AFP: Marines turn to God ahead of anticipated Fallujah battle

[truthpusher]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041106/lf_afp/iraq_fallujah_church_041106183348

Marines turn to God ahead of anticipated Fallujah battle

Sat Nov 6, 1:33 PM ET

NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - With US forces massing outside Fallujah, 35 marines swayed to Christian rock music and asked Jesus Christ to protect them in what could be the biggest battle since American troops invaded Iraq (news - web sites) last year.

Men with buzzcuts and clad in their camouflage waved their hands in the air, M-16 assault rifles laying beside them, and chanted heavy metal-flavoured lyrics in praise of Christ late Friday in a yellow-brick chapel.

<snip>

"You are the sovereign. You're name is holy. You are the pure spotless lamb," a female voice cried out on the loudspeakers as the marines clapped their hands and closed their eyes, reflecting on what lay ahead for them.

<snip>

Between the service's electric guitar religious tunes, marines stepped up on the chapel's small stage and recited a verse of scripture, meant to fortify them for war.


more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041106/lf_afp/iraq_fallujah_church_041106183348

[L84TEA]

1. is that sorta like

That blue light room they take the hogs threw before the slaughter?

[tsuki]

2. OMG,

they might as well drink kool-aid. I guess they have to turn to something, doesn't sound like their leaders have much on the ball.

[Mari333]

3. its a fucking crusade.

God is not going to bless this. God does not bless murders of human beings in wars based on lies.

[AndyTiedye]

6. God Didn't Exactly Bless the Last Crusades Either

[saigon68]

29. Lots of simple, rustic, ignorant, young men and women from Jesusla...

Are about to become Shredded Hash for the Halliburton and Bush Criminals.

As they march off to the sounds of braying crowds and beating drums to "KILL the Muslim Rag-Heads". With this tune ringing in their ears.

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Refrain

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Refrain


The city of Fallujah is said to be the home of the insurgents behind the recent wave of kidnappings, beheadings and suicide bombings.

Colonel Gary Brandl of the United States Marine Corps commented:
"The enemy has a face. It is Satan's. He is in Fallujah, and we are going to destroy him."

[The Zanti Regent]

45. Arthur Sullivan spins in his grave...

...seeing how his hymm has been perverted in the name of Jesus!

[Delphinus]

84. Thank you, Mari.

Those were the words I wanted to say myself.

[DS1]

123. You think they have anything else to turn to?

Nobody else cares apparently. Scared shitless is how I see these guys.

[truthpusher]

125. Scared shitless - you hold your rosary in your pocket and pray privately..

...getting the guys you are fighting with, pumped up about a war against the evil Muslims: put your rosary on the front of your tank.

[livinbella]

4. may they get what they deserve

[Goathead]

7. Here here!

Agreed!

[Raskolnik]

87. What do you mean by that?

Don't be coy, just come out and say it.

[rockydem]

91. not appropriate

[HoosierClarkie]

100. Disgusting!

Those men and woman are statistically young, poor, and TRUST our government. Someone died today from my state who was just sent to Iraq. Yes, he was young, poor, and trusted our government. Are you telling me I should go and tell his mother he deserved it? Our government has failed our troops not the other way around!!!

[NorthernSpy]

104. you're assuming that "what they deserve" must be death!

Why is that, precisely?

[HoosierClarkie]

112. i dunno, maybe he/she could've meant medals? Get a grip....

[NorthernSpy]

113. hey -- it was YOUR assumption, not mine

:eyes:

[PsychoDad]

121. They deserve to come home...

And live the lives of young adults in America, not end up as sacrifuces to Bush's god Mammon.

[srk6969]

131. Yes!

Yes they do, and quickly and they should be celebrated when they come home!

[srk6969]

130. Deserve???

Your lack of description of what they deserve leads me to assume that you wish my son who is a Marine and his platoon and the other 15,000 men and women in this battle harm.

You and anyone that agrees with your comment are no better than the ones who have them over there! In fact, i consider the republicans better than you because they at least support the efforts of our men.

To wish harm to our troops makes you UNAMERICAN, and no better than the scum that these brave men are fighting. You are not fit to lick the soles of their boots!

