Is God on Saddam's Side?

Is God on Saddam's Side? The answer is: I hope not. But after reading the San Francisco Chronicle's extracts from Bay Area religious sermons: "Spiritual leaders struggle to address fear, uncertainty of times", it seems that many who claim to understand more about God than the rest of us aren't so sure. The message of most of these sermons is that it doesn't matter what Saddam does, God doesn't want America to possess or use weapons. Only one of the cited sermons made sense. I am saving it for the very end. First I am going to make you read all of the hideous examples of the perversion of religion in the service of moral equivalence.

Father Stephan Borlang, St. Vincent's Ferrer Catholic Church, Vallejo

Weapons, war, destruction are all a result of our lack of faith. We try to satisfy our spiritual thirst and hunger in ways that are contrary to God's will.

Rev. Laird Stuart, Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco

God's will for all nations was that they should choose a new way to live together, like lions and lambs.

The Rev. G. Penny Nixon, Senior pastor, Metropolitan Community Church, San Francisco

As a queer, I am well acquainted with the notion of categorization. I am all too familiar with government lies and the potential cruelty of otherness. As a religious leader, I am sorrowfully aware of institutional secrecy and self-preservation at any cost. I suppose that is why I am so certain that no human is dispensable.

I guess she/he is telling us that Saddam, Uday and Chemical Ali are also indispensable.

David Fitzgerald, steering committee member, San Francisco Atheists

Because despite the fundamental disagreements atheists have with religion, opposition to this unjust war could prove to be what unites believers and nonbelievers alike.

Who says atheists can't also have a spiritual side or be a moral force?

Anwar, Imam/religious director, South Bay Islamic Association, San Jose

Oh Allah! Today as we supplicate to you, thousands and thousands of innocent people are being killed all over the world. Please save them, have Your mercy upon them, as You are the most merciful. Spare the lives of the innocent Iraqis, Palestinians, and all innocent people that are being tortured and killed over the world. They do not deserve it.

Does Imam Anwar also pray for the overwhelming majority of Muslims who are oppressed at the hands of Muslim tyrants? In fact, he does not.

Rev. David Sammons, Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church

What those who hate us will be doing, is what we've done ourselves, in the way we've portrayed Saddam Hussein.

Tanto Teah Strozer, San Francisco Zen Center

It helps, in this effort, to stay grounded in one's body and breath. And when we have the opportunity, we can help each other in little ways ... Stop, be aware, feel your feelings in your body, let the body process them before going onto whatever you are doing.

And if only Saddam had learned Pilates, maybe he wouldn't be so cranky and obstreperous.

Finally, there is at least one religious leader in the Bay Area who still cares about the difference between right and wrong:

Yakov Kagan, Chabad of Contra Costa (Lubavitch), Walnut Creek

Judaism teaches us that one cannot be neutral when it comes to holy and unholy, good and evil. One must take a stand and define his position pro or con. It takes great vision and bravery to choose to eradicate the evil but there are those who recognize their mission to transform the world into a G- dly domain.

We can Thank G-d for America and its leaders who are brave enough to stand up to evil in its source and commit themselves to destroying it. As G-d accompanied Moses on his mission to destroy the Evil leader of ancient Egypt so let us pray that G-d will accompany our troops and commander in chief toward facing down today's evil tyrants.

Amen.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at March 26, 2003 08:04 AM