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by Jeffrey Ziegler

The surreal portrait is now indelibly etched in the consciousness of men throughout the world. The chilling sight of airliners hijacked from their appointed destinations, diverted into New York's World Trade Center, and in like fashion, the subsequent air assault upon the symbol of America's military might, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., has driven home the stark reality of America's latest war. Visions of the mighty skyscrapers engulfed in fiery blasts of jet fuel and the subsequent collapse of the twin towers in a heap of twisted steel and concrete have shattered the American 20th Century myth of "war on the other guy's turf." Some five thousand Americans have died as a result of a resurgent Islam and its bold and brutal militaristic aim of global doctrinal hegemony. Make no mistake, this is a war against Islam itself and the battle is not confined to mere seditious rogue elements within the Mohammedan ranks.

When Worldviews Collide

Orthodox Christianity holds to the biblical ideal of God's will. This may be described as the transformation of the world, every part of it, into a place of worship for Jesus Christ. This vision is to encompass every ethnic group and every culture, and to renovate all human existence in righteousness. The church, as the embassy of God, is the chief engine for this great enterprise, along with covenanted families and godly civil governments. Moreover, it is through the Gospel and the power of God--animated in the power of Christ's finished work--that such glory is to be manifest. That is, conversion, not coercion, is the mandated biblical norm and motive to accomplish redemptive ends.

Islam too claims a worldwide reach with Mohammed being the final and "most accurate" revelation of the divine. Herein is a "faith" which denies the divinity of Christ, repudiates the Trinity, and seeks to subjugate all detractors either through coercion, slavery, or death. For Islam, there exists no divisions of power and authority. In most respects, the mosque, the Imam, and the Mullah, are the absolute power in Islamic nations. Constitutional republics are all but non-existent. Monarchy, military dictatorships, and clerical oligarchies are the normative paradigm. Torture, rape, slavery, oppression, and acts of terror are not exceptions, but the rule for the Islamic world. All are sanctioned forms of advancing the "faith" and have been used throughout history.

The antithesis between these competing world-life-views has erupted in armed conflict over the last millennia. Charles Martel defeated the Islamic hordes at the Battle of Tours in A.D. 732. This battle showed the aggressive nature of militant Islam as Tours is not a Middle Eastern stronghold but is situated in France. In turn, Christendom struggled through successive Crusades to keep Islam in check. The last major Islamic incursion to reach into the heart of Europe was led by the Turk Kara Mustafa. He was met and defeated by the Pole Jan Sobieski on September 13th 1683.

America in Foundation and Perception

Is America a Christian nation? This question has been at the forefront of religionists, historians, and various politicos for most of this nation's existence. It is an imperative inquiry that begs to be answered in light of Islam's current attitudes toward our nation.

While the American Constitution has no explicit mention of the lordship of Christ, the colonial and state constitutions, especially in our embryonic stages, did make such proclamations. Hence, to view America as Christian as opposed to any other religion is a more than valid understanding. Furthermore, American culture has been dominated by Christianity for much of its history, being seriously challenged only in the last 50 years. The cause and roots of such doctrinal and moral atrophy have been well documented in previous issues of The Christian Statesman and will not be repeated here.

Yet, despite the corporate national backsliding and spiritual malaise, America is still considered a Christian nation the world over. Some of this is a historic or cultural perception used more as a source of identification rather than any comment on the genuine vitality or fidelity to the Faith. Nevertheless, there is a genuine uniqueness to the American republic due to the influence of Calvinism and Puritanism at its inception. The force of Winthrop's "New Jerusalem" redeemer-nation paradigm was a driving force in the formation of the American conscience, and cannot be ignored as being without importance and value.

In fact, such heritage is not ignored by the Islamic world today, nor has it ever escaped their corporate notice. As early as President Thomas Jefferson's administration, America was forced to deal with rogue Islamic North African Sultans and their seaborne raids against American merchant vessels. President Theodore Roosevelt was likewise compelled to act against militant Islamic forces who had kidnaped American missionaries. Moreover, since the end of World War II, every American President has had to reckon with Islam, but especially since its revival in 1979 with the fall of the Shah of Iran to Islamic clerics.

America Under Judgment?

The hue and cry from many quarters of the church since the September 11th Islamic terrorist attack has depicted America under divine judgment and well deserving of such heinous acts. The rationale for these perceived judgments has ranged from the plausible such as the national sins of abortion, homosexuality, and the lack of national confessionalism; to the somewhat ludicrous notions of God avenging the American South for "Sherman's march to the sea," or as some form of specific retribution for the U.S. Army Air Corp's conduct of the strategic bombing campaign against Germany during World War II. Additionally, Dispensationalists are looking for the end of the world, and even some in Reformed ranks see the so-called "New World Order" as all but an accomplished fact as a result of this assault.

While America certainly deserves judgment (nearly 40 million abortions since 1973), one could justifiably argue that God's judgment upon this nation has been on a steady course for some time. Constant war since the mid-19th Century, 50% taxation rates, broken families, doctrinal apostasy, overreaching government, rampant humanism, and a myriad of other ills have been in evidence, and are signs of divine displeasure.

Yet, it is impossible to forget the spiritual forefathers of this nation. Winthrop's dream for America was more than an illusory goal. In large part, America has been a Christian light to the world despite her corporate sins. It is this paradigm of American Christian heritage that animates the Islamic perception of our nation, and thus their robust hatred.

Reality Check for American Christian Patriots

The infamy of September 11th was not an isolated incident by terrorist extremists bent on throwing off the yoke of Yankee imperialistic designs. It was, and is, a war between Islam and the culture it fosters and the world-life-view of the Christian Faith. That America was targeted was not so much the result of her failed foreign policy initiatives, but instead her past glories secured in the blood of many a Christian patriot.

Now is the time for the Christian patriot to arise from his slumber. The National Reform Association will sound the trumpet of national repentance, national confession of the Crown Rights of Jesus Christ, and cultural reformation and will bring a clarion call for the courage and clarity to see September 11th for what it was: chiefly a declaration of war by Islam against the Christian Faith. Now is the time for your heart to be steeled in the covenants and promises of Holy Writ. Now must you strike against the Islamic foe in prayer, in public proclamation, and in the earnest assistance of mission agencies who fight on the frontline against Muslim tyrannies and idolatry.

We accept God's chastisements for "the judgments of the Lord are altogether righteous," and we earnestly pray for victories over God's enemies and that the blood of our slain may be avenged!

Rev. Jeffrey A. Ziegler is the president of the National Reform Association and founder and president of Christian Endeavors and Reformation Bible Institute, and moderator of The Association of Free Reformed Churches. He is also the host of "Christian Statesman Radio," a daily Cleveland based radio program on WHK1220AM and 1440AM, and president of The Continental Group, a think tank for political activism. His writing has appeared in The Christian Statesman, Chalcedon Report, and in the book Explicilty Christian Politics. He can be reached at 35155 Beachpark Drive, Eastlake, Ohio 44095. E-mail: ceejz@ncweb.com.

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