[Bush was AWOL]

134. What a shitty comment

Not surprising considering the anti-US forces attitude around here that most hold.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Great! The two armies of GAWD praying before battle

Forgive me for I must puke now!

[VegasWolf]

9. LOL. Yes, now we can see which GAWD is strongest, but

I still can't figure out the football Gawds, one week
they're up, the next week they're down.

[kskiska]

8. Oh, that'll go over really big in Iraq

and win the hearts and minds of the populace.

[Krupskaya]

10. PLEASE tell me how this is different...

...from what they claim to fear and loathe. I mean, I know what they think is different. But Jayzus H.

[AlamoDemoc]

16. We should praise for more blood bath

God help the innocent Iraqi civilians

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[maddezmom]

11. they are also re-enacting "Ben-Hur"

`SNIP~


Blowing off steam, hundreds of Marines took their cue from the 1959 Charlton Heston classic and gathered Saturday at a base near Fallujah for a slapstick chariot race featuring cobbled-together carts and confiscated Iraqi horses.


"These men are about to face the greatest personal and professional tests of their lifetimes," said Lt. Col. Willy Buhl, commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines.


"We wanted to lighten things up, take the tension off what we're about to do," said the 42-year-old commander from Los Gatos, Calif., who dreamed up the "First Annual 'Ben-Hur' Memorial Chariot Race."


The Marine charioteers, wearing togas over their body armor, waved baseball bats done up as spiked maces and jumped into carts forged from cast-off vehicle parts. The makeshift chariots were pulled by Iraqi horses commandeered from looters in the area.

`snip~
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&ncid=535&e=9&u=/ap/20041106/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_blowing_off_steam

[truthpusher]

13. Creepy

[mike_c]

18. "take the tension off what we're about to do...."

I'm speechless with anger. They want a little light amusement before they get down to the serious business of murdering and destroying.

[lebkuchen]

58. Yes, just like at Abu Ghraib

"just having us some fun"

[billyoc]

21. They're ABOUT to re-enact the "City of Hue" battle of '68

where 140 marines died to "free" another city from another "evil". :eyes:

[MisterP]

27. reminds me of when they killed a tiger coz it was biting some drunk ass

who decided to go into the zoo cage and tease it as the conquerors were carousing about.
The country is the invaders' own playground and they don't even have the decency to import their own horses to fool about with

[thecrow]

39. Well, they can't appear sensitive to the enemy...

</drip> </sarcasm>

Our army has gone insane... bringing the image of the ROMANS to Iraq!!!! What The FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF????

I am sputtering here. Must go retch....

[Dhalgren]

109. Yeah, the imagery of Imperial Roman conquerors

will be lost on most stupid Americans, but not on the rest of the world. Americans say, "Hey, ha-ha, just like that old movie with the Planet of the Apes guy!" But the rest of the world's collective jaw drops at the spectacle of such abject stupidity and callousness...

[PsychoDad]

120. Ben Hur Races, Toga parties ?

The imagery of Imperial Roman conquerors

IIRC: Wasn't the Anti-Christ supposed to preside over the New Roman Empire?

I seem to remember that Babylon would burn, and the cities of the world would morn?

Bush=Antichrist... ?
Boy! Did Shaytan have to scrape the bottom of the barrel or what?

[daleo]

42. Iraqi horses commandeered from looters in the area - yeah, right

"Hey, where you going with my horse?"
"Shut up, looter".

[ticapnews]

50. "First Annual?"

Just how long do these guys expect to be there?

On second thought, don't answer that question.

I really weep for these guys.

[lebkuchen]

59. not me

no longer

[Algorem]

12. at least it must help the saner Marines be less afraid of dying,because

they realize if they get killed they at least won't have to be around these fanatic pea-brains anymore

[Judi Lynn]

15. Death, where is thy sting? n/t

[Quetzal]

14. God will bless the meek and the innocents that will lose thier lives

[Career Prole]

17. For those who have never read it, or have forgotten it

I present Mark Twain's "The War Prayer"...required reading before any crusade. Damned shame freepers can't read.

