Do Canadians find it hypocritical when some Americans use religion to justify War in Iraq?

Question

As an American, this is a part of my own country that I really find utterly disturbing.

For someone who is not all that religious, this seems like a violation of the US Constitution which specifically calls for a separation of religion from government. Religious rightwing advocates argue the US was founded by Christians and somehow acknowledging a need to consider "God" is not in violation because it's not specific to any one religion.

And if you ARE religious, who is to judge that YOUR religion calls for an oil pipeline and sending troops to Iraq and praying for victory???

There is a very famous piece of work by a 19th century American Author "Mark Twain" called 'The War Prayer" (a pacifist piece of work which simply put, acknowledges that praying for victory of your own side is equivocal to praying for the defeat of the opposing side. And if the people who serve their governments are all one in the same, you are choosing to pray for something you may not be aware of, such as the bloodshed of innocent people like you and me."

And now Presidential Candidate McCain's Vice President spoke about "God Willing" that we stay the course in Iraq, and it's won the hearts and minds of the same support group that re-elected George W. Bush in 2004.

If I were religious, can I just say......"God save my country from hypocrisy????" Can I just say that???

Answer 1

When one person talks crazy and says things that make no sense we call them insane. When a large group of people does this we call it Religion. The religious right in USA is no better than the crazy Taliban nutjobs. They just want to kill eachother and think God gave them the right. Dont forget God Bless America, and Ala bless the Taliban.  

Answer 2

Its similar to sports where both teams pray to seemingly the same God for victory.   One wins and thanks God for the talent and good bounces he sent their way... I dont often hear the losing team cursing God afterwards for deciding to favour the other side!!   I'm not sure how they justify the loss... maybe the other side prayed harder or God had a sidebet on the game?

Using religion to justify a war is something like that too. Both sides ask God to vanquish their enemy and both claim God on their side to justify their acts however craven they maybe. The seperation of church and state that has served the western democracies well and use to be what seperated us from the fanatical theocracies seems to be slipping..  Once God is in the equation you can justify anything!!   The Sunnis and Taliban seem to think Allah is okay with dressing their kids up as suicide bombers and pray for them to kill the same soldiers that pray to their God to make their bullets fly true into the heads of the "terrorists".     I guess it all comes down to who has the bigger gun;  God or Allah.   Its circular reasoning and bringing God into it is very dangerous and hypocritical to our "secular" democracies.  

Answer 3

You are not the first person to ask that question. Sadly, you won't be the last one either.

Myself, as a Canadian, I am opposed to anyone who makes totally hypocritical statements no matter who they are or what religion they purport to be part of.

I am under the impression that an increasing number of Americans are opposed to the war in Iraq. If it helps any, many Canadians (not to mention a substantial number of people on the planet) are also opposed to the relentless bloodshed and wholesale slaughter happening. It would seem that the US government did not learn a thing from Vietnam. Equally disturbing is that Afghanistan may be Canada's own 'Vietnam'. Hopefully, we'll learn something about the folly of war, hatred and the unconscionable destruction of lives and worlds.

We here in Canada are also very likely facing a federal election, so, if I may, I'd like to ask that we, too, be saved from hypocrisy no matter where it comes from.

Answer 4

This is not specific just to speaking about the war in Iraq.  Much of the religious right feel it is fundamentally wrong to separate church and state and personally find it difficult to experience any aspect of their lives without incorporating their version of God into it.

The great thing about this country is that we have religious freedom which allows these people to say exactly those things.  If that's how they feel, then good for them. It's not my place, or anyone else's to stop it.  However, if they want to force others to accept their God, that's a different story.  

Answer 5

No, from my understanding its Freedom of Religion, not Freedom from Religion.

People are allowed to have whatever belief's they so desire. You don't have to vote for your so called "religious righting fanatics". Just like they don't have to vote for your candidate. Why do other peoples belief's offend you so much?

I find  most of your questions very silly.

Answer 6

Why is this directed to Canadians?