Love and God's Jealousy
"...and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." For years this has been one of my favorite passages. In times of struggle and times of confusion my heart always comes back to this place. Heart, soul and might are all that makes up a person and to love the Lord your God with all of that seems such an insurmountable task sometimes but it is by far the most freeing experience for me. To be able to love anyone that much is an indescribable feeling. I feel incredibly sad for people who can't love something with all their heart, all their soul, and all their might. I think that if you can start by loving something then God will meet you there. I'm so grateful every day that God doesn't make me do the work. All I'm called to do is open the door and he will come in. He meets me where I am and never makes me go off in search of him.

"....for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God...." The term jealous is surrounded by negativity but not in this case. My God is jealous because he doesn't want to share me. I am so important to him and he loves me so much that he simply refuses to share me with anyone or anything. These two verses go hand in hand (which is probably why they are strategically placed in the same chapter of the same book) because if you are loving your god with everything you have and everything you are (heart, soul and might) then there isn't a piece of you to be shared with something else."

Rules of War in Deuteronomy 20

Students are asked to wrestle with the moral paradox in Deuteronomy 20. In the Philosophy of Religion, this is known as the "Eurythphro Paradox," after Plato's dialog by the same name. According to the text, Yahweh tells the Israelites and their commander, Joshua, to take possession of the Canaanite towns in the Promised Land. These agrarian tribes had never attacked or threatened the Israelites. Yet Yahweh commands his army to enslave the people of Canaan who live in the out-lying communities. Those who live in the "towns and cities which I have given you for your inheritance" are to be slaughtered: every man, woman, child, and animal, "everything that breathes."

The paradox is this: Do we obey a God whose moral law is not as just or compassionate as the moral law that we conceive in our own conscience? In that case, God is not as just and compassionate as we are. On the other hand, if we obey God's commandments because they are just, then God must conform to a law of justice which he cannot violate. In that case, there is a moral law that is more supreme than God.

This soldier's essay confronts the difficult paradox head-on, and offers an astonishing answer: God's "gift of choice" might call us to disobey one of his commandments if it violates the law of our own conscience. For, "these may be the laws of God, but they are still written by man."

"These may be the laws of God, but they are still written by man. In the case of Joshua and his army, it is hard for me to accept that a God who preaches taking care of the poor and the sick and issues commandments such as “thou shall not kill” would order such a slaughter of people (men, women, and children). It directly contradicts what the Bible teaches as far as morality.

"Even in the past century, many dictators have used this type of reasoning in order to justify the complete and utter destruction of a group of people who could be viewed as a threat to them. There are plenty of killers in prison as we speak who used, “God told me to do it,” as a reason for the killing of another. The current war with extremist groups stems from the same attitude. The belief that one person’s God is greater than another is and will continue to be an issue for mankind (even if essentially they are all the same God).

"The reason given for slaughtering the Canaanites in Deuteronomy, chapter 20, was that, in allowing them to live, these tribes would corrupt the Hebrew people, causing them to worship the “false gods” of Canaan (Deuteronomy 20:18). This is puzzling because it is not written in the text that this is something the Canaanites have attempted to do. Until Joshua’s attack, it doesn’t appear that the Canaanites had any previous contact with the Hebrews. The reasoning behind this slaughter, I believe, has repeated itself throughout history. In order to be fully and completely victorious, the conqueror must eliminate all who would oppose him in later years. So in order for the followers of God to say that He is the one and only God, the Canaanites and their gods had to be completely annihilated.

"Even though God may, as in Joshua’s case, tell someone to engage in such behavior, it does not make it morally right. In such a case, the gift of “choice” that God has given Man would have to play a significant role in the decision to either follow what God says without question, or to follow what we know is morally right." (Cynthia Merchent)

God Is Too Great To Be Named

"In my view, when God says that his eternal name is 'I AM' (Exodus 3:14), he is saying that he is too great to be named. When you give something a name, you give it boundaries; you define it. I believe that God has no boundaries. I do not think that God can be defined. Therefore I do not think that anyone can name him. Perhaps a simpler way of looking at this question is to look at where names come from. Who gives names and who receives theme? In the Bible, God created a man and named him Adam. God put Adam in charge of all the living things and had Adam name them. Parents name their children. Scientists name their discoveries. So it seems to me that subordinates are named by superiors. God is the 'Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end' (Revelations 21:6). There was nothing before him and there is nothing superior to him. Therefore I do not believe that God bares a name. He is what he is."

9. The Ancestors

2007-05-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Mexico, Dia de los Muertos, Alter to the Ancestors

Students study the importance of the Ancestors in tribal cultures such as those of Native America and Africa. We ponder the questions, "Have we lost touch with our ancestors? What is the role of our ancestors in our lives? And how are values passed on through family heritage?"

My Ancestors
"My ancestors are the ones who have taught the ones who taught me."

My People Lived
(This poem was written by a Brazilian-American soldier in Afghanistan who struggles with English syntax, yet writes with eloquent passion from some chthonic source beyond grammar. This was especially poignant because it was submitted, by coincidence, on Earth Day, 2010.)

