Re: The terrorism meme

From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed 06 Nov 2002 - 20:39:11 GMT

  • Next message: Grant Callaghan: "Re: The terrorism meme"

    >
    >
    >On Wednesday, November 6, 2002, at 10:48 , Grant Callaghan wrote:
    >
    >>during the Vietnam war our motto was "We're fighting for peace."
    >
    >Again, I don't remember that as being a quote of Christ's. Please provide
    >these words you seem to think he is reported as saying that others are
    >using to foment warfare.
    >
    >I'm not talking about just using the cause of xianity (whatever that is or
    >has become), I'm talking about the reported words themselves, which you say
    >are being used.
    >
    >I just don't know of any, but, I have never read the new testament
    >adroitly.
    >
    >- Wade
    >
    I don't remember saying it was a quote of Christ's. What I said was that the people running the war were indoctrinated in the teachings of Christ, just as I was. How you keep twisting that to mean they used the words of Christ to prosecute the war, I don't know.

    What I said was that the memes of conquest were flourishing in the minds of people who have been indoctrinated in the memes of Christ. The minds contain both sets of memes. The actions of the people who run the country demonstrate which set was dominant. Even in my own mind, after years of indoctrination by the Catholic Church, I was ready and willing to go out and kill people if my country asked me to. It was the years of indoctrination that contained the memes of Christ. It was not the words of my commanders, although they had been exposed to the memes of Christ, just as I had been. Although they often said things like "There are no athiests in foxholes," and "We are God fearing men."

    Chaplains were part of the makeup of every military unit. They often told us the words of Christ. They read from the bible and preached sermons based on it. I can't believe you're not aware of all this. It's more like you just want to twist what I say to mean something else. I remember one chaplain telling me, "I only believe in two books -- the bible and the manual for Courts Martial." But again, my point is that the military men were all familiar with the words of Christ. Their actions were just the actions of killers, conquerors and opressors. They were in the business of empire building. Their actions were anti-Christian.

    But at no time did I say that Christ preached war. I merely said that men who professed to be followers of Christ preached war and went to war. Christ preached the oposite of what they were doing. Ever since Constantin this has been the way of Kings, emperors and the church. They preach peace even as they go to war. Our own government and military did it with "We're fighting for peace." Those are not the words of Christ. Those are the words of hipocrites.

    I hope I've made my point clear now. Not that I don't suspect you understood them the first time, but I doubt I can make it any plainer than this.

    Cheers,

    Grant

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