Of all the reasons to fight the war in Iraq…

August 2, 2006

[tag]James Dobson[/tag]’s [tag]Focus on the Family[/tag] hosted a forum this week for candidates in Colorado’s 5th congressional district, home to the Focus empire. There was plenty of the usual palaver, but the Republicans’ perspective on the [tag]war[/tag] was particularly troubling.

Bentley Rayburn spoke of opening [tag]Iraq[/tag] to the word of [tag]Jesus[/tag]. […]

Rayburn, a retired Air Force major general, framed several answers in terms of what “we as Christians” would do. As he has throughout the campaign, he described the war in Iraq as a battle against radical Islam and said establishing a democracy in Iraq would send a message.

“That will open up hope within these countries for the gospel of Jesus Christ to change hearts,” he said.

I suppose there are reasonable arguments to support the president’s open-ended commitment in Iraq — I can’t think of any, but it’s possible — but creating an environment in the Middle East that’s hospitable to [tag]Christianity[/tag] isn’t much of a selling point. It may fit in with Bush’s talk of a “crusade,” but it’s probably not helpful, diplomatically.

It’s worth noting, of course, that the forum was not an all-Republican affair. Democrat Jay Fawcett, a Fighting Dem, was on hand to make his case to the ministry.

Fawcett explained his pro-choice stance by saying: “I have no desire to dictate your faith to you, and I hope you have no desire to dictate mine for me.”

I wasn’t there, and the media accounts don’t go into any detail, but can you imagine the reaction from 220 employees of Focus on the Family to the idea that they shouldn’t dictate everyone’s faith? I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was audible laughter in response to Fawcett’s remark.

but can you imagine the reaction from 220 employees of Focus on the Family to the idea that they shouldn’t dictate everyone’s faith? I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was audible laughter in response to Fawcett’s remark.

You give them too much credit. I imagine it was less laughter and more angy hisses, boos and calls for “thrashing that heathen”.

  • “Bentley Rayburn spoke of opening Iraq to the word of Jesus. […]”

    I’ll bet there’s an opening for him at the FDA if he wants it. I hear they run things by ‘the word of Jesus’ over there, too.

    So let’s see, now. We have publicly self-identified religious extremists in politics, government, the military, the medical/pharmaceutical industry, the education industry, the news industry, and are seeing the gradual expansion into the sports industry, as well.

    Can Christian porn be far behind? It’s about the only thing left they haven’t infiltrated.

  • And this is precisely why we, as a country right now, are no better than the Taliban, the Shiites of Iran, any every other theocratical government out there. When we allow our extremist elements to provide the power and direction to the nation, we surrender to the same elements which, in other venues, we call despicable. Sad.

  • can you imagine the reaction from 220 employees of Focus on the Family to the idea that they shouldn’t dictate everyone’s faith?

    Yes, I can hear saws and hammers creating a huge wooden cross. I can hear iron spikes being readied.

  • ***Bentley Rayburn spoke of opening Iraq to the word of Jesus. […]

    Rayburn, a retired Air Force major general, framed several answers in terms of what “we as Christians” would do. As he has throughout the campaign, he described the war in Iraq as a battle against radical Islam and said establishing a democracy in Iraq would send a message.

    “That will open up hope within these countries for the gospel of Jesus Christ to change hearts,” he said.***

    Wow. A retired Air Force general just made a freaking billion enemies for my children. I suppose I should thank him for that. Waddaya think—should I stick with my good friend, Mr. Crowbar—or would the jawbone of an ass be more metaphorical for him?

  • Can Christian porn be far behind?

    I take it you haven’t seen the Left Behind video game.

  • What a great idea!. Rayburn wants to kill tens, no, hundreds of thousands of people in order to tell their survivors how his god is better than their god. I think he should go over right now, pick a streetcorner in Baghdad and get started. I’m guessing they’ll be quite receptive. Cheers and flowers, that sort of thing.

  • “That will open up hope within these countries for the gospel of Jesus Christ to change hearts,” he said.

    Hard to open one’s heart when there’s an M-16 pointed to your head, dude.

    Seem to remember something about those who don’t, uh, remember history are doomed to make mistakes of the past.

