General Boykin's crusading comments were the focus of the Christian Science Monitor's "daily update" (their Weblog) for 10/30/03. I'm going to put some of the links here because they don't have a unique link to the day's blog. (That Weblog is consistently good, by the way, usually focusing on foreign policy issues.)
E.J. Dionne's column which got a lot of attention because he tried to understand why some conservative Christians would applaud Boykin's remarks. It's okay, although Dionne doesn't seem to understand that a person could be a religiously conservative Christian who believed that someone who doesn't "accept Jesus as Savior" is going to hell and still understand that having a religious zealot in charge of a key civilian office at the Pentagon isn't such a grand idea right now.
Robert Rutkowski pretends that Boykin is being criticized because he's a Christian and an American patriot, not for his bad judgment and his disturbing view of US foreign policy as being part of a supernatural mission.
J. Grant Swank, Jr. is fine with the Christian Warrior general's comments, because he thinks Muslims want to slaughter everyone who is not a Muslim. This piece brings to mind the old insult about conservatives who couldn't read without moving their lips.
David Gelerntner in the Weekly Standard gives a highbrow version of the argument that that Boykin is being criticized for being a Christian.
This piece from Agape Press gives a brief survey of Christian Right defenses of Boykin.
5 comments:
i AM NEW AT THIS SO EXCUSE MY SHORT COMMINGS PLEASE. bUT i JUST SAW 60 MINUTES AND WOULD LIKE TO SOMEHOW CONVEY TO THE GENERAL THAT JUST AS PETER KEPT ON DOING GODS MISSION IN PRISON SO ALSO SHOULD OUR GENERAL!! DEATH TO OUR FLESH IS A COST THAT WAS ALREADY BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY JESUS CHRIST OF NAZERITH, AND TO HAVE THE FAITH THAT YOU DEAR SIR PRESENT TO THE NATION, WELL THAT IS SOMTHING i LONG FOR; A FAITH THAT HOLDS TO GOD LIKE THAT OF NOAH OR MOSES!!
GOD DOES NOT NEED ANY OF US TO DO ANYTHING FOR HIM (GOD) FOR HE CAN DO ALL THINGS AND NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD! BUT GOD DOES CHERISH A WILLING HEART AND SO GENERAL YOU ARE COVERED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND WITH KNOWING THAT CAN MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT FEAR! OUR GOD IS AN AWSOME GOD, ISN'T HE!! PSALMS 91 SAYS IT ALL AND YOU SIR WELL I BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THIS WORLD IS ALL ABOUT AND YOU DO WALK IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY! kEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND GIVE IN TO KNOW ONE OR ANYTHING FOR JUST AS GOD IS REAL SO IS SATIN ( HES NOT JUST SOME UGLY THING WITH HORNS AND A TAIL, HES BEAUTIFUL AND WAS GODS FAVORIT!) DO NOT LOOSE YOUR FAITH, kEEP ON FIGHTING AND WAGING WAR ON SATINS KINGDOM, FOR WARRIORS OF YOUR CALIBER ARE FEW AND SEEM TO BE FAR BETWEEN! FAITH IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US , MORE FOR SOME LESS FOR OTHERS, BUT IT CAN GROW AND IT SEEMS TO GROW ACORDING TO OUR WILLINGNESS TO BE USED AS A TOOL FOR CHRIST AND ALSO OUR DEGREE OF DISIPLINE AND OBEDIENCE. NOT THAT YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS YOU ALREADY KNOW IT! SO KEEP ON KEEPIN ON FROM A FELLOW WARRIOR. GOD BLESS YOU SOME HOW THIS WILL GET TO YOU.
I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at here. A faith like that of Noah or Moses would likely be a good thing in America. But I'm not sure that General Boykin is helping the cause of their God by identifying American military actions in the Islamic world with something like a Christian crusade. Jesus was the Prince of Peace, not the god of war.
You seem to be addressing your comments to Gen. Boykin himself. Sorry, but I doubt that he reads Old Hickory's Weblog. - Bruce.
Hey! I am related to General Boykin. He is a really cool person. Keep up the good work General Boykin (Relitive) I have alot of people fighting in the war over in Iraq and other places. They are fighting for our freedom.
I am also a Christian. Why do you gyes dislike Christians? Is it because you are not a Christian your self?
crystalnboykin, I'm not sure how carefully you read this post or the links. But, as I said in the post, the criticism of Boykin as a leader had to with his bad judgment and his disturbing view of US foreign policy as being part of a supernatural mission.
As to whether I'm a Christian, I'll let you guess. Heck, I could be (gasp! choke!) Jewish!
- Bruce
Post a Comment