In my article last week, I applauded Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam, for hosting the summit where United States President Donald Trump called on the world to work together to “Drive Out” those who seek death and destruction. Our Commander in Chief specifically stated that those who adhere to the death and destruction of infidels must be driven out of the mosques throughout the world. Although President Trump didn’t specifically state it, one should deduce he meant the mosques in the closed nations of the Islamic faith, like Saudi Arabia, from where he was speaking, as well as the thousands of mosques which are being constructed all throughout the Western Hemisphere. It should be noted that many of the newly constructed mosques throughout the West are on sites of former churches of both the Protestant and Catholic Christian traditions.
Monday morning, I had the privilege of attending the Memorial Day Service in Edgefield, where the names of fallen heroes from Edgefield County, who fought in past wars, were read. I am so thankful for Michael Washington, Edgefield County’s Veterans Affairs Officer, and all the others who organized this important event.
As I sat listening to the names of the fallen service members, who invested in us with their service and sacrifice in the Armed Forces, I couldn’t stop thinking of the thousands of civilians who are dying annually in the war Commander in Chief Trump was addressing one week prior. The warfare taking place today most often leads to the death and destruction of civilian innocents and most of their names will never be read in future Memorial Day Services. Yes, large attacks like September 11th, 2001 we will continue to remember, and read the names of those lost. But the vast majority of skirmishes in today’s war, taking place on a weekly basis around the globe, will not be memorialized.
Then I reflected on another historic day which coincides with Memorial Day 2017 – the 564th Anniversary of the fall of Constantinople, when the Islamic Ottoman Turks invaded and conquered the cradle of the Eastern Orthodox Church. On that day over 4,000 citizens were killed and some 30,000 were enslaved or deported. The majority of churches were burned. Constantinople was renamed to Istanbul.
Finally, I reflected on the demographics of the crowd honoring Edgefield’s heroes and the challenge we have ahead of all of us in educating not only the upcoming generation, but much of the generation currently in leadership about the worldviews which for centuries dictated the prevention and outcome of the wars those we memorialized this week fought in.
The Barna Group, which studies the five dominant faith groups in our republic has found that only roughly 4 % of today’s Millennials have an understanding of the Judeo-Christian worldview upon which Western Civilization was built. The percentage of Generation X’ers isn’t significantly better.
What encourages me about our time period in history, where our collective knowledge of these conflicting worldviews is so poor, is that we can rapidly improve our knowledge, if we are willing to make the investment.
More on making that investment over the coming weeks. Here’s wising you a productive week!
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