The burning question is being asked hereThe author proclaims to be a gun lover himself, but he is writing for the unmissable site Antiwar.com. It is about rifles with a night vision devise on which are incriptions.
"JN8:12" is a reference to John 8:12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’" "2COR4:6" is a reference to the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
A soldier, described as "presumably Muslim" has complained
Everyone is worried that if they were captured in combat that the enemy would use the Bible quotes against them in captivity or some other form of propaganda.
Would that really be the worst you can think of these inscriptions? The author continues:
The situation is reminiscent of some of Lt. Gen. William Boykin’s (deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and war-fighting support in the Bush administration and an evangelical Christian) controversial remarks implying we were in a religious war against Islam:
* "I knew that my God was a real God, and his [a Muslim fighter in Somalia] was an idol."
* "The enemy [Islamic extremists] is a spiritual enemy. He’s called the principality of darkness. The enemy is a guy called Satan."
Never fear, the company that makes the guns, Trijicon,
may be a company that believes "America is great when its people are good" and that "this goodness has been based on biblical standards throughout our history and we will strive to follow those morals,"
So genocide and slavery are signs of goodness based on biblical standards. So is grabbing the poor and putting them on transport to "colonies" where they can feel better than the coloured humans around them (for that is the way much of the later-to-become USA originally became peopled by English speaking whites).
Conclusion:
the U.S. military should not be tone deaf to the fact that overt Christian messages on weapons of war perpetuates the belief that the America is waging a holy war against Muslims.
It is all a bit much to swallow. Illustrative for what Shane Claiborne writes: "It is hard being a Christian in the United States of America."
What word should we use instead of Christian for people who take His words seriously?
How ironic should we think this is?
