This post is part of an ongoing series called “The Intentional Destruction of the USA.” Find out more here.
If you’ve gone through airport security lately, you’re probably not the biggest fan of the War on Terror. With every frisk, it’s hard not to mutter “the terrorists have won” under your breath. Unfortunately, the frisky TSA is only one instance of government paranoia since the War on Terror began.
After all, former CIA chief technology officer Gus Hunt once said “We fundamentally try to collect everything and hang onto it forever.” Apparently, the NSA agrees. The agency monitors and records billions of our phone calls and emails. In addition, the US Postal Service logs all mail for law enforcement. Clearly, our government has insecurity issues.
To make matters worse, the days of “Officer Friendly” are long gone. Police departments have rapidly militarized over the last few years. According to one report, “65 percent of SWAT deployments resulted in some sort of forced entry into a private home, by way of a battering ram, boot, or some sort of explosive device.” In May of 2014, a SWAT raid put a Georgia toddler in a coma after they tossed a “flash bang” grenade into his crib. Likewise, police shootings of unarmed citizens continue to take place frequently. Jonathan Ferrell was shot by police while seeking help after a car accident, while John Winkler was mistakenly killed during a hostage situation. Sometimes, they don’t use guns. Ethan Saylor, who had Down syndrome, was choked to death. Eric Garner suffered the same fate.
Without question, the War on Terror has shaken things up on the home front, but has it been worth it? Well, it’s not like the results have been that great abroad. Al-Qaeda hasn’t gone away, ISIS showed up on the scene, and Boko Haram, Hezbollah, and Hamas are all doing pretty well. It’s not a surprise. Islamic terrorism is about taking what the Koran says seriously, despite people’s opinions to the contrary. Certainly, drone strikes aren’t going to change their opinion of the Koran.
Clearly, Islamic terrorism is a global problem, which means it needs a global solution. The world’s solution to this point has been more surveillance, better security measures and increased violence. Greater cooperation, even global government, isn’t going to get it done. You’re only going to defeat terrorism of any kind through the preaching of the Gospel, because “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Just look at Paul. He was a religious fanatic. He hated Christ-followers so much that he hunted them down and marked them for death (Acts 8:1-3; Acts 9:1-2). Of course, he encountered Jesus and was redeemed (Acts 9:17-22). He went on to write most of the New Testament, and in one of those passages he joyfully declared “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Praise the Lord!