Texas Faith: The morality of drone warfare

Drone warfare is one of the greatest inventions of civilization. It has allowed us to take Anwar Awalaki out (One of the top Al-Qaeda operatives) with least collateral damage and minimal revenge multiplier. However, the abuse of drone warfare has gone too far….. We don’t like the terrorist killing innocent men and women. Why should they like us when their innocents are being killed? We need to find responsible people to man these machines and have them go through frequent psychiatric evaluations, if they are distressed - Mike Ghouse, continued at: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/10/texas-faith-morality-of-drone-warfare.html

 

TEXAS FAITH: The morality of drone warfare

By Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist

Drone warfare. It’s become a major new way to fight battles. Except those doing the fighting may be in a cubicle in a town here in the United States. In fact, the chances are they will be working here, far from the battlefield.

Of course, the good news is the soldiers operating the drones are not in harm’s way. Nor are they spending months, if not years, away from their families in a distant country.

But they are using the advances in technology to track and kill people halfway around the world. This new form of warfare has raised a number of moral questions. This collection of posts from Andrew Sullivan on the subject provides an insight into some issues in play. And here is another link worth looking at from the Wall Street Journal.

Also, the Journal reported this week in a front-page article that there is not much international law on this subject. That vacuum matters in numerous ways, but especially when it comes to determining whether we are actually declaring war on nations that only tacitly give us approval to use drones in their countries.

I am not looking for applications of international law here, but I would like to hear how your faith informs your thinking about drone

strikes. So, here’s this week’s question:

What moral issues, if any, give you pause about drone warfare?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The morality of drone warfare becomes justifiable when its purpose is to remove the specific cancerous cells, and prevent damage to the fabric of the society at large.

We have a responsibility to protect each other from the ones bent on hurting us. This responsibility comes with the obligation to guard ourselves from holding the line and not becoming evil ourselves. We instead need to prevent the evil.

Drone warfare is one of the greatest inventions of civilization. It has allowed us to take Anwar Awalaki out (One of the top Al-Qaeda operatives) with least collateral damage and minimal revenge multiplier. No significant group has shed tears for this man.

No matter where we go, the people want justice, which simply means removal of the individual criminal, without slapping the blame on his political or religious affiliations, and family members or friends. Let’s not forget, the Muslims did not protest or demonstrate against his killing. Osama Bin Laden was gone, but his wife was respectfully left alone. This is one of the greatest successes we need to build on in our foreign policy ideals: Blame and get the bad guys, but do not torch others.

However, the abuse of drone warfare has gone too far. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates the minimum civilian death toll to be 447 during the campaign. It must be condemned vigorously, and corrected instantly. We don’t like the terrorist killing innocent men and women. Why should they like us when their innocents are being killed.

The president said on CNN, “It has to be a target that is authorized by our laws, it has to be a threat that is serious and not speculative, and it has to be a situation in which we can’t capture the individual before they move forward on some sort of operational plot against the United States.” That is indeed a good policy worthy of implementation.

We need to find responsible people to man these machines and have them go through frequent psychiatric evaluations, if they are distressed. We need to take them out before they drown us in the abyss of immorality. Civilians are not game animals to be targeted.

As Americans we need to set high standards of morality and live by it. At the least, we need to prevent other nations from developing the drones and abusing them. What if we are the targets?

Texas faith is a weekly column, where panelists from different traditions respond to the issues of the day - for all the responses, please visit Dallas Morning News at http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2012/10/texas-faith-the-morality-of-drone-warfare.html/

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily

Texas Faith: Is separation of church and state an idea to keep religious people out of the public arena?

The separation of church and state has been a catalyst in guaranteeing freedom to every religious group. This can be better understood through stark contrasts between pluralistic nations and the nations where one religion dominates the others. We enjoy religious freedom, precisely because of our diversity; an antidote to extremism. You practice your faith and I will do mine.- Mike Ghouse

Twelve Texas Faith Panelists share their thoughts on separation of church and state

TEXAS FAITH: Is separation of church and state an idea to keep religious people out of the public arena?

By Wayne Slater/Reporter

11:18 am on September 25, 2012 | Permalink

In a conference call with Christian conservatives, Gov. Rick Perry dismissed the separation of church and state as an idea advanced to drive “people of faith from the public arena.” The governor went on to say Satan is using it to keep Christians from actively engaging in public policy. “The idea that we should be sent to the sidelines I would suggest to you is very driven by those who are not truthful, Satan runs across the world with his doubt and with his untruths and what have you, and one of the untruths out there is driven – is that people of faith should not be involved in the public arena.”

The governor’s take on theology and American history got mixed reviews – at best – from our Texas Faith panel of pastors, teachers, theologians, lay leaders and religious experts. The recent conference call was an effort to motivate conservative Christians to vote their values in November. Perry used language familiar to social conservatives – “spiritual warfare” and “Christian soldiers” and a growing tide of “secularism and atheism” – in warning of those making “efforts to remove any trace of religion from American life.”

The premise of the governor’s comments is that separation of church and state is sometimes invoked simply to discourage people (read it: people whose ideas you don’t like) from getting involved in politics and public policy. Is that true? And, perhaps more to the point, how do we make sure that doesn’t happen? In our political debate this election season, what’s the proper balance between warning against theocracy and encouraging faith in the public square? The Texas Faith panel had some ideas.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The separation of church and state has been a catalyst in guaranteeing freedom to every religious group. Indeed, it is an incentive to participate in the political process to ensure that one’s rights are protected, and prevent domination by any group from dictating its terms to others.

If an attempt is made to infringe on the rights of others, we all need to stand up for them, just as we did with the Catholic Church about contraceptives. Most certainly, protection of our rights depend on protecting the rights of others; a hallmark of enduring civilizations.

This can be better understood through stark contrasts between pluralistic nations and the nations where one religion dominates the others.

In Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan and other countries, the majority through their deafening silence, continues to deny the basic religious rights to its minorities. The merciless upper hand of one religion over the other(s) has undeniably screwed up justice; the source of anguish, unrest and consequent instability and pain for all.

Compare that to the United States, where the religious rights of all are protected (relatively). On any given street in Dallas, you will find places of worship of multiple denominations functioning together, that was not the case in the United States generations ago, and we have come a long way, thanks to the separation.

We enjoy religious freedom, precisely because of our diversity; an antidote to extremism. You practice your faith and I will do mine.

Governor Perry is perhaps using phrases like “spiritual warfare” and “Christian soldiers” to whip up support for his declining political power, and probably may not succeed in his motives, as the Evangelicals know that the freedom to practice their faith is not trampled. Religion has been used, abused and misused by politicians throughout the history of mankind for political gains, Perry is no exception.

We are a land of the free and need to keep it that way. The separation of church and state is a catalyst that has assured safer and securer communities in the United States, and we don’t want to regress from that.

Texas faith is a weekly column, where panelists from different traditions respond to the issues of the day - for all the responses, please visit Dallas Morning News at  http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2012/09/texas-faith-is-separation-of-church-and-state-an-effort-to-keep-religious-people-out-of-the-public-arena.html/

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest onSean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly atHuffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blogwww.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily