Iraq preacher prays for Iraq's win for war with the US

Sad, c.i., very sad, but neither new nor surprise. Its wholly in keeping with the twisted rationale of a very sick group of societal leaders.

Interestingly, in WWI, US troops went to war wearing uniform buttons which bore the slogan "In God We Trust". The German soldier's uniform buttons bore the inscription "Gott Mit Uns" ... God is with us. Makes ya wonder, don't it?



timber

timber, The actual extremes of today are the Muslim extremists who believe they have alas blessing when they kill innocent men, women, and children. Sad, but true. c.i.

The link, c.i. , is leading to a different subject now.

timber

Built into Judaism and Islam is the idea that God supports the armies of the believers. The Christian nations inherited the idea when they fought among themselves. The expression "the Lord of Hosts" sounds pretty harmless, less so the Spanish version "el Señor de los Ejércitos". Victories were celebrated with a Te Deum - Handel composed the Dettingen Te Deum.

c.i.


Is their a Santa Claus?

That is one of the great failings of organized religion. Each and every group believe that they have the "inner track" with God. Therefore, whatever they do, not matter what heinous acts, they truly believe that they have God's "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval"

IMO it is all very immature wishful thinking. The problem is, that too many supposedly sophistcated, as well as unsophisticated people in this world believe it!

And that very fact argues powerfully aginst the validity of any "RELIGION". There are, and have been, so many religions, almost all claiming they alone in specific are "Correct", and the particular designee of "GOD"s approval and true teachings, thereby rendering all other claimants without title. That pretty much convinces me that, whether or not there is a "GOD", and whether or not there are "True Teachings", there CAN BE NO "True Religion".



timber

And that very fact argues powerfully aginst the validity of any "RELIGION". There are, and have been, so many religions, almost all claiming they alone in specific are "Correct", and the particular designee of "GOD"s approval and true teachings, thereby rendering all other claimants without title. That pretty much convinces me that, whether or not there is a "GOD", and whether or not there are "True Teachings", there CAN BE NO "True Religion". The words together are an oxymorn beyond the order of "Government Assistance" and "Military Intelligence"



timber

God's too busy helping sports teams win and deciding whether to answer the farmer's prayers for rain or the child's prayer for sun to get involved in wars.

Gee, I feel pretty strongly on the subject, but I didn't mean to say my piece on it twice ... not sure how I did that.



timber

timber, I'm not sure it's correct to call it "religious extremism," but why in the world can't each side see the futility of asking god for his/her/it's support in war? It just doesn't make any sense to me, but the people who believe in god seems to believe in it with all their heart and soul. c.i.

timber- I was going to delete one of them, when I noticed that there WERE some differences. You had probably submitted the first, made some changes, and then submitted it again. I would not want to lose one word of yours!

Thomas Jackson, known to history as "Stonewall," was a deeply religious man. He constantly harped on the theme that the South could win if the people got right with god. He introduced a strong corps of chaplains into the second corps of the Army of Norther Virginia, and attended camp religious services throughout his command. Tent revival meetings became very popular in southern armies, the ANV in particular. Although he has the image of the dashing cavalier, J.E.B. Stuart was also a deeply religious man, who supported Jackson's efforts (totally different men in appearance and behavior, they were very close friends). Southerns prayed mighty hard--it availed them nothing.

c.i.- If people are always asking God for the ordinary things of life, ("Oh God, please let me get this job", etc.) why is it so strange for them to ask for his support in a war?

Phoenix, True. I see prayer as a "selfish" request to some unknown supreme creator that doesn't exist. c.i.

I post the entire text of Samuel Clemen's The War Prayer in another thread. Here is the portion of that short piece which i consider relevant here:

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

Setanta- Whoa! That is scary stuff. Looks like Clemens is really "telling it like it is". Sounds like a rationale and justification for just about any atrocity that people inflict upon one another.

Who in the world with the slightest bit of rationality would be a part of a concept such as postulated by Clemens?

And how different is what is being described in the prayer that what is being postulated by terrorists? Looks like the idea is the same. Only the cast of characters are different!

Craven
The Giants could have used him yesterday.

I'd not mind some help if I ever play the lottery.

One of the best post so far I read under the title Religion and spirtuality.
Thanks a lot
Rama