If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what’s a picture with words
worth? GQ recently published eleven cover pages from ealier Pentagon
intelligence briefings. That they juxtapose biblical quotations with Iraq
war photos has elicited all sorts of righteous indignation. Predictably,
many people are outraged that Rumsfeld and Bush would blithely endorse
equating Christian mission with a Mid-East military invasion. Others say,
not so fast. Context, as always, is everything — the context of the photos,
of America’s military today, and of those biblical verses.
If you haven’t seen them, the eleven cover pages include the photo
of U.S. personnel kneeling, guns raised and heads bowed, with a caption from
the biblical prophet Isaiah reading, “whom shall I send, and who will go for
us?” Another shows a tank rolling across the desert dawn. Imposed on the
clouds is a quote from the New Testament: “Therefore, put on the full armor
of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Yet another, of an
artillery man, reads, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans
will succeed,” from the Old Testament book of Proverbs.
Critics claim that the context of the montages plainly reveals that
Bush and company considered the Iraq invasion to be a holy war and religious
principles drove strategy and purpose. Associating military action with
Christian scripture on national Defense Department briefings shows that
Bush’s plans and aims for the Iraq invasion were motivated by antipathy
toward Islam and confidence that (his Christian) God would prevail. Other
say, hey listen, you’re taking the images entirely out of context. They were
top-secret, not intended to communicate military goals to the general
public. They simply reflect language that is familiar, dear, and
inspirational to their highly particular audience — G.W. Bush and his top
military officials — on the cover, not necessarily content, of the
briefings. Bush is a Christian who loves his Bible.
That brings us to questions about the context of America’s military
today. Most of the people in America’s armed forces are Christian, and for
many of them, it’s hardly incidental. Their faith defines their thoughts and
actions, so it cannot be neatly separated out from their work. For those who
are actively deployed on dangerous missions, it is their faith that gives
them courage and, yes, even a sense of purpose. For those who return wounded
in body, mind, or spirit, it is their faith that gives them comfort and
hope. However, the difference between a Christian military and a military
composed predominantly of Christians is categorical and must be sustained.
The former is absolutely unconstitutional; the latter simply a matter of
circumstance. To institutionalize the promotion of any religion over another
military undermines our nation’s laws. That most service(wo)men are
Christian is frankly irrelevant.
Truth is, a lot of Christians are unhappy with the ways biblical
texts appear on the intel briefings. Not only are some uncomfortable
equating war of any kind with Christian faith and purpose, but many also
note how the texts themselves are taken out of context. Of the three cited
above: Isaiah responds to God’s asking who will go with “send me” not into
armed conflict but with words into his own community; Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians concerns persisting in faith with figurative armor, not physical
might; and the book of Proverbs is full of general instructions for middle-
class, practical success.
Not lost on anyone is the irony of using religious language in a
part of the world where different religious language sometimes fuels the
violence of war. Just yesterday, Iran tested a missile named “baked clay”
from a story in the Qur’an about how God sent birds to protect Mecca from
attack (which they did by dropping clods on the enemy). One of the Pentagon
briefings covers shows tanks driving under an huge concrete arch of crossed
swords with, “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, the
nation that keeps faith.” These words come from the biblical Isaiah, but to
whom exactly do they refer? Context is everything.