My people lived happily, my people live in peace.
In these Fields I played with friends,
Making noise like birds in the cornfield.
We were strong as bulls, owners of our destinations.
All my friends died;
the white man brought was evil.
The white man came, bringing gifts,
talking about peace, talking about love,
... peace is over.
My people have not asked for it!
My people did not need it!
We were free as birds in the meadows ...
The white man killed the fish, trees, animals,
my friends and my ancestors.
All is quiet ... My spirit is sad.
Cry, cry in the wind, no one answers, I am just ...
I have no more home, I have no more land,
I no longer have language (...) I do not know who I am.
My heart cries, my people over.
There is no more river.
There is no more hunting! What a disgrace!
The birds no longer sing.
So much pain, SO much pain!
Cambou,
Ticuna, Macuxi, white man is like curare.
White man is like a bird of prey
comes slowly arrives quietly;
blind our eyes, it hurts our hearts,
Our take women by force, destroying our traditions.
Juma,
Yanomami Kranhacârore; cry
By our ancestors who have died.
For us who are dying,
for our children who were not born.
When I die, let my body
stand on this earth that was my people,
or throw my ashes in the bend of the river
to go to sea, and the light softly into the silence of the deep ocean.
When I understood this land of my ancestors were,
My people lived happily, my people lived in peace.
The white man came ... peace is over.
My people have not asked for it ...
Hum, hum, hum.
My people did not ask that.
My people was the first to arravied in Brazil.

Covenant With My Grandfather
Grandfather, Teacher of Medicine, Voice of Reason, My Rock.

You were there from the time of my birth. You loved and raised me as if I were your own.

I would chastise you for being contrary and starting arguments with Mom and Grandma.
Instead of turning your anger towards me, your face would relax into a smile...

And your anger would fade. Somehow in your emotional pain, you found comfort in my presence, and I in yours.

We would sit on the porch and discuss things for hours... from medicine to politics. We would debate, we would argue, we would laugh until we cried.

You taught me to question, to seek truth. I reminded you that you could still laugh and smile.

Losing you was one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. It has left a deep hole
in my heart.

I will rejoice in your memory. Your warmth will enter my heart, and I will know that you
approve.

Memories of our time together will make me smile. And I will find comfort in your remembrance.

I will not forget you. I will tell all who will listen about your strength and wisdom.

I will share our story with my grandchildren, your great great grandchildren, so that they may pass on your memory.

In this way, I will keep you immortal. I will
keep your picture and your medical equipment in plain sight for all to see.

Every time I pass by them, I will offer up my thoughts to you, in hopes that you will hear them and once again smile.

Should I fail to keep my promises to you, the guilt and shame would be unbearable.

For if I can't keep your memory alive, then my grandchildren and great grandchildren are sure to forget me as well.

If I cannot keep my promises, I will surely feel your disappointment in my heart.

I will light a candle under your picture twice a year. Once on your birthday, and once
on the date of your passing.

I will gather my spouse, children, and future descendents around me and I will read this Covenant, my sacred promise to your memory.

I will frame this Covenant and hang it below your picture, as a sign that I miss you, and wish you were here with me.

Hippocrates, Plato, Aristotle Leibniz, witness my covenant with a great man who has fallen,
just as you have.

Keep him in your presence, so that he may have others to speak with, as we used to do.

(Ricardo Matelstreet)

Father
"Currently, I am deployed to B---- Air Base in Iraq. This is my third tour to Iraq and I am in the fifth month of my current 15 month tour. I was raised on a ranch in central Montana until joining the Army in 1999. Honesty, hard work, dedication, pride and belief in God; these are truly the values that I was raised on and they are what guide me through everyday life to this day. These values were always applied, whether in school, working on the ranch, or serving my country…

"My father was and still is my rock. He always told me not to forget where you come from and never think that you are better than anyone else. Here are the words that my father said to me before I left for overseas duty. “Son, now you aren’t chasing cows or picking hay bales, but don’t forget about the hard work, dedication, pride and honesty it took to do those things. If you approach serving your country with the same frame of mind, you can’t go wrong.” To this day, he hasn’t been wrong."

My Cherokee Grandfather
"I am going to discuss the theory of Animism, and how it relates to me. I come from a long line of Native Americans. We tend to believe that the woods are alive with many spirits and we feel that we can communicate with them. My grandfather, a Cherokee Indian, always believed that the woods, water and air talked to him. He would take my brother and me in the woods and always stopped just a few feet into the wood line, and there he would tell us to listen to “her”. He always believed that everything had a spirit and sometimes people would see him in the woods talking. Not until his passing did I understand....

"I believe in God, and I feel that there is only one God, but I also believe in what my Grandfather taught me. Being so far from home, and my grandpa gone, I still feel his presence. I even smell him at times. While hunting here in Alaska, where I am stationed now, I was drawn to a certain area to hunt, but something “pushed” me out of there. I felt my grandpa’s presence. Later I found out that a bear charged another hunter in that woods."

