Onward Christian Soldiers!
No, this isn't about the Crusades.
Back in the early days of Christianity, when their Roman rulers put them to the test, some Christians turned their back on Christ and their religion by acknowledging - usually by burning incense - the Roman gods. Afterwards, some repented and wanted to return to the Church. Maybe some of those who betrayed their fellow Christians in Iraq under the ISIS threat will repent. But it looks like it won't be easy coming back to the fold.
In any case, while this isn't a new Crusade, it does remind us of the whole reason the Crusades took place back in the day. The myth taught in our schools for the last 50 years or so has been that "the West" embarked on an "imperialist" adventure to drive out the Muslims living in various parts of the Middle East and, of course, in Spain. What has been conveniently left out is just how these Muslims arrived in these places to begin with: by conquest. Yes, sometimes that conquest did not involve war. Yes, some communities in the sometimes oppressive and crumbling Byzantine Empire did accept, even welcome, the Muslim armies due to the overbearing central government in Constantinople. But there were plenty of military invasions too. And however it was accomplished, the Muslims conquered lands that were formerly Christian. The Crusades were meant to rectify that.
While this brief explanation may overly simplify the more complex historical interactions, I think we've captured the essence. And so you can see that these modern Christian soldiers aren't reviving the Crusades, but merely joining in the retaking of their ancestral homes, along with a determination to keep them once retaken. Add in the fact that those who took their lands are none other than the evil, barbaric ISIS hordes, and I hope you'll join me in exhorting these men:
Onward Christian soldiers!
MANILA TRAINING CENTER, Iraq—Hundreds of Christian men are picking up rifles for the first time at a former U.S. military facility in the hills of northeast Iraq and training to reclaim their towns from Islamic State militants who stormed the country last year.The article in the WSJ communicates determination as well as clear thinking:
“Those who betrayed us won’t be allowed to live among us,” said Firas Metr, a 27-year-old electrician and recruit with no military experience. “We need to protect ourselves, now and in the future.”Out with the traitors!
Back in the early days of Christianity, when their Roman rulers put them to the test, some Christians turned their back on Christ and their religion by acknowledging - usually by burning incense - the Roman gods. Afterwards, some repented and wanted to return to the Church. Maybe some of those who betrayed their fellow Christians in Iraq under the ISIS threat will repent. But it looks like it won't be easy coming back to the fold.
In any case, while this isn't a new Crusade, it does remind us of the whole reason the Crusades took place back in the day. The myth taught in our schools for the last 50 years or so has been that "the West" embarked on an "imperialist" adventure to drive out the Muslims living in various parts of the Middle East and, of course, in Spain. What has been conveniently left out is just how these Muslims arrived in these places to begin with: by conquest. Yes, sometimes that conquest did not involve war. Yes, some communities in the sometimes oppressive and crumbling Byzantine Empire did accept, even welcome, the Muslim armies due to the overbearing central government in Constantinople. But there were plenty of military invasions too. And however it was accomplished, the Muslims conquered lands that were formerly Christian. The Crusades were meant to rectify that.
While this brief explanation may overly simplify the more complex historical interactions, I think we've captured the essence. And so you can see that these modern Christian soldiers aren't reviving the Crusades, but merely joining in the retaking of their ancestral homes, along with a determination to keep them once retaken. Add in the fact that those who took their lands are none other than the evil, barbaric ISIS hordes, and I hope you'll join me in exhorting these men:
Onward Christian soldiers!
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