A personal commentary and editorial on news, events, social media, and just about anything else. Occasionally I will rant about something. I strive to argue and make my points with facts. I am not politically correct as it is a term connected with Marxist ideology.

Friday, February 27, 2015

My response to: 5 Things to Know About ISIS and the Theology of Evil by Jim Wallis

http://sojo.net/blogs/2015/02/26/5-things-know-about-isis-and-theology-evil

While Jim Wallis makes some solid points and cogent observations, his partisanship shows through his analysis particularly where he writes, "While it’s a common Fox practice to turn everything into a partisan issue against President Obama, O’Reilly is also spreading a very dangerous theology." According to Wallis , Fox News makes it a practice to turn everything into a partisan issue against Obama: everything. Really, Jim? 

Perhaps Wallis is nonplussed that Fox News does report news and commentary that is legitimately critical of President Obama's policies and actions. Such reporting is often lacking on other networks whose biases lean in support of the President and his administration. Such a statement written by Wallis runs counter to the Sojourners Comment Community Covenant (Ephesians 4:29)

While I cannot disagree that the United States Foreign Policy and previous military advances into that region have complicated and at times exacerbated political instabilities among governments, sects and tribes in the Middle East, laying that blame of these problems on our thirst and addiction for oil which in part leads to ISIS as Wallis writes, is also dangerously naive.

I do agree with Wallis it is important that the United States form military alliances from within that region to face and defeat the ISIS forces that are butchering the innocents and threatening neighbors in that region. In order to successfully do that, the United States must also bring itself correctly see ISIS as a Militant Islamic Extremist group. President Obama's refusal to acknowledge the Islamic religious component to what drives ISIS will not serve the US or its allies in defeating ISIS.

While war is an ugly thing, it is sometimes necessary to reign in an untenable situation where innocents are brutally slaughtered, raped and enslaved.

Finally, Wallis seems to imply that Governments and politicians are the only tools people have in solving world problems. Non-Governmental Organizations such as Rotary International, churches and others can also take actions and start dialogues with leaders and citizens of other countries to address other issues that fuel instability and radical extremist.

Refusing to defend civilians and neighbors in danger is not love.