Grandmother
"As in most African American families, My grandmother held the family together with the love she spread and the dynamics of her being a nurturer, a provider for the thirteen children she had. If I had to say there was a spiritual leader in our lives, I would definitely have to say it was her. She was a woman that knew who God was. She made sure we were spiritually fed by taking us to church. It was a whole lot I didn't understand back then, but I surely understand now. She left a spiritual inheritance in this world for our family, still blessing me even until this day. She was a praying woman, one who knew how to intercede on our behalf to God the Father. So in essence she was a spiritual leader, an true ancestor, sacrificing her life for us."

I Pray to Her When Times Get Hard
"Ancestors are prayed to in my religion for guidance sometimes. My grandmother is the one I normally pray to. She is a wonderful woman with great wisdom. She had four kids and raised my eldest cousin on her own. She was like a superwoman to me. For some reason she always had the right answers to all your problems. When I hit puberty I sat in on my first sweat (lodge) with her. She gave me my native American name a couple of days later. The name given to me was Morning Butterfly. I never understood this name when I was growing up because I was not much of a morning person and I did not understand why she picked a butterfly. Now that I am older and she has passed away I have had a lot of obstacles in my life. I pray to her when times get hard. I know now why she picked that name. She knew I would grow up to be an independent person much like a butterfly. "

An American's Ancestry Is Pretty Irrelevant...
"I've been told that my family is of English and Irish descent, but that never really meant much to me. I'm an American, and my ancestry is pretty irrelevant. My accent isn't Irish or English, it's Mid-Western. I have no intimate memories of Dublin or London, though I can tell you all about St. Louis style pizza....

"Yet I do have a living breathing ancestor. My Grandfather is a Baptist minister, and, while failing in age now, he never seems to lose that unyielding faith that he wields so tenaciously. While our opinions differ greatly on matters of the spirit, I always seem to get a sense that his opinions are more than just opinions; his beliefs are facts in faith, while mine are simply opinions.

"Another thing that furthers my Grandfather's influence on me is his intelligence. It would be easy for me to dismiss his sermons as simply the rantings of a fire-breather, but he has never failed to answer any of my questions honestly and eloquently. His wit is dry, biting, and always funny; his mannerisms and elocution are both developed and beyond reproach; and his eyes, which will never fail to meet yours during a conversation, are sharp and aware.

"And so, while I doubt that I will ever follow directly in his footsteps, or accept his doctrines totally, I can't help but admire his devotion and faith; and, if I have any aspirations in life, the most important of all is to find a purpose as fulfilling as his."

10. Native American & Tribal Religions

2007-05-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Black Elk, Lakota Sioux

Native American Heritage
"Personally, I do not believe in the animistic theory. But perhaps ignorance is bliss. I have had personal experiences with animism, nonetheless. My wife is Native American, Iroquois and Cherokee. She is Christian, as the text stated about white settlers coming to the Americas and sharing their religion with the Natives. Some of her family did convert. Her grandmother, on the other hand, did not.

"My wife's grandmother used to, before we ate, pray to the spirit of whatever animal we were eating. She would give thanks to the animal for letting us kill and eat it. It was a very spiritual time, eating that was. I grew up in a town where everyone hunted and fished. And every season, her grandmother would put a blessing on us that we would come out with good game. This is when the ignorance stopped. Each time she did that we came out with some of the biggest deer or fish we have ever hunted or caught before.

"Which brings me to my next question, who are we to say that animals don't have a spirit? They can be killed just like any other "living" thing out there. They die the same way we do. Granted their life span isn't as great as ours. Just take a look around. Sharks, turtles, rats, and certain reptiles have been around for millions of years. So who is to say that we are the "superior" race? Not a person if you ask me. Until we have survived as long as some animals, we have no right to say that we are advanced. Yes, we might have a larger brain or that we have opposable thumbs, who is to say that is superior? I guess we will all have to wait until the next chapter in our life to find out. If there even is a next chapter."

Black Elk's Vision
This student in the U.S. Air Force comments on the famous account of a Lakota Sioux vision- quest in the book, 'Black Elk Speaks.'

“The center of the circle represents the center of the universe. This to me means the center of my soul. I believe that my spirituality comes from within myself, and the center of my soul is the center of my universe, by which all things on earth are intertwined and affects me, then in turn affects my family, friends, and coworkers. These effects are represented by the smoke or light which Black Elk beholds, coming from all the created things in the world. I see this as a domino effect. For instance, the recent assassination of Bhutto in Pakistan does not immediately have an impact on me here: but due to her assassination, her countrymen are in an upheaval which then transcends to the UN, where many more nations are upset and appalled by the assassination, which eventually filters down to me as a single individual in the USAF.

“If Pakistan, a U.S. ally, begins to falter, then eventually the USAF will become involved, which then effects me the individual airman, thus affecting my spouse, coworkers, friends, and family. The ripple effects continue until they touch everyone in the world. I believe this is what Black Elk’s symbols of the circle, the four directions and the center of universe are meant to drive home.

“Black El’s vision shows us that the entire world is connected. We are all equal. And each action that a mere individual takes has a reaction for everyone else in the world. Therefore tread lightly, kindly, and thoughtfully….”

Video: Readings from this Site

2007-04-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Alfred LaMotte reads works by CTC soldiers from this website, March 3 2010, at the symposium on Religion and War, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA.