Axiom - You have totally missed the point of that picture.
Oh I understand the picture, but I refuse to equate a couple of kids holding books (I can't identify them as bibles, the picture isn't that clear) to someone who, in the name of their god, blows themselves up admid groups of innocent people. In that same picture are other soldiers.
Are those soldiers also holding books? Are those books bibles?
If they are, why are just those two soliders significant? It would seem that if you wanted to make a point about religious extremism, you'd have the entire squad/platoon holding their bibles in the picture.
If those books are not bibles, then there is no point and this is all over nothing. If noone else in the picture is holding a bible, then you've just assigned a value system to an entire group of people based on the actions of a few.
Basically, you've done to soldiers what the Bush Administration did to a whole list of people during the last 8 years. All muslims don't want to behead Americans because of our freedom. All liberals don't hate America, and no one calling for the end of the war is a terrorist sympathizer.
They're just people. Some people who put their faith in a system such as Christianity or Islam. The faith itself does not make someone go out and kill innocent people. That would be indoctrination. Have we got any evidence of large numbers of US soldiers going on another crusade, or are we just making stuff up to suit our agenda?
I felt this was a crucial and commendable observation on your part, its too bad you took it as an attack on your person (sheesh)!
With your track record, can you think of any other possible way to interpret "I guess the question remains' --- why doesn't the "right" embrace this Obvious Truth? "?
If I have misunderstood your post, please accept my apologies. Call it knee-jerk based on past experiences with you.
US army sign ups rose after 9-11. Hamas volunteers rise after bombings.
Do you wish to attribute the bump in recruitment to a sudden duty to God, or is it more likely that people, as in the past, felt a duty to their country when it seemed the country was under attack?
I suspect most Hamas volunteers feel the pressure of an oppresive athoritiarian gov't and that they are trying to fight for something different.
And that's totally fine. Let them fight it out until they either do one or two things. Either they totally decimate themselves or realize that fighting over one interpretation of the Koran versus another is never going to get them anywhere.
The important part of that post, that you didn't acknowledge is WE, the United States of America, do not choose sides and assist one over the other. That's not to say that we do not try to act as mediators in the conflict, but to do so evenly and fairly.
...Not throw off the balance in order to get more oil.
