Jesus Killed Mohammed

In today's era of a sensationalist media that does not tell the facts that America needs to know, but instead tries to influence what Americans believe are important, many stories that are important to the American experiment are missed and ignored. Today's media pushes its own agenda instead just reporting news. Or more importantly, not reporting certain stories. One such story involves American soldiers that are currently bravely fighting in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The story reveals an increasing movement within the military to make the Unites States military the arm of God. The Story was featured in Harper's Magazine in May of 2009 and was told by Jeff Sharlet. And because it involves religion and the military, two topics in which no news editor wants to touch, it has gone virtually ignored in the mainstream media. Here is the story.

The article tells the story of Sergeant Jeffrey Humphrey who was assigned to guard a Special Forces compound in Samarra. The group he was sent to guard was the 10th Special forces Group, who paid their guardians little attention.

A month on assignment, Humphrey began hearing rumors that soldiers were desecrating Islamic sites with crosses. Then, Humphrey saw an inscription on one of the Bradley tanks that read in Arabic "Jesus Killed Mohammed." The Bradley then took off into the Iraqi night.

An Arabic interpreter rode on top of the Bradley as it went through Iraqi neighborhoods. When the keen of the call of prayer was heard, the message that tells Muslims that it is time to pray, the interpreter spoke through a bullhorn he was carrying and began insulting the Muslim prophet. Then he began chanting Jesus Killed Mohammed. All the while an officer stood next to him and smiled.

Whenever anyone from inside the houses poked their head out to object, they were met with a barrage of bullets from the soldier's rifles. Humphrey witnessed this with his own eyes. None of the soldiers were reprimanded. According to the officer, they were doing what they were sent there do. Hard to be seen as liberators when you are using the same tactics as a people's former oppressors.

The Jesus Killed Mohammed episode described by Humphrey is only one small example of a growing trend in the military.  While the great majority of those in uniform are there to defend their nation and their nation's ideals and values, there is a growing segment of the military who views the military as a weapon for Christ.  And these are not just new recruits.  They are men who are in positions of power that believe that America can only be a Christian nation and will impose those believes yielding whatever power they may have.  There is Major General Johnny A. Weida, who as commandant at the Air Force Academy made its National Day of Prayer services exclusively Christian and created a Christian only code to communicate with the soldiers of God.  There is also Lieutenant General Robert Van Antwerp who has used his uniform to promote Christian only causes and who declared the baptisms of 700 soldiers evidence of the Lord's plan to raise a "godly army."

And then there is Blackwater, who was hired by the Bush Administration as a private contractopr to provide security in Iraq who have come under fire for its ruthless tactics murdering Iraqi citizens, allowing and supporting its employees in Iraq allowing and in some cases encouraging its men in Iraq to use child prostitues, murdering employees who have assisted in a Federal investigation and  allegations that Blackwater engages in illegal arms smuggling worldwide.  However, Blackwater is run by a man who reportatly views himself "as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe." 

Many will argue that the few soldiers actively engaging in a Crusade in the middle east should not blemish the majority of soldiers who are currently fighting in the name of America. And that is a valid point. But there are whole infantry divisions dedicated to being "God's" army. They are killing people in Iraq because they are Muslim, not because they are an enemy to America or a threat to soldier's lives.

People off all faiths have died for America. To allow radical Christians to take positions of power in the army to further their religious cause does not help the United States. To give groups like Blackwater billions of dollars to further their Crusade against Muslims does not help the United States. It only creates more enemies. And the very sad thing, this story is not told on Fox News. It is not told on CNN. This is a story that needs to be told. And tough questions must be asked.  Are these "Christian" soldiers there to liberate Iraq for America's safety or there to spread their faith by force? And should taxpayer dollars be spent to support companies who views themselves as Christian mercenaries rather than Americans?