As proud new parents, my wife and I have enjoyed sending pictures of our new son to each of our families over the past few months. Invariably, each side of the family has a specific take on whether he favors me, or my wife. According to my wife's family, he looks just like her. According to my side, he is a dead ringer for me. In actuality, it really is too early to tell, but one thing is certain: humans are programmed to believe what they want to believe. The phenomenon that leaves our parents predisposed to think their grandson carries more of one family's genes than the other is the same thing that occurs when it comes to interpreting America's foreign policy and its history: we believe that which will make us feel better about ourselves.
At the outset of the war in Iraq, President Bush addressed the nation, and spoke these words to those in the armed forces: "the peace of a troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people now depend on you." With such lofty words being spoken by the commander in chief, one can only imagine what might have been going through the heads of those military personnel on the receiving end of the pep talk. Suddenly, many of these young men and women had gone from high school graduates searching for direction to warriors on the eve of immortality. If they returned home from this adventure, they might be able to buy a new car during the "Military Appreciation" sale at the local Ford dealer. They might even get discount tickets to Disney Land as the nation embraced its war heroes. This speech, like so many others that have come on the eve of battle, was well crafted and certainly created the desired effect in the majority of its listeners. It sought to create the sense that the participants were part of something truly noble and truly unparalleled in history. Unfortunately, only the latter is true, and probably not in the sense that was originally intended. That this war continues to go poorly is immaterial, for it was pushed on the American people as a noble cause in which we could all be proud. Who wants to rain on that parade? After all, Disney Land is a nice place to visit, especially if you can use a brand new Ford Explorer to get there.
What is truly unparalleled is the manner in which America's version of itself continues to evolve into something in which the majority of Americans can be proud. Our latest foray into armed conflict is a prime example of the unique public relations spin that is ever present within America. The spin doctors are truly to be commended, because only in America could you convince adults to take up arms in an "East versus West" showdown while the leaders emphatically claim that we are not engaged in a holy war. I have no shortage of friends and family in uniform who truly believe that we are engaged in the 21st century version of the crusades. That they believe this is somewhat understandable, but it implies that they have been able to ignore some minor inconveniences. For example, in the wake of 9-11, it was the interfaith memorial service that was the norm, not a Christian call to stand up to the infidel. Twelve days after the attacks, Roman Catholic Cardinal Edward Egan, along with other Jewish and Protestant clerics, came together with Muslim Imam Izak-El Pasha at Yankee Stadium in a show of diversity that was vintage New York-style theater. Nowhere was there an Urban II to be found. Richard the Lionhearted was absent as well.
It has been well documented that the Christian right has been one of the most ardent backers of the war in Iraq. That this group has been co-opted into believing that Bush's war is a Christian cause is unfortunate, but not unforeseen, as Bush has always recognized the power of a biblical reference. His infamous landing on the USS Lincoln served as a platform whereby he quoted Isaiah: "To the captives, come out; and to those in darkness, be free." By ensuring that the war in Iraq is seen through a distorted religious paradigm, Bush has ensured the support of a large voting block. To those convinced of the Christian nature of this current cause, Urban II's call to arms at the outset of the first crusade provides a stark contrast. Though accounts of his speech/sermon vary, it went something like this: "On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ’s heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it is meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it." Of course Bush II could never speak with such clarity, and even if the harshness of Urban is too much for today's times, it should at least serve as an indicator that there is truly nothing Christian about a war in which you cannot invoke the power of Christ to guide you. In fact, while Bush was stoking the fires of the Christian right to garner war support, he was simultaneously making sure that other potential supporters did not interpret the war through a religious lens. Speaking at a 2003 meeting of the National Endowment for Democracy, Bush said of the Middle East: “These are not the failures of a culture or a religion. These are the failures of economic and political doctrine.” In other words, it is not religion that divides East and West, but rather, it is democracy, and the ability of those in the Middle East to buy our goods. There are certainly those who are pleased with the watering down of Christianity that has taken place in the thousand years between Urban's call to arms and that of President Bush. This article is certainly not intended to sway you. It is your Christian counterpart who has been recruited to do your fighting that I hope will be converted.
The secular soldiers of today, acting as missionaries of democracy, may in time be able to say that they made the world safer. That Christianity will have no place in that safer world is unfortunately not apparent to them. After all, they are humans, and they will certainly believe what they want to believe, but seeing this war as a Christian endeavor is the equivalent of seeing my eyes in the eyes of my son. Yes, I have brown eyes and so does he. The only problem with pointing to his and claiming them as my own, is that his mother's are brown as well.
April 13, 2004
John Schroder [send him mail] is a graduate of the Naval Academy and a former Marine infantry officer. Having resigned his commission, he is to begin doctoral work in political science this fall at Louisiana State.