    Does the USAF general remember what happened the last time a bunch of whacked out Christians tried to dictate to this to the people of the Middle East? Poisoned the interactions between the West and Islam for the next few hundred years.

    Actually, the Crusades are a lot like the Iraq war.
    Led by Western military geniuzes with a fundamental tinge. Not enough troops. Stomped on allies (Byzantine empire). Poor logistics and planning. Let their equipment (airpower and other hitech goodies this time, not knights and heavy armored cavalry like the last time) dictate strategy and tactics instead of stuff like terrain and culture. Also Western forces remain culturally ignorant of the Middle East.

    Only difference is that the pope was against this not the instigator of and that the Jews weren’t used as target practise during various massacres as the Crusader army travelled to Jerusalem.

  • “I take it you haven’t seen the Left Behind video game.”

    Only a few clips on TV news reports. Did they finally acknowledge that carbon-based lifeforms actually have sex in it?

  • Why is this man running for Congress? Clearly he could have a much more direct impact on achieving his goal by going to Iraq and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  • 1. What programs would you cut from the federal government to save taxpayer dollars and begin to pay down our national debt?

    Bentley Rayburn: I have already proposed the elimination of the Department of Commerce and think that we need to look for other programs that should be culled. Think tanks like the CATO Institute and the Heritage Foundation have done a lot of work identifying wasteful programs and they deserve serious consideration.

  • Well, this is in keeping with the hostile attitude of late at the military academies toward anyone who is not a Christian. Onward Christian soldiers! The martyr brigade…sound familiar? Oh, Jesus…

  • Christian porn, you say?

    Well, based on everything we know about these so-called “Christians,” I’d say Christian porn would probably be worse (in all imaginable ways and then some) than any porn currently on the market.

    That and it’d be very popular in most red states!

  • From other reports I found out Jay actually got some good – albeit private – responses. And they liked his presentation.

    Of course they would never vote for him in a millions years. But it takes brass ones like Colbert’s to even show up.

  • Unholy: You’re right, Bush and his minions always did get off on big cannons.

    NC: This really was an interesting discussion. If they followed their guidelines it would be like watching Ward and June Cleaver making out after church, but hey, whatever floats their floaty little boat. 😉

  • What a great idea!. Rayburn wants to kill tens, no, hundreds of thousands of people in order to tell their survivors how his god is better than their god. I think he should go over right now, pick a streetcorner in Baghdad and get started. I’m guessing they’ll be quite receptive. Cheers and flowers, that sort of thing.

    Comment by beep52 — 8/2/2006 @ 1:44 pm

    Except there is that slight problem that THEIR GOD = HIS GOD. Y’know the God of Abraham and all that jazz.

    And the other slight problem with this reasoning is that the Christians of Iraq were doing okay during Saddam’s reign, but have either been killed or fled to Syria under the US occupation. That’s right, Syria and Saddam are more Christian friendly than the US occupation. Wonder how Dobson’s crewe would respond to that.

  • Missionaries with M-16’s spreading democracy and Christianity. The new cartridge belt will have a holder for the bible between 2 clips and a first aid kit. Judging from what I have been reading from some of our “ally” countries, what Shrub has been spreading is not democracy or Christianity. If you read the Egyptian article at the link, consider how open to democracy or Christianity he might be. I think it is scary how much hatred is being created towards our country. Also consider that countries like Pakistan are only an election away from Moslem control.

    From Egyptian site, “The lesson of Iran”

  • Iraq is a catastrophic foreign policy debacle. It has alienated us from our allies and generated hatred among Muslims across the world. It has weakened our military, forcing our troops into an extended occupation in the midst of a growing civil war for which they have neither appetite nor training. It is a recruiting boon for al-Qaida. It has sorely weakened our foreign policy influence, as demonstrated graphically in the current conflict in Lebanon. It has cost nearly 2,700 American lives, over 20,000 Americans wounded — and an estimated 50,000 Iraqi deaths. It has compromised our budget priorities, spending about $300 billion already — with the estimated cost likely to exceed $1 trillion. The budget is a statement of our moral choices — and this is a deeply immoral choice. Hell, can we cut and run from this mess.

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