In the past, our country, in times of turmoil and war, has sought from a higher power some degree of solace and strength. The current war on terrorism is no exception.
In his address to the joint session of Congress and the American people Sept. 20, President Bush ended with: 'In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America.'
Bush has also ended many of his other addresses with such sayings as 'May God bless you all and your families' or 'May God continue to bless America.'
While such words are hardly new coming from politicians, and many Americans take comfort in them, their implications are particularly dangerous in 'the first war of the 21st century.'
The attacks this week are against an especially formidable foe, armed with a religious fervor previously unseen by this country's armed forces. Bin Laden and al Qaeda have fed and will continue to feed their jihad with the religious tinge of our government's speech. Bin Laden claims that his terrorist group has God on its side. Likewise, when Bush invokes the name of God as America's protector, he insinuates that America alone has a relationship with a higher power.
Bin Laden, in the videotape released in the wake of strikes on Afghanistan, essentially separated the globe into Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. 'God has blessed a group of vanguard Muslims, the forefront of Islam, to destroy America,' he said. 'May God bless them and allot them a supreme place in heaven, for he is the only one capable and entitled to do so.'
Bin Laden is ready to build a wall and divide humanity into 'believers' and 'nonbelievers.' The leaders of this country should take care not to deepen that divide. Every invocation of 'our' God is another brick in a wall of hate and misunderstanding. Every mention of God'however seemingly innocuous'draws thicker the line between 'us' and 'them.' Every allusion to our heritage as a 'Christian' nation'however historically true it may be'has the potential to inspire more Islamic zealots to violence, in defense of 'their' God, their Allah.
Furthermore, the extremely high sensitivity of those who believe the United States is attacking Islam should deter anyone in the government from invoking the name of God. Bush continues to maintain we are fighting terrorists and not Muslims, telling Congress, 'The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.' Bush and other leaders must be wary of diluting this positive message, even unintentionally, with either routine or new references to God in their rhetoric.
None of this is to discourage Americans from praying, worshipping and looking to God or any other higher power. Stripped of the hate behind Sept. 11, religion can be a rich and vibrant thread to the fabric of life.
However, displays of religiosity become a matter of grave concern when they come from American officials such as Bush and others. As representatives of the United States and the most globally visible figures of America, they would do well to speak in tones that are strong and steady yet deliberately secular.
