When the world found that World War I was inevitable, was there this sense that the opposing forces were squaring off around the issue of who God is? How about World War II? It seems to me that Wars I and II were about race and territory. Now in the conflict that is brewing today, you can say it is about that too, but it seems to me that it is more about whose god you believe in. Many people of the world, like the Europeans who don’t really believe in anyone’s god, would say that this conflict resembles the past two in that they are about race and territory. But I believe that this time it is much more than that. The real core issue revolves around whose god is the real god. What makes this really difficult for Western Culture is that a good portion of it is really secular humanists that to this point have only tolerated and appeased religious people. These people have no intention of fighting and dying over this issue.
In May I wrote an article called “Thanks Ahmadinejad, this war IS about God”. Ahmadinajad, that wacky President of Iran frankly does the best job of any leader in getting to the core issue. He may rant about many subjects, but he always gets back to his core belief and cause. He believes that his purpose, given by Allah, is to spread Islam across the globe.
This week the Pope also weighed in on the issue. In a discourse he delivered in Germany, he explained very succinctly that the Muslims’ pentiant for chaos and violence was proof that they were not following God because God is rational and orderly. Ironically, when the Muslims got word of this, they took to the streets and erupted in more chaos and violence. Now they want to kill the Pope. As of this morning, he has given an apology that says he is sorry they are so upset. There is no chance that his “apology” will defuse the controversy.
So, have we ever been here before? Is this the third sequel to the World War saga? I think we are missing the story. I do believe that we are facing a huge multi-national war. But it is better defined as Crusades II, not World War III. Now I know, in our culture we have come to know the Crusades as an unfortunate part of our past where some misguided knights hacked and slaughtered their way down to Jerusalem on a brutal, unchristian like mission to spread Christianity. But it is time to take another honest look at what really went on there. Islam was spreading north. Spain and Constantinople were overtaken. The issue was exactly the same as it is now. Islamic invaders were threatening the Western world saying, “Convert to Islam or die”. And it was the religious people in Europe who picked up their swords, donned their armor and marched south to stop the invasion. Our western civilization as we know and enjoy it is indebted to the Crusaders who turned back the Moslem invasion back then.
The stories of their brutality still make us cringe. But if you ask the typical secular humanist today, we Americans are the brutal ones in our present war. Israel has been brutal in its handling of Hezbollah. Unfortunately as we are so aware now, history is made up of the prevailing stories. Truth is not always the story that prevails.
The Crusaders back then decided that they would rather fight and die to protect their faith, their homes, and their civilization than to give in to a brutal horde that was very willing to take it all away. I think we are there again. Decisions like theirs have to be made again. Regarding our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the leaders of the radical Moslem movement have accused our forces of being modern crusaders. That is the kind of term that we would deny, but I believe we should admit to it. Yes we are and that is bad news for Moslems bent on our destruction.
