Diary: An Open Letter to American Conservative Christians

You guys have a lot of nerve.

Many of you are acting as if there is nothing wrong; As if you have
done nothing wrong.

You have a LOT of repenting to be doing.

This Christmas season should be a time of reflection and introspection
for you.

Spend it thinking about REAL Christian Values.

This past election should have been a wake up call for you.

I was there, in Washington D.C. BEFORE the war. I was standing there
with my sign that said "PEACE NOT WAR", not even saying anything, when a self-described "Conservative Christian" came up to me and started telling me in detail why I was going to hell because I opposed this war and that I should "repent my heathenish Liberal ways". I tried to explain to her that I am a Christian. I am an ordained reverend in a non-denominational church. She would hear none of it.

The people are NOW starting to wake up and are realizing that this
invasion and occupation of Iraq was a disastrous mistake.

Not a blunder.

Not an "oops".

It was a horrific, disastrous, catastrophic, apocalyptic Mistake of
BIBLICAL proportions!

A mistake that YOU openly supported.

A mistake by a man that YOU overwhelmingly supported!

All because of a narrow set of comparatively small wedge issues.

Shame on you for lacking perspective.

Shame on you for your incivility during that time.

Mine was not an isolated incident and you know it.

So many people have lost their lives, their limbs, their homes, their
loved ones and worst of all their HOPE because of this action that YOU
supported.

Because of a basic general, pervasive ignorance among the American
populace about Iraq, the culture or the people living there, you had
no idea what kind of powder keg it really was.

Now that powder keg has exploded.

Tribes of people who were thrown together less than a century ago by
the British and labeled the nation "Iraq" have gone back to fighting
each other, like they did for a thousand years before.

And 150,000 of our Soldiers, our Citizens, and our Children are
standing around in the middle of that nation while it explodes.

What the HELL were you thinking?

Who am I kidding? I know what you were thinking.

You were scared after 9-11.

You had your sense of security shattered and you realized that we can be attacked here on our soil. You realized that we Americans can be victims too. Unfortunately you failed to realize that we can personally experience repercussions because of what our government does thousands of miles away. Distance and verbal disassociation from our government's actions are no longer enough to keep us safe.

So what did you do, when God challenged you? What did you do in the face of fear? How did you react when confronted by people who hate you?

You sided with the Republicans based on a narrow set of wedge issues and you enabled them to do everything they did starting with the Patriot Act, including the invasion of Iraq and right up to doing away with Habeus Corpus and Posse Comitatus.

Do you feel any safer because of what we have done in Afganistan and Iraq?

Do you think Islamic Fundamentalists hate us any less or are reduced in numbers?

If you do then you are, in the words of journalist Michael Ware, "suffering from the luxury of distance".

An example of how REAL Christians react when they are attacked is
right here in America's heartland, right under your noses.

Earlier this year the Amish in Penn were attacked by an insane man who
executed several of their children in cold blood. He put them on their
knees and shot them from behind.

How did the Amish React?

Did they attack the outside world for its wickedness?

Did they rightfully mention that this is not an uncommon experience
for them and that earlier this same year they had several of their
daughters fall victim to rape?

Did they invade and occupy two countries? (Couldn't help myself)

No, they immediately held a press conference and publicly FORGAVE the
man.

Then, when the money and gifts started pouring in from all over the
world, their first action was to create a fund for the wife and
children of the man who murdered their children.

Pay special attention to that.

For future reference, THAT is how a real Christian reacts when they
are attacked.

You all really need to reevaluate your principles. You need to
reexamine what "Christian Values" really are.

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who
curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who
strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who
takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to
everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do
not ask them back."
- Luke 6:27-30