Coming Soon to a theater near Iraq: "Indiana Boykin and the Last Crusade"

Is the "War on Terror" a modern-day crusade? It depends on who you ask.

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush gave a speech in which he announced the "War on Terror" and compared this war to a Holy Crusade. Remember the Crusades from that history class you took years ago? You know, that period of time where "Christians" attempted to force their religion on the rest of the world, killing anyone who did not convert to Christianity.

Since that speech, the Bush administration has desperately tried to get rid of the "Crusade" mentality.

Lt. General William G. Boykin, the deputy undersecretary of defense, made headlines recently due to some things he said while speaking at a church about war.

There he was, dressed up in full military uniform, standing in a church talking about how this battle against Islamic militants was really a Christian battle against Satan. He also referred to a time in 1993 when we got Somali warlord Mohammed Atta, a Muslim, by saying he knew we would win because "our God is bigger than yours." He also said that the Somalian worshipped an "idol", not a "real god."

Is this Freedom of Speech?
Yes and No.
Boykin has the freedom to say whatever he wants to say. That is one of the things that makes America great - The First Amendment, but while he is in that military uniform, he acts and speaks as a General, not a civilian.

Do these statements damage the image of the US military?
Yes.
The US went into two primarily Islamic countries - Afghanistan and Iraq. If we want the people of these countries to be on the side of freedom and democracy, it's best not to insult their religion.

By phone, Boykin told NBC that he has respect for Muslims and that the extremists are "not true followers of Islam."

What's important to realize is that every religion has its share of extremists:
There are "Christians" who shoot abortion doctors. Does that mean all Christians are murderers?
There are "Muslims" who fly planes into buildings. Does that mean all Muslims are terrorists?

If people would actually educate themselves on various religions, rather than regurgitate biased propaganda, they would realize that there are many similarities among Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. All three of these religions, in their truest form, are peaceful - until an extremist perverts it into violence in order to mask some ulterior motive.

More info:
"As If the 'Crusade' Speech Wasn't Enough"
Bush's views on Boykin's speech (on page 2 of the article)
Other web pages about Boykin