al Qaida is Evil

Strapping remotely-detonated bombs to mentally retarded women = EVIL

I don't care what your religious or political beliefs are...those wicked people orchestrating this will pay in hell.

May God welcome home the souls of those innocent lives taken and used. May God hear the cries from the ground of their innocently spilt blood pleading for vengence.

Are certain principles greater than life itself?

Recently I have been pondering about the opinions of those people who wish to withdraw the US troops from Iraq. They always reference the number of deaths of our young men and women. They say that we are fighting for a lie perpetrated on the American people by the evil George W. Bush and his oil-loving buddies. I must confess that in the days leading up to our attacks on Iraq, the whole debate seemed centered around WMD's, which turned out to be poor intelligence. I believe Saddam at one time had WMD's, but too bad more focus was not made on Saddam Hussein's crimes against humanity. That Hitleresque style of leadership is reason enough for me to justify taking out Saddam's regime. Iraq is better off today than it was under Saddam. The Iraqi people are free! Isn't freedom a principle that is greater than life itself?

Mel Gibson Braveheart (1995) addressed the point powerfully:

William Wallace: ...I see a whole army of my country men, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as freemen, and freemen you are. What will you do without freedom?! Will you fight?

Man: No . . . we will run . . . and we will live.

William Wallace: Aye. Fight and you may die. Run and you'll live, at least a while. And, dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance -- just one chance -- to come back here and tell our enemies, that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!


Human life is extremely valuable. Sure, each newborn child has the potential to find the cure to cancer. Do we need to care for the sick and needy and relieve the suffering of others? Obviously, yes. But perhaps I value mortality less than others do because of my religious perspective. Our souls did not begin, nor will they end with this life. Perhaps because of that eternal view, I find great value in the sacrifice of one's life for principles that are greater than life itself. Freedom from evil, like Saddam Hussein and terrorists, is worth all of our lives.

If every last freedom-loving person were to give his or her life in the defense of freedom and the only remaining mortals on earth were terrorists, our sacrifice would have been worth it!!!

The freedom to be found beyond this life will be far greater for those of us who fought on the side of righteousness.