Am I way off base??

[Pastor Gary]

In another post, I wrote:
You keep talking about this as if it were traditional, conventional warfare between nations with clearly defined governments, laws and borders. It is not. It is a war between opposing world views and forces -- SOME of whom are represented by national governments.

It is a pervasive, trans-national movement not constrained by national boundaries or governmental entities.

[Kevin]

You keep talking about this as if it were traditional, conventional warfare between nations with clearly defined governments, laws and borders. It is not.

Some would say it is.

It is a war between opposing world views and forces -- SOME of whom are represented by national governments.

Aren't all wars? and all of those views are represented by some government past or present.

It is a pervasive, trans-national movement not constrained by national boundaries or governmental entities.

Which movement? That perspective could be taken by those fighting on either side. We are repeating the history of Europe with our pharisaic view of what is proper for others.

That said, we're in too deep to back out now. I'm not about to repeat the mistakes of our own hippie-activist past. History tells me that the best thing for our economy and wellness as a nation is for us to finish what we started. Bush is the first president we've had in a while who had the nerve to do just that. It puts us in a precarious position with the rest of the world, but at this point it's put up or shut up. Shutting up would not be a very wise choice at this juncture (what message would it give the rest of the world). So let's give it up... USA, USA, USA, USA...

[Mike Vande]

I don't know, Gary; closing and hardening the American borders after expelling every illegal alien we could get our hands on, putting out death warrants on every illegal alien found in the country after a given date, withdrawing from OPEC, the UN, and every other treaty organization the US has ever joined at least until every member of every terrorist organization threatening the US is arrested and given a fair trial followed by a first-class execution, immediately cutting off all foreign aid until we can be made certain the money we are giving away is not benefitting any terrorist organization/individual in the borders of the countries we give it to, and carpet bombing everyplace we suspect Bin Laden, Al Zarqaowi and the rest of Al Qaeda's leadership are hiding, with nukes, if they aren't produced alive and fit for interrogation and trial immediately, is that more militant than you?

[jason]

You said earlier that we were justified in striking Iraq because it was a friend of Islam and Islam is our enemy.

Wow! You said that? That's a pretty broad statement begging alot of elaboration.

Sure, plenty of Muslims hate or at least strongly dislike the US but not all of them do. If it is Islam that is our enemy that means that no Muslim under any circumstances can ever be trusted. What about all the Iraqi police and newly recruited soldiers who put their lives at risk next to our own soldiers and MPs? Aren't they Muslim? If all Muslims are just dormant suicide bombers that means we can't trust the new Iraqi government, Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad (President Bush's former ambassador to Afghanistan and now Iraq), or Muhammad Ali (who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee).

Say it ain't so…