President Bush’s Global Peace Initiative
President Bush delivered an Inaugural Address that will go down in history as a monumental one. What he proposes is an idyllic world. History has never known an era when such was a reality. It is a noble concept that bumps its nose against the plate glass reality of man’s inhumanity to man. We could all hope his philosophy will catch fire and afford freedom and peace as never before.
The Twentieth Century was a bloody one like those before it. It is this pattern of human conduct that would have to be reversed for his ideals to be an admirable reality. Consider these war casualties resulting from conflicts in the Twentieth Century. Different sources record differing totals. These come from “The Twentieth Century Atlas – Death Tolls.”
Russia lost 14,000 troops in Afghanistan and in the continuing Chechnya conflict 10,500+.
Following are a few countries involved in World War I, the number of casualties for each, and the percent of their combatants lost.
Russia, 6,650,000, 55%; Germany, 5,952,000, 54%; France, 5,651,000, 75%; Austria, 4,820,000, 74%; Bulgaria, 254,000, 64%; Canada, 241,000, 39%; U.S., 321,000, 8%.
Staggering death totals are recorded from these conflicts:
The Congo Free State (1886-1908) lost an estimated low of 8,000,000 and a high of 21,000,000. The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) involved 2,100,000 fatalities. In Armenia between 1915 and 1923, there were 1,500,000 killed. In the China Warlord era (1917-1928) 800,000 died and in their Nationalist era (1928-1937) 3,1000,000. 1948-1987, North Korea committed 1,293,000 domecides. In the conflict between North Korea/China and American allied 2,800,000. In Rwanda and Burundi between 1959-1995, there were 1,250,000 killed. The second Indochina War recorded 3,500,000 casualties. Kinshasa Congo in 1998, there were 3,300,000 killed. The war between Iran and Iraq (1980-1988) resulted in over 1,000,000 fatalities. In Nigeria between 1966-1970, 5,000,000 died in conflict.
Obviously there was no liberty and justice for all. Annually millions die in wars of which we never hear. These astronomical totals do not diminish the value of one American lost in combat. They do not justify war but they put it in a perspective of which most of us aren’t aware.
It would be nice if all the bad guys in the world would go away and leave us alone. We would be perfectly willing for that to happen. Unfortunately it isn’t going to happen. Eternal vigilance is an absolute necessity to maintain our freedom. An even greater price in lives and money than that already required may well be necessitated to preserve liberty within our own country.
Our president has indicated diplomacy is the primary means of trying to bring peace to nations. There is too much to be lost not to try.
Post War Iraq And Afghanistan
Post war Iraq and Afghanistan are seen by many as hopeless regions destined to have continued tribal conflicts. It may be. It does not have to be. There is in the Muslim world an example of a state once in a similar condition that overcame it. The transition was led by the man named by Time magazine as the greatest leader of the Twentieth Century. Most Americans don’t even know his name.
Kemal Ataturk led Turkey out of the Ottoman culture to become a cohesive republic. It was as socially, culturally, tribally, and racially diverse as Afghanistan. Not all of his dealings in doing so would be smiled upon by Westerners but were actually mild compared to what he was dealing with.
Being on two continents its largest cultural groups were Kurds, Arabs, Circassian, and Armenians. There were large colonies of Russians, Greeks, Mongols, and Jews also.
Language diversity and a primitive language more suited for a former era were a challenge. Ataturk did away with the Arabic alphabet and replaced it with a completely phonetic Roman alphabet very much like ours.
Turkish women had no rights and were in all things subservient to their fathers and/or husbands. They too wore veils in public and were uneducated. Today men and women have equal rights. A large proportion of women serve in its parliament.
Now public education is mandated. Compulsory education applies to all under age 15. I asked one teacher in Kusadasi if they had discipline problems in their schools. The answer was no. Teachers are highly respected and revered. Students look upon them as their hope for a better life. They idolize their teachers.
Though ninety-eight percent of the population is Muslim there is religious freedom. Most Muslims are Sunni, the orthodox branch of Islam. Emperor Justinian built the awe inspiring cathedral of Saint Sophia in the 500’s. During the Ottoman era it was converter into a mosque. Under Ataturk it was turned into a museum for use by all faiths.
When the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453 they plastered over the Christian mosaics of Saint Sophia. After the building was made a museum in 1933 work was begun to restore the Christian mosaics.
In general the Turkish people are among the most warm and friendly of any country I have visited. They are much more open and conversant with people they don’t know than Americans. Children are courteous and adults polite. Like all nations they have a minority of radicals and extremist but the government works to control them.
Many repressed Iraq and Afghanistan people are Western educated and very capable of giving leadership to that torn society and even making it open to Christian aid workers like those recently imprisoned there. Then a new Phoenix will have arisen from ashes.
The Pledge Of Allegiance
John Leland in appealing to the Father of our Constitution, James Madison, for religious freedom wrote:
“There is no Bill of Rights. Whenever a number of men enter int a state of society, a number of individual rights must be given up to society, but there should be a memorial of those not surrendered, otherwise, every natural and domestic right becomes alienable, which raises tyranny at once, and this is as necessary in one form or government as in another.” Now, there is a thought! Note, “a number of rights must be given up to society.”
Acting in response to Leland’s appeal Madison acted when the First Congress convened in January 1789. Early in the session Madison presented the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights. In part the first of these stated: “Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Parenthetically, neither should the courts.
This Bill of Rights was intended to do two things. One, was to forbid the establishment of a state sponsored denomination as was common in Europe. Second, it restricts laws being made “prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This simply leveled the playing field for all denominations and removed road blocks to the practice of religion.
The proponents of the First Amendment wanted to insure freedom OF religion not freedom FROM religion.
To pledge allegiance or not to pledge? Somebody’s right have to be given up. If we have freedom of speech, if we have freedom of religion, if we have a pledge approved by Congress in 1952, and practiced by millions ever since —- let’s pledge.
Why should the rights of the vast majority have to be given up to appease a religious minority?
Atheism is a form of religious belief about God.
Why do atheist want the Pledge of Allegiance removed from schools? Are they trying to convert Christians to their belief in no God?
A glimpse of what Congress intended is found in this Congressional Decree of 1782:
“It being the indispensable duty of all nations, not only to offer up their supplications to Almighty God, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general…”
It continued and concluded:
“…they do further recommend to all ranks and testify their gratitude of God for his goodness, by cheerful obedience to his laws, and by protecting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.”
In these turbulent times of terrorism we need to consider well these words of Benjamin Franklin: “We need God to be our friend, not our adversary.”
Let’s pledge!
Pete Rose And Forgiveness
Pete Rose, the great ex-Cardinal baseball layer, has confessed to what he denied for 14 years. He bet on baseball weekly.
The title of his new book reveals what a person who is living a lie goes through. It is entitled “My Prison Without Bars.” He has been living a lie.
Now some sports writes are trying to put society on a guilt trip regarding whether Rose should be forgiven and allowed entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Forgiveness is a guilt trip on which many travel.
Occasionally a minister will commit a sin that stains his image and injures his entire congregation. When caught there is repentance. If it is genuine should he be forgiven? Absolutely.
Here is where complexity sets in. A fault line of controversy develops over should he be restored? The answer is a resounding “Yes.” Everyone who can should aid his restoration, but to what? To spiritually restore a person means to help restore their broken relationship with the Lord. A problem arise when some interpret restoration to mean to return the person to their former position. Not so!
Upon repentance the sin is forgiven but there is a natural consequence. Moses killed an Egyptian and repented. He was forgiven and his relationship restored with the Lord but there was a consequence. He was not allowed to enter the land of promise. David committed adultery, repented, was forgiven and his spiritual state restored. The consequence was he was not permitted to build the Temple. King Saul disobeyed God by not carrying out His battle plan against King Agag. Saul’s response when caught was basically, “OK, you got me, now let’s forget the whole thing and carry on.” A modern English street language response of God was, “Not so fast. You are fired as king.” There was a natural consequence.
The Baseball Hall of Fame has a standard which Rose does not meet. In 1927 a “permanent” ban against admission to the Hall of Fame was established to apply to persons having done what Rose did. He now admits it but the fact remains he disqualified himself by his own actions. The ban states it is “permanent.”
Simply admitting guilt does not absolve a person and mean all is right with the world. Contrition, confession, and spiritual cleansing means everything is right with the Lord. The repentant person then has the wonderful asset of God’s grace in dealing with the consequence.
Peace On Earth
PEACE ON EARTH
Are these words written by Henry Longfellow appropriate for today?
“I heard the bells on Christmas Day their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet their words repeat of peace on earth good will to men.
“And in despair I bowed my head: “There is no peace on earth,’ I said, “for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.'”
September 11, made a mockery of those words. In addition to the events of that day being an attack on every American they were an affront to the one the ancient prophets said would be “The Prince of Peace.” Where is the peace spoke of by angels at the birth of Jesus Christ? Their words of “Peace on earth good will to men” reverberate with unfulfilled hope.
As with all movements disciples of the master often disgrace their master. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Pope looking the other way when Hitler and Mussolini were at work with his knowledge are examples.
The Prince of Peace promised a special blessing on the peacemaker. That is a worthy aspiration.
This season gives occasion for inspiring words of songs such as these to be heard:
“Sleep in heavenly peace…”
“Praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.”
“All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace.”
“Pray for peace people everywhere…”
That angelic presaging of peace on earth has been misunderstood to be a prophecy of peace. It is not a prophecy of peace but a prescription for peace found in a person, the “Prince of Peace.” It is sung of in the thrilling carol, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing:” “Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled.”
It was as though by divine revelation Longfellow continued to write his verse:
“Then peals the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor does He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.”
This peace is not contingent on an external status but an internal condition. It is a peace that passes understanding. It is based on an awareness that all things might not be OK but that you are alright. It belongs to those who have established a gratifying lifestyle and settled the issue of their eternal destiny by coming to terms with the Prince of Peace. They live in a win – win condition.
There is a dynamic spiritual thread running through all this. Many don’t think it is PC to be spiritual. Since September 11 people have become more aware of the frailty of life and finality of death. PC is brushed aside and raw reality faced. It is summed up in the expression, “I am mortal and need to consider my immortal state in time and for eternity.” Once settled then the peace that passes understanding is experienced. Peace!