Sunday morning came -- next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams -- visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation


"God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!"
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory --
Presented in all its splendid ageless irony at
http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/warprayer.html

[AlamoDemoc]

19. Poor Iraqi civilians....100.000 of them dead and still counting

Dear God!

[mike_c]

20. let's not forget the glimpse at the beast....

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

[Hekate]

118. Amen, Brother Twain, amen!

Bless Sam Clemens' honest soul -- at times such as this he was not one to suffer fools gladly.

Just. Stop. The. Killing.

Hekate

[VegasWolf]

22. If they really want to let off a little tension, why not pass Blair around

he would go for it if awol asked.

[The Doctor.]

44. I dunno, I do't think I'd want anything after a

DKE had his way with it....

[AG78]

23. Wow

"You are the sovereign. You're name is holy. You are the pure spotless lamb," a female voice cried out on the loudspeakers as the marines clapped their hands and closed their eyes, reflecting on what lay ahead for them"

What world do we live in?

Sounds like this one is going to be one hell of a bloodbath. I doubt that lamb will be spotless in a few days.

[kwolf68]

24. What the hell is this statement

"God's people would be annointed with oil," the chaplain said, as he lightly dabbed oil on the marines' foreheads.

[VegasWolf]

25. My guess is that is has something to do with Exxon, but just guessing.

[truthpusher]

26. Evangelicals put blessed oil on their heads for protection.

[thecrow]

41. Ashcroft has had it done to himself a few times..

google it or go to
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:sD9iDo2ppvUJ:www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi%3Faz%3Dshow_thread%26om%3D676%26forum%3DDCForumID35%26archive%3Dyes+ashcroft+annoint+oil&hl=en

[truthpusher]

77. Bizarre...This is so far out of whack for government to be doing this.

[truthpusher]

78. Bizarre...This is so far out of whack for government to be doing this.

[Judi Lynn]

36. Now that's just PRIMITIVE!

These people are taking us into the wilderness, aren't they? In their blood-thirsty frenzy, against the people who did NOT participate in 9/11, they are actually conjuring the image of a deity who wants them to kill other human beings.

If these same people saw people in another culture behaving like that they'd swear those people were superstitious, backward idiots,
light-years behind us.

[Hekate]

119. Holy, or sacramental, oil is widely used in solemn rites

It's ancient -- mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, and undoubtedly predates them. In a quick check I found some mention in a Hindu rite as well.

I don't have a problem with soldiers trying to find spiritual solace given the Hell they are enduring, and I sure don't have a problem with soldiers trying to prepare for an afterlife, given that many of them will die in battle. It's for those reasons the US military has always had chaplains among the troops.

Like many of you, I DO have a problem with the way this administration actively promotes one particular sect of Christianity, AND conflates this illegal war with a Holy Crusade. This creates really disturbing historical resonances, as the Crusades of the Middle Ages were a series of specifically Christian agressions against Muslims in the Middle East.

Are American soldiers all meant to be Christians? Is it then understood that those of other faiths or no faith are members of a Christian military? If you are a Jewish or Buddhist American and volunteer or are drafted into this Christian organization, are you then subject to efforts at conversion? Are you "tolerated" as long as you keep your beliefs to yourself? What if consistent resistance to conversion is construed as not keeping your opinions to yourself? After all, it's only for your own good.

Chaplains are fine. Religious services are fine. Willing converts are fine. The Bush administration's agenda, demonstrated in word and deed many times in the past 4 years, is unconstitutional.

Hekate

[Dogmudgeon]

28. I am hallucinating.

Help me. I need more drugs.

Reality has taken another step beyond Improvisational Comedy - cum - Science Fiction.

I half expect William Shatner to materialize in front of me any minute now -- and try to sell me an SUV. In Esperanto.

--bkl
Spertu la Povon de la 2005-a Ford Eksploranto!

[benddem]

30. If you haven't read it yet

read Mark Twain's "War Prayer." What does it mean when you pray you will succeed in battle? This is just nuts. You are praying someone else will die.
I've heard that "The War Prayer" is available on the web.

