From John Stonestreet at Break Point:
Ecclesiastes says there is a time for war and a time for peace. If Christianity is to survive in the Middle East, the time for war may have come.
You’ve probably heard by now that President Obama has asked Congress to authorize military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. The decision to go to war should never be done lightly. In fact, we should drop to our knees right now and pray for our elected officials, as well as our armed forces, as they prepare to take action.
The measures President Obama is proposing go beyond the air-strikes he’s already ordered. This time, boots on the ground are a possibility. And that’s understandably a tough sell for war-weary Americans.
But Islamic extremists seem determined to force our hand as they butcher and burn their way across the Middle-East, leaving entire communities in ashes. And the brutal executions of four American citizens—not to mention other foreigners beheaded or burned alive on video—put ISIS’ evil on full display for the world. Someone must confront these barbarians—especially in light of what they’ve done and are doing to Iraq’s Christians.
Ever since ISIS crossed the border, they’ve been leveling the homes of ethnic and religious minorities, including some of the world’s oldest Christian communities. In the process, they’ve massacred civilians, torched historic churches and mosques, and dragged women and girls into sex slavery.
“We don’t have much time left as Christians in this region,” said Bashar Warda, an Archbishop of the ancient Catholic Chaldean Church. In a plea to British lawmakers on Tuesday, Archbishop Warda insisted that western nations must forcibly intervene against ISIS if the region’s religious and ethnic minorities are to survive.
Read more: Breakpoint.com
