Onward Christian Soldiers

Sometimes I read news that really scares me. The new deputy undersecretary of Defense for intelligence is Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin. He's in charge of the search for Osama bin Laden (we haven't all forgotten him, have we?) and Saddam Hussein.  Gen. Boykin is a born-again Christian who sees his job as a bit more than a secular calling. He's been known to make public statements like these:

[Appearing] in dress uniform and polished jump boots before a religious group in Oregon in June to declare that radical Islamists hated the United States "because we're a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian ... and the enemy is a guy named Satan."

One Middle East expert quoted in the article flags the "Judeo-Christian" term as playing into radical Islamic propaganda against the "Christian-Zionist" enemy. In theological terms, too, it's a garbled concept, even though I know it's sometimes used by Christians with the intent to be inclusive.

"I knew my God was bigger than his [a Somali warlord's]. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol."

It may be worth noting that the US decided to pull out of the idol-worshipping warlord's country. But I guess that would be too much of a theological fine point.

"We in the army of God, in the house of God, kingdom of God have been raised for such a time as this.

[Of George W. Bush:] "He's in the White House because God put him there."

I've never really thought of the pro-Bush majority on the Supreme Court as messengers of God. But maybe my faith isn't as clear as the General's.

Military analyst William Arkin calls Boykin "an intolerant extremist who has spoken openly about how his belief in Christianity has trumped Muslims and other non-Christians in battle."

Tags: christian fundamentalism, christian general, christian right, christianism, global war on terror, gwot, jerry boykin, william boykin, war on terror, william arkin