[benddem]

31. Read Mark Twain's War Prayer

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/warprayer.html

[PROUDNWLIBERAL]

46. Love Twain

I love Twain and his War Prayer!!!!!!

[othermeans]

124. That was a great link! n/t

[shayes51]

127. Thank you for recommending it!

[Chicago Democrat]

32. Lord what fools these mortals be

:cry:

[VegasWolf]

33. Apocalypse Falujah Now!!

[VegasWolf]

34. Deer Hunter 2 n/t

[AKing]

35. Let's all join together and sing......

My God's better than your God.My God's better than yours.

[0rganism]

37. Aw, hell, it's 35 guys who are about to wade into some serious shit

If they want to pretend it's the second crusades, what the heck, let 'em do it. It's not too far from the truth anyway. May their Screamin' Jesus spare the remaining civilians from bullets and shrapnel and napalm fire.

[AmandaRuth]

38. i have no doubt of the belief of the soldiers, and if i were in their

place I would be praying too, but what is the purpose of printing something like this, unless to throw red meat to the fundys. I hate it that yahoo would even put this on line. It seems like this would only hurt in the long run. War sucks, but religious wars really suck.

[amandabeech]

40. As a lapsed liberal Methodist, this is not the type of prayer

I'd want to offer. However, I cannot blame any soldier for praying before going into combat.

What's the old canard? "There are no atheists in a fox hole?"

Let's cut these men and woman a break, and maybe offer a prayer to whomever that the mission is called off and/or casualties of non-combatants and combatants alike are very, very light. There's been more than enough killing to go around in the past year and a half.

[The_Casual_Observer]

43. They have always done this

They are full of shit, but it makes them feel better that their soul will go to heaven when they get snuffed out by an Iraqi national who is attempting to liberate himself from US colonial control.

[truthpusher]

48. After much thought, I think these guys put this on for the media...

...in some weird way they probably thought it would help them get converts or maybe help get young Christians to enlist.

[PROUDNWLIBERAL]

47. GOD HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

I think that God went to lunch and didn't return.

[keopeli]

49. KoolAid ALERT! This article is KoolAid! Do NOT drink!

They print this as news. Are they printing about the other side who are also praying, and they do it a LOT more than the Murkan soldiers do. The article is written so they fundies will be proud of the soldiers that die, because they prayed, so their god must have wanted that to happen. See?

If they want to believe this, and pray, and pour oil all over themselves, or if they want to do one last bungy jump or maybe get laid one last time, I say more power to them. But singling out this event and printing it as news is the problem.

This article IS the KoolAid.

[onager]

52. There have always been atheists in foxholes...

But thanks for the usual, non-thinking, cliched and gratutious insult. We realize it's just the religious believers unique personal way of acknowledging our military service.

FYI, several of the most famous American non-believers survived the Civil War. On the Union side, they included the author Ambrose Bierce and the most famous American agnostic of all, Robert G. Ingersoll.

And of course, the genial maybe-agnostic who is so frequently quoted in here, Mark Twain.

The Confederates had Gen. Maxey Gregg of South Carolina, avowed atheist and probably not coincidentally, the owner of a personal scientific library rivaling that of Harvard University. (For all its faults, such as boring the viewer to tears, the movie "Gods & Generals" got that right. One scene has Stonewall Jackson praying over the dying Gregg, who snorts: "You know I'm not a believer.")

In his excellent book about WWII "Citizen Soldiers," Stephen Ambrose wrote about an atheist GI who spent an entire night in a foxhole listening to his buddy recite Hail Marys.

The next morning the atheist had "had just about enough of that," and crawled out of the foxhole to check on the other squad members. Moments later, a mortar round scored a direct hit on his former foxhole and critically wounded his extremely devout buddy.

Yep, God sure does work in mysterious ways. In fact, if you look close enough, you'll see that God works exactly like random chance.

[Judi Lynn]

61. Wouldn't doubt it a bit.

I first found out certain administrations PLANT articles in the media when I learned Otto Reich was doing it in the Reagan administration's State Department a long time ago. Otto Reich got in trouble because he was doing it to such excess he drew attention to himself and his Office of Public Diplomacy.

