Let me understand…

Last night, President Obama said this. ”…we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam.  I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.”

O.K.

Check.

I got it. This is not an Islamic thing.

Then I read this. ”After bin Laden was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, senior administration officials said the body would be handled according to Islamic practice and tradition.”

All right, now I am confused. I know Osama bin Laden is not a Muslim leader. We’ve been told this about a million times. Trouble is, no one told him that. For example, here is how he bookends just one of his “talks” to the American people.

“Praise be to Allah who created the creation for his worship and commanded them to be just and permitted the wronged one to retaliate against the oppressor in kind…And Allah is our Guardian and Helper, while you have no Guardian or Helper. All peace be upon he who follows the Guidance.”

So, I guess he is a Muslim leader, after all, or at least a leader who is a Muslim. Or at least he thought so. This is confusing.

This kind of confusion can’t happen for someone who follows Jesus. A Christian doesn’t have any support if he is calling himself a “Christian” and he is using his faith as a blanket criteria to strike out violently against his enemy. Jesus talked about “forgiving your enemy,” “praying for your enemy,” “turn the other cheek,” and all the rest.

Nothing about “retaliating against the oppressor.”

Those who followed Jesus followed his lead, and didn’t strike out violently against some of the worst oppression the world has ever known: First century Roman Imperialism. In fact, one of the top leaders in the early Christian community, Jesus’ right hand man said this, “Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17) (!!)

The fact is, you may call yourself a “Christian” and use violence in the name of your faith, but you don’t have any support to do so. Jesus wouldn’t claim you as one of his own because the teachings and model of Jesus and the Church he designed forbid using violence in the name of your faith. There is no confusion about this.

(This is not about Christians serving in the armed forces and such. That is another topic. One’s faith obviously informs the decisions one makes in life, including being a soldier. But, this is not a criteria of any “Christian” governing system)

That’s why it is impossible for there to ever be a Christian nation, or a Christian army, or any such thing. Jesus, and the New Testament Church that followed, didn’t leave us with any system of government. In fact, there is no Christian ideology which can be used to rule as governing law.

Now, let me be clear, individual Christians have a system to guide our lives. Its called, “Following Jesus.” Sometimes we might even refer to it as law. It is called the “Law of love,” based on this teaching of Jesus.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)

There is no confusion about the Christian faith on this topic.

That’s why you are never going these words coming from an American President. 

‘…we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Christianity.’

Think about this deeply.