What the Religious Right thinks of Peacemakers

The following article is by Cal Thomas, a former leader of the Moral Majority organization. This column appears every day in the uber-fundamental website "Crosswalk.com" (www.crosswalk.com). After reading this article, be sure to e-mail them and share just how you feel about Cal's daily contribution.
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More Westerners Kidnapped
Cal Thomas
Syndicated Columnist

December 5, 2005

By the time this airs, the peace activists kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq may be dead. I hope not, but given recent history, that is a distinct possibility.

The four – two Canadian, an American and a Briton – are members of Christian peacemaker teams. The terrorists have accused them of being spies for the occupying forces and their picture has been shown on Al-Jazeera.

Two points about this. I hope it exposes the naiveté of people who think evil can be accommodated. In fact, it must be eradicated. And second, the kidnappers must surely know they will get nothing – nothing – in return. There will be no prisoners released, no troops withdrawn, no money paid. To do so would only encourage more kidnappings.

Let’s hope that if these peaceniks manage to talk their way out, they will realize the kind of people they are dealing with and come to their senses.

All of this is a run-up to the December 15 national election that will give Iraq a full-elected government and allow the United States to say its immediate goals have been achieved.
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Wait a minute, Christian peacemakers are naive? I'm sure they knew the dangers before they left to put their faith into action. Does Cal and those like him forget that when they claim to worship Jesus they claim to worship the PRINCE OF PEACE? I'm beginning to think that the fundamentalist Bible consists only of the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) and the book of Revelation. The reason I reach this conclusion is due to the fact of their infatuation with End Times prophecy and their lust for “eye for an eye�-styled revenge. Omitted from their words and actions are the very teachings of Jesus Christ – the One they claim to worship! I am disgusted and appalled at how fellow brothers and sisters can be so callous towards another’s suffering. It is quite disturbing to realize that in a religion where the very foundation is set upon grace, there is very little to be found among many of its believers.

This is further proof of our urgency to take back our hijacked faith and reshape the conversation. If we don't take a stand for the true values and teachings of Jesus, who will? The Religious Right? I think not.