They spend our money creating bogus articles they plant to feed us disinformation to persuade us to a point of view they want us to hold. We pay them to lie to us while they do things they know we don't approve.

[truthpusher]

79. I don't think this is bogus. I am an ex-born again and this is what...

...is done.

[Logansquare]

86. I agree in part--the article is a distortion, but not an absolute lie

AFP is doing a "Americans are Jesus freaks" article for their foreign audience. I'm sure there are Jewish, Catholic and non-evangelical Protestant services going on among the Marines in Iraq, as well. It's just that the latter type of worship would be unremarkable and not interesting to the reporter. The Guardian (which I love, BTW) is guilty of these types of pandering snapshots of "typical" Americans--I especially wince remembering the article about obesity in the U.S., using Mississippi as a typical case, and describing a pair of pants at a store there that had a 75 inch waist.

[Clarkie1]

51. some thoughts

"You will determine whether rage or reason guide the United States in the struggle to come. You will choose whether we are known for revenge or compassion. You will choose whether we will kill in the name of God, or whether in His name, we can find a higher civilization and a better means of settling our differences."

-Wesley CLark

[TheKingfish]

53. Wasn't Clark for the Iraq War? n/t

[Clarkie1]

55. Nope

Never was.

[Judi Lynn]

62. Thanks, Clarkie1. Never read this before now.

Very glad to see it.

Welcome to D.U. :hi: :hi: :hi:

[Columbia]

54. Ok, so where's the story?

35 out of 10,000 have a little service. This is news?

[sadiesworld]

66. Well, taken in conjunction with yesterday's story about the

General (?) who called Fallujah the "face of Satan", I'd say a theme is being developed.

[Zorra]

56. "Lawd, give me the strength to bomb little babies in your name, amen."

[sleipnir]

57. Not my problem anymore.

Fuck 'em. If they want to pray, go for it. If they die, too bad, but not my problem anymore. They have the choice not to fight, they choose to fight and support the emperor Bush. Too bad.

[NickB79]

63. They better pray

After all the innocent lives they are about to take, it will take a lifetime of prayer to wash themselves clean of their sins and save themselves from Hell. That is, assuming they survive this little Crusade of theirs.

Oh, Bible-beaters, I think you missed a few parts of the Bible, BTW. Like, there's this one little, insignificant line that says THOU SHALT NOT KILL!!! And there was this guy, I'm sure you never really heard of him cause the Bible doesn't really get into his story much, but anyways, he was named Jesus and he had these really crazy ideas. Things like IF A MAN STRIKES YOU, TURN THE OTHER CHEEK, and LOVE THY NEIGHBOR LIKE YOU WOULD YOURSELF. Ya know, crazy shit like that.

[drdtroit]

115. Don't forget ...

Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord.

[FlyByNight]

64. Praise the Lord and pass the ammo

I guess Bush wasn't kidding when he mentioned the 'C'-word (crusade) at the beginning the Afghanistan operation.

[devinsgram]

65. All jokes aside, this is sad and scary.

And then people ask me why I'm an agnostic. To believe in a God that would save them, but let others die. How sad, how very sad.

[Skittles]

67. absolutely sickening

nt

[llmart]

68. Sick, sick, sick.....

these people are sick. If one of them dies, how do the rest rationalize his death? Well, let's see...he didn't pray enough...he didn't pray the right way.....Gawd had to pick and choose which prayers he/she would answer.....

I'm tellin' ya' - these fundies are wacko.

[0007]

69. Will God tell junior to bring out the equalizer? (nukes)

It appears that the power of reasoning has taken leave.

"Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out...and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel. ..And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for "the universal brotherhood of man"--with his mouth." - Mark Twain

[truthpusher]

97. I am guessing that * will loose about 140 young people with this action...

...this will be his justification to use small nukes.

