[quote=briansd1][quote=afx114]
If a platoon holds a prayer before going on a mission, does that make their mission religiously motivated? Does it make them terrorists?[/quote]
That’s a good question. How about if they wear religious symbols such a Bible in their pockets, a cross on a chain, or a picture of the Virgin Mary?[/quote]
Brian: I wore a scapular, St. Christopher medal and had an ace of spades taped inside my flak vest next to my heart. This wasn’t religiously motivated, I was just hedging my bets and, like most soldiers, was also damn superstitious.
There are no atheists in foxholes. I prayed before every op and after (giving thanks to God for surviving and asking him to watch over the souls of those that hadn’t).
There is a clear difference here, but you probably don’t see it. The Muslim invoking the name of Allah before killing is more akin to the Japanese Kamikaze pilot invoking the spirit of the “Divine Wind” before piloting his plane into a US Navy ship.
Praying for God’s mercy and protection as a Christian is not the same as seeking God’s blessing to kill my enemies, especially since, as Muslims, the souls of my enemies are to be cast into hell anyway.
