Posted: October 31, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By
William J. Federer
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
In Islamic countries, there is an intolerance toward Judeo-Christian _expression_. Public execution may be one's fate for openly sharing faith in Christ. A "fatwah" – a call by Islamist leaders for one's death – may be made against one accused of opposing Allah.
In the United States, there is an intolerance toward Judeo-Christian _expression_. Lt. General William G. "Jerry" Boykin is facing near public execution for sharing his faith in Christ. Indeed, the politically correct, left-leaning media, along with several Democrat presidential candidates, have put out a "fatwah" calling for the death of his career.
NPR's Nina Totenberg stated regarding the general: "I hope he's not long for this world." When her shocked co-panelist reacted to what sounded like a death wish, she quickly responded, "In his job, in his job, in his job, please, please, please, in his job."
If she had made this Freudian slip about someone of any other race or religion, she would have been retired.
What is the 'crime'?
Gen. Boykin talked about his faith in God in a church and at a prayer breakfast!
Horror of horrors! How criminal! Whoever heard of such a terrible thing – talking about your faith in a church and at a prayer breakfast!
What are Gen. Boykin's detractors doing anyway? Spying on people? Is every person's personal faith now under the scrutiny of the Orwellian "Thought Police"?
Are they copying Robespierre, the politically correct enforcer during the French Revolution, who sent thousands to the guillotine for expressing thoughts contrary to their new atheistic government? Hitler's SS and Stalin's KGB also carried away thousands who expressed thoughts contrary to their atheistic governments. In Tiananmen Square, thousands were massacred for daring to think thoughts different than the atheistic People's Republic of China.
Character assassination
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word "assassin" as coming from the Arabic word hashshAshIn, one who smokes or chews hashish, circa 1520: one of a secret order of Muslims that … terrorized Christians and other enemies by secret murder committed under the influence of hashish.
When will the mean-spirited pundits stop their tactic of character assassination of those who do not line up with their political agenda? There is no freedom of speech unless one speaks what they want. Any public figure faces character assassination who does not embrace their agenda, be it Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, Trent Lott, Roy Moore, Miguel Estrada, Mel Gibson or even Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As Richard Gephardt described in his book "An Even Better Place" (1999): "Our dirty little secret is that it comes so naturally to us as human beings to attack, to smear, to assassinate … to revert to violence and near-violence in our social and political lives, figuratively killing one another through personal assaults upon one another's character."
Where is this tolerance they so proudly profess? Why don't they extend this same tolerance to people who disagree with them?
Why don't they give the same pass they gave to the philanderings of Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson and Teddy Kennedy? Why the double standard?
Indeed, what they are doing to the general could fit the description of a hate crime – slandering, vilifying, discriminating and persecuting him simply because his views are different than theirs.
Where is the ACLU when you need them? They claim to be champions of those who are persecuted for exercising their "freedom of speech."
Orwellian double-speak
"To show we are tolerant, we will not tolerate you."
George Orwell's book "1984" described a futuristic government with a Department of Truth that changed the definitions of words to mean their exact opposite. Has the definition of the word "tolerance" been changed to mean "intolerance" toward those who do not conform?
Doesn't it seem hypocritical that to be tolerant, we must be intolerant of individuals like Gen. Boykin?
Catherine the Great of Russia would dress up the peasants along the road to give visitors from other countries the false impression of prosperity, when in reality her people were suffering in poverty.
Is America trying to give other countries the false impression that we are tolerant, when in reality people of traditional values, like Gen. Boykin, are suffering intolerance?
Another general's behavior
(Warning: Viewing the following could be disturbing to those historically sheltered.)
After the Declaration was read to his troops, July 9, 1776, George Washington's first order was to appoint chaplains to each regiment, concluding:
"The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country."
To his troops at Valley Forge, May 2, 1778, Gen. Washington stated:
"The Commander-in-Chief directs that Divine service be performed every Sunday at 11 o'clock, in each Brigade which has a Chaplain. ....While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to laud the more distinguished Character of Christian."
On May 12, 1779, Washington spoke with the chiefs of the Delaware Indian tribe who had visited his Middle Brook military encampment:
"Brothers: I am glad you have brought three of the Children of your principal Chiefs to be educated with us. ... You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ."
Was he proselytizing while in uniform?
Black Hawk down
The movie "Black Hawk Down" depicted the 1993 horror in Somalia after Clinton denied equipment requested by the troops. Boykin was commander of those downed Special Forces, which were surrounded by warlord fighters. He probably still hears his soldiers' desperate radio calls for backup. The enemy not only killed the U.S. soldiers, but desecrated them, stripped them, tied cables around their necks hooked them to cars and dragged their bloody, naked bodies through the streets of Mogadishu.
Boykin is accused of being "insensitive" in his remarks about these Somalian warlords, yet most Americans would agree this treatment of our soldiers was demonic and whatever god those who perpetrated this act serve, it is not the same as ours.
'Peaceful religion'
We all applaud the president's use of "peaceful religion" rhetoric to encourage the Islamic world to continue cooperating in the war on terror, but there is a risk of appearing out of touch with reality, as every day headlines report Islamists involved in car bombings, suicide bombings, "honor killings," gang rapes, adulteresses facing stoning, snipers on trial, and converts to other faiths stoned. From stories of the Bali bomber to the Miss Universe contest in Nigeria to the millions killed in southern Sudan, not to mention the history that by A.D. 950, half of what had been the Christian world was conquered by followers of Muhammad.
It is certainly our desire to give every encouragement to those believing a moderate form of Islam, but we can do this without taking away from 84 percent of Americans, which the U.S. government's CIA.gov World Fact Book lists as Christian, their freedom of speech.
America prides itself in being the most tolerant country in the world. Wouldn't it be ironic that we defeat Saddam's intolerant regime, only to set up Saddam's intolerant policies right here on our own soil?
It is said, "The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home." If America is serious about spreading tolerance around the world, we should be an example of it first at home – by demonstrating tolerance of Gen. Boykin's personal views.
William Federer is a best-selling author and president of Amerisearch Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America's noble heritage. Federer's "American Minute" is featured daily in WorldNetDaily.
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