[NNN0LHI]

70. He blesses the boys as they stand in line...

He blesses the boys as they stand in line
The smell of gun grease and the bayonets they shine
He's there to help them all that he can
To make them feel wanted he's a good holy man
Sky pilot.....sky pilot
How high can you fly
You'll never, never, never reach the sky

He smiles at the young soldiers
Tells them its all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there'll be blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry
Sky pilot.....sky pilot
How high can you fly
You'll never, never, never reach the sky

He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile
The order is given
They move down the line
But he's still behind and he'll meditate
But it won't stop the bleeding or ease the hate
As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good, with God you're never alone
He feels tired and he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage in the words that he said
Sky pilot.....sky Pilot
How high can you fly

You'll never, never, never reach the sky
You're soldiers of God you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell

In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death drifts up to the skies
A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot
Remembers the words
"Thou shalt not kill"
Sky pilot.....sky pilot
How high can you fly
You never, never, never reach the sky

[Democracy Died 2004]

71. All i can say

is fuck all gods.

[Domitan]

72. What brainwashed masses

Even more sick than this are those raptureheads back in the USA howling about how wonderful this is.

[0007]

73. A waste of life and a mockery of civility

[OETKB]

74. Reason versus Luck

What we are engaged in is a battle between using our intellect to deal with our problems versus blind faith that everything will turn out all right. This struggle reminded me of Lincoln's second inaugural in which he clearly lays down this choice. No one's morals are going to lead this country of ours, but rather the practical thinking out and acting on the consequences of our actions, both right and left. Do we have a respectful democratic process or do we pull ourselves apart? <http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/inaug2.htm>

[Amaya]

75. Praise the lord and KILL

There are no words for this stupidity.

[saigon68]

76. WHO WOULD JESUS KILL?

Answer according to the Fundies == "RAG-HEADS" especially the young ones so they can't breed.

[MacDo]

88. Just curious

Would you kill anybody to protect yourself?

[saigon68]

94. WTF

Go back and admire Rimjob

[truthpusher]

96. Yes, to protect myself my family.

[jayfish]

106. Just Curious

Would you kill your most hated neighbor while someone was trying to break into your house?

Jay

[truthpusher]

117. No one, if Jesus were in Falujah, he would be doing this:

[mitchum]

80. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY!

absolutely mindboggling

[Ripley]

81. It's not...didn't you get the memo?

The much feared millenium problems actually happened and we have been traveling back in time at warp speed.

[Kimber Scott]

82. You know, if I was getting ready to get shot at, I'd be praying, too.

"Just another poor boy, off to fight a rich man's war."

On the one hand everybody wants to wave a GI body count to rub in the faces of the orchestrators of this war the cost. On the other, you don't want to let these guys find some solace, before they get killed, in their religion.

Get a grip. They didn't start this war and beneath all the Marine bravado they're still scared and they're still somebody's kid, husband, and/or father.

If they were praying to Allah would that be alright with you?

I look at religion the same way I look at abortion. I don't believe in it, but it's not my place to tell somebody else they can't have it.

And, by the way, this is not a crusade, it's an oil war... and a fast food war, and a shopping mall war, and a cellular phone war and a... well, you get the idea.

[Raskolnik]

85. Agree

People are acting like each and every one of our troops is just happy as a clam to be in Iraq.

I would be praying to any and every god that would listen if I was about to face the very real possibility of getting my ass shot.

[Name removed]

89. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[symbolman]

93. This statement is complete and utter

bullshit.

How dare you say that about this board?

This board does NOTHING BUT SUPPORT THE TROOPS - there are many Veterans here, including myself what have actually BEEN in the fray and post VEHEMENTLY against the Crusade...

I've posted my work here called ARMY OF ONE that talks about everything they are going though and how bush is cheating them.

There are people here who have LOST THEIR SONS.

You might want to think before you post.

[truthpusher]

99. I think every single person here feels compassion for our soldiers...

...it is a fucking lie to say that people against the war have no compassion for the military...quite the opposite.

[Bush was AWOL]

136. Have you read the thread?

There is very little tolerance for our troops or religion on this board. Anyone who is religious is labelled a fundie, and sticking up for the troops is asking for verbal abuse.

[srk6969]

132. I have also noticed

That they allow alot of religion bashing in this thread!

