Citizen Smash weighs in...
lt-smash.us
OVER THE PAST WEEK, Lt. General Jerry Boykin has taken a lot of heat over presentations he has made before Evangelical Christian groups. In newspapers across the country, he has been called everything from an “intolerant extremist” to a “bigot.” Many voices, from both the right and the left, have even called on the general to resign from his post as Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.
I’ve never met General Boykin – in fact, I hadn’t heard of him before last week. I’m also not an Evangelical (although I am a Christian). But I have been, and will remain, a strident defender of Boykin’s right to practice his particular faith without fear of losing his job.
Why do I care so much about this man whom I’ve never met? Because I fear that if we allow him to lose his position on the basis of his religious activities, such a tactic will be used again and again. But next time it might be an Orthodox Jew, or maybe a Roman Catholic. If I don’t stand up for Jerry Boykin today, who will be there to preserve my First Amendment freedoms tomorrow?
I think it’s important, before we nail this man to the cross, that we understand exactly what it is he has said, and in what context.
Denouncing Islamic Extremists
Like many Americans, General Boykin has denounced Islamic extremism.
In his public remarks, Boykin has said that radical Muslims who resort to terrorism are not representative of the Islamic faith.
He has compared Islamic extremists to "hooded Christians" who terrorized blacks, Catholics, Jews and others from beneath the robes of the Ku Klux Klan.
It’s clear, then, that he’s not criticizing Islam as a religion, but specifically the extremists who distort the words of the Prophet to attack us.
"There was a man in Mogadishu named Osman Atto," whom Boykin described as a top lieutenant of Mohammed Farah Aidid.
When Boykin's Delta Force commandos went after Atto, they missed him by seconds, he said. "He went on CNN and he laughed at us, and he said, 'They'll never get me because Allah will protect me. Allah will protect me.'
"Well, you know what?" Boykin continued. "I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol."
This warlord was clearly one of the Islamic extremists that Boykin described as “not representative of the Islamic faith.” By calling Atto’s god an “idol,” the general was saying that the warlord’s actions were not in keeping with the tenets of the “religion of peace.”
Asked about that comment, Boykin told CBS News he was not referring to the Muslim God, Allah, but to the Somali warlord's worship of money as an idol. He added that he does not believe the war against terror is a battle between Islam and Christianity.
One only need look at the dismal humanitarian record of Aidid’s henchmen in Mogadishu to see that the general has a legitimate point.
In his religious presentations, General Boykin shows slides of Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Kim Jung Il, stating explicitly that they are NOT the enemies of the Christian Church. He then puts up a fourth slide, with an image of the devil.
"Ladies and gentleman, this is your enemy… It is the principalities of darkness.”
The “spiritual enemy” of Christianity is often called the “Prince of Darkness” (or, in the words of Dana Carvey, “SATAN”). To say that Satan is the enemy of Christianity is not, as some have claimed, the same thing as equating Islam with Satan worship.
Satan, according to Christian tradition, is the embodiment of Evil. It is not unusual for a Christian to blame violent crime, acts of terrorism, or even natural disasters on his presence.
The Army of God
In his speeches, General Boykin often refers to an “Army of God.”
"We in the army of God, in the house of God, kingdom of God have been raised for such a time as this.”
“Army of God,” “House of God,” and “Kingdom of God,” are all synonyms for the Christian Church. Most Christians would understand that he’s not referring to the US Army as the “Army of God,” or the United States as the “Kingdom of God.”
An excellent example of this metaphor can be found in the popular Nineteenth-Century hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers,” which is actually a call to evangelism, not holy war:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.
General Boykin, a professional soldier, uses this “warrior of God” theme frequently.
Now I’m a warrior. One day I’m going to take off this uniform and I’m still going to be a warrior. And what I’m here to do today is to recruit you to be warriors of God’s kingdom.”
He’s not planning about becoming a mercenary after he retires – he’s talking about "saving souls."
The Hand of God
Many Christians believe, as General Boykin does, in predestination or divine intervention in human affairs.
“As Mordecai said to Esther, ‘You have been put there for such a time and place.’ And this man has been put in the White house to lead our nation in such a time as this.”
"He's in the White House because God put him there."
For the record, Boykin also claims that President Clinton was divinely selected.
God’s Servant
Evangelical Christians consider themselves to be servants of God. But Boykin’s statements to this effect have created a firestorm.
Boykin has made it clear that he takes his orders not from his Army superiors but from God — which is a worrisome line of command.
I sincerely doubt that a general in the US Army would say that he doesn’t take orders from his superiors, but since this isn’t a direct quote, I have no way of knowing what he actually said. I’d check with the transcripts, but William Arkin, the author of the original article on General Boykin, has refused repeated requests to release them to the public.
Why won’t Arkin release the transcripts, so we can judge for ourselves?
Speaking in Uniform
Some have accused General Boykin of violating military regulations prohibiting the making of public speeches in uniform. While these regulations prohibit soldiers from making partisan political speeches, speaking before religious groups appears to be somewhat of a gray area.
"Generally speaking, you know, you can't criticize the chain of command in public; there are other ways to do that. Generally, when you speak to groups, if you're in a private capacity, it's probably appropriate not to wear a uniform, but there are always exceptions to that. And I've spoken in church before at a prayer breakfast, but other occasions where they might honoring the military -- very appropriate to get up and speak in uniform.
So, all different kinds of shades of gray here. I don't -- at first blush, it doesn't look like any rules were broken." – General Richard Myers, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
Shall we have General Myers resign, too? |
