By Claire Kelly, Stevensville
It is past time to put ‘Christ’ back into ‘Christian’. In four weeks, 2016 voting will commence with the Iowa Caucuses. News pundits predict Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, who claims to be an Evangelical Christian, will win that primary, because he is the favorite of Evangelical Christians who dominate Iowa Republican polities.
I don’t know exactly what an ‘Evangelical Christian’ is, so must acquire an understanding by observing the conduct of those who claim that title. To the cheers and applause of Iowa Republicans, Cruz announced his plan to ‘Carpet Bomb’ cities and communities in Iraq and Syria. This not only violates international law, but is the very antithesis of the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Christ instructed us to be kind, and loving, and caring of others, especially children.
Carpet Bombing means the indiscriminate mass murder of children, women, the elderly, hospitals, schools, livestock, all infrastructure, etc. Total annihilation is an old idea, if one believes Old Testament stories that God Almighty approved of and even directed such conduct by Israelis. More recently, this complete disregard for human life and suffering has been demonstrated by ‘Radical Islamic Terrorists.’
All Muslims are not radical terrorists. All Christians are not followers of Christ, in their words or deeds. The Carpet Bombing, proposed by Evangelical Christian Ted Cruz and cheered by Iowa Republicans, is nothing short of ‘Radical Christian Terrorism’.
God help our conflicted country.