[cmd]

83. And who are the Iraqis turning to?

God is in a no win situation. I'm sorry, God, that men are so foolish.

[VegasWolf]

90. "Bring em on!, heh, heh ,heh!", screeched awol while eating a banana

[rockydem]

92. Everyone's freaking out here - it's ONLY 35 Marines in this story

Trust me I know many people in the military, my family is a military family - most are not fundies....

I don't think most Marines over there view this as a Crusade. Most just want to finish the job so they can get home.

[truthpusher]

95. It's the display that is at question here.

[saigon68]

98. The trouble with that view is "THE JOB" will never be finished

My nephew is about to go back for his second tour.

The guys enlisting today are going to get at least 2 tours also. The US will not leave until the Bush criminals and their allies are out of power. The "JOB" won't be over until all Muslims are exterminated.

This "JOB" will take 500 years to kill all the Rag-Heads. There are almost 2 billion of them.

[srk6969]

133. You are right

My son is one of those Marines in fallujah, and he just wants to do his job and come home. I also don't know why the fact that the marines in the story are preforming religeous ceremonies is such a shocker. Doesn't everyone here believe in the 1st amendment? Don't everyone here believe in freedom of religion?
Most men going into battle settle their affairs with God before the face death because you don't get a second chance after you die!

[Bigmack]

101. I don't believe this story...

at ALL.

It's been several light years since I was in the Corps.. about to jump off like the kids in Fallujah.

I don't recall any of that religious shit! Oh, the chaplain might show up when we were at some more-or-less rear area, but there was never any religion before an operation.

Oh, well... things change... even the Corps, I guess. I suppose the fundie sickness has spread everywhere.

If those rebels/insurgents/whatever haven't turned Fallujah into one gigantic booby-trap and ambush, they ain't worth shit.

Either they'll kill lots of our kids or they'll boogie out of there and laugh at us. Either way the US loses and the poor fucking Iraqi civilians take it in the ass... again.

[truthpusher]

102. Maybe they heard about the new Bush Mandate and felt it was appropriate...

...since the evangelicals own america now, right?

[saigon68]

108. I like your take-- my opinion also

Most have left-- the entire town is one huge booby trap. And anyone who is left is there only to fulfil the mandate of Jihaad.

[blindpig]

103. seems like I heard pretty much the same thing on NPR this morning

must be a concerted propaganda push. The christofacsist are being paid back in spades.

[malachi]

105. They're fucked if they attack Sunday PM or Monday @9/est.

god will be watching nfl foootball.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

107. "Praise Jesus...Umm..time to Kill those Iraq's!"

[VaYallaDawg]

110. Really, really sad to think we've come to this.

But Fallujah was timed to happen after the "election," so why not give the fundies an extra dose of religious justification along with it.

[Zerex71]

111. They'll get to meet Him, too, the way things are going over there.

This whole spectacle reminds me that they are no different than jihadists and Islamic fundamentalists. They are the same creatures.

Mike

[Kurovski]

114. I'm praying too.

First I'm sick over the election, now sick over this.

It's so obvious that the Bush cabal planned this bloodbath to follow the stolen election.

Evil is as evil does.

[JSJ]

116. fuck those hypocritical low-lifes

[truthpusher]

126. I would say delusional before that.

[Flammable Materials]

122. WHEN YOU HAVE NO REAL COMMANDER IN CHIEF RUNNING THNGS...

...I guess you've got to go over his head.

[Name removed]

128. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Alpharetta]

129. Dear 100%er

If I show compassion for the civilians caught up in this clusterfark in Fallujah, will you be reporting me to the department of Homeland Security?

Jesus bore no sword. Jesus stands with the oppressed, not with the mighty warriors.

Go to hell, you rightwing pompous hypocrite.

[Bush was AWOL]

135. This thread makes me embarrassed to be a Democrat

The same people that say bring the troops home mock them and say shit like, "may they get what they deserve".

This is blatant, anti-Americanism against young men who trust their leaders and feel they are doing the right thing.

What bothers you more the fact that they're praying or that they might kill some actual killers that would love to, and would, kill you if given the opportunity?