War in the Middle East

We went over some interesting stuff in church yesterday. Talking about war and all. There were a couple of people there who have relatives in the war in the middle east right now, and there was some interesting discussion, but the thing that stuck out in my mind the most was out of the lesson, a quote from David O. McKay, former president of the church, just after the bombing of pearl harbor.

There are, however, two conditions which may justify a truly Christian man to enter mind you, I say enter, not begin-a war: 1) An attempt to dominate and to deprive another of his free agency, and, 2) Loyalty to his country. Possibly there is a third, viz., Defense of a weak nation that is being unjustly crushed by a strong, ruthless one.

I don't know why, but that just seemed to hit home. Really I can't think of any other reason to enter a war than these. The defense of freedom, and I say freedom not democracy, is really the greatest reason to fight. I don't consider myself a pacifist, but physical violence should really be restricted to uses like this, or to defend oneself, one's loved ones or the laws of one's nation.

There are people in and out of our country who protest America's involvement in the middle east, and I don't really believe that Iraq had a major roll in the bombing of 9/11, or that there were necessarily weapons of mass destruction, but Saddam Hussein is an evil man. He rules his country like a wife beater rules his family, and neither of these things should be allowed to exist if there is any power in the world capable of stopping them. If that's America, and regardless of individuals within, or countries without who are selfishly worried about their own image, I'm just glad someone is doing something.