Pre-emptive Christianity

Does God choose sides in human wars? Does Jesus root-root-root for the home team, and if they don't win, it's blasphemy?\nFor that matter, does Allah give three cheers for whoever tosses bombs in his name?\nWar and religion seem to be inexorably tied together for some reason. No one ever fights a war on their own volition -- it's more convenient and less suspect to blame the looting, destruction and death on some higher power that no one can hold accountable. Whether the reason is pro or anti-deity, the result is the same: someone takes a bullet in the name of God.\nIt happned to both the Muslims and the Christians during the crusades. Well, perhaps not with bullets, but you get my idea.\nAdolf Hitler in WWII had the people of Nazi Germany under his thumb in believing that the Jews were responsible for every economic and social failure of the country at the time. Who would have thought that one section of the population was responsible for the rampant unemployment and low standard of living for the entire country?\nSounds farfetched today, doesn't it? But give a politically starved people enough rhetoric and excuses, they will believe and do anything. Just convince people that whatever the problem is, it's really not their fault, and they will follow willingly after that.\nThe deity-endorsed armed conflict cycle is continuing today with Operation Iraqi Freedom.\nGeorge W. Bush, in a report from Reuters News Service, was quoted about war casualties saying: \n"God's purposes were not always clear."\nSo who did these soldiers die for? Did they die for Iraqi Freedom? Or did they die for their country?\nWhose God were they fighting for or against, if any at all? \nAnother lingering question is why does God, whoever he or she may be to you or me, get blamed for this? God didn't press the launch button for those Patriot missiles.\nIn this same vein of logic, it can be hypothesized that since God spoke through Bush to go to war, then all the spoils of war, including dominance in the Middle East region, easy access to huge oil reserves and a bullying session on Syria were all God-given gifts?\nOh blessed be the U.S.A.\nWho gave George Bush the right to define God's divine plan? The last time I checked, he was president of my country, not the pastor of my church. Nor is he a rabbi, a monk, or an Islamic elder.\nIn a fitting sign of the times, a British Broadcasting Corporation report stated that even Bush's own denomination, The United Methodist Church, didn't agree with his choice to go to war.\nCome to think of it, the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church opposed the war too.\nSo what is God telling George Bush that he isn't telling other believers?\nWhether you are pro or anti-war, there has to be some ownership of the choices that are made. Blaming God for armed conflicts, or using his name as justification for violence defies the very nature of God. Claiming to be operating under the command of the highest is exactly what the Sept. 11 terrorists were doing.\nPerhaps their God was fake. Or maybe they believed in a Demi-God, a half God.\nMy God said he who is without fault can cast the first stone. So is my God wrong?\nJoan of Arc was burned at the stake for claiming to hear the voice of God. Joan, obviously, didn't have tank and infantry battalions to ram her God down others' throats.\nDon't use God as justification for your actions. You might be listening to the wrong one.