American Sniper

“American Sniper” is a well-received movie about a 30-year-old American Navy Seal recruit who ventures to Iraq to “kill the enemy” to keep America “safe”. You have to love the goodness and sincerity of Chris Kyle (portrayed by Bradley Cooper, a “perfect match” for the part). In typical fashion, Bill Maher recently scandalized Kyle as a “psychopath patriot”. While I wouldn’t go that far, I understand Maher's point.

Most “patriotic” Americans (like Kyle) see their country as good, virtuous, God-fearing, righteous and free while those “savages over there” are evil, ignorant, demonic and depraved, often worshipping in a cult of death.

No doubt the Iraqi “warriors” – called “terrorists” by U.S. – use tactics that are evil. (In the movie, one enemy combatant, called “The Butcher”, uses a power drill, first, to drill through the leg of a young boy and, then, through his skull, to punish the boy’s father for “collaborating” with “the enemy” (U.S.) -- thus, inspiring fear and compliance among the Iraqi citizenry.

We shouldn't be there. It’s not our country. It’s not our culture. It’s not our concern. If individual Americans want to volunteer to help “liberate” others overseas, let them go, carrying with them what they will, be it bibles, bullets, or baby formula. All the more power to them! But killing Iraqis is not in America’s vital interests. It’s not even in her moral interests. The Iraqis did not attack U.S. first. We invaded them. Why can't Americans see that we are the aggressors here? We are the “godless infidels” killing their women and children in our lust to dominate, subjugate and “liberate” these people “making the world ‘safe’ for democracy” – but, actually, making it more “secure” for a future one-world-government run and orchestrated by a select few. The sum of "innocent" civilian casualties directly resulting from our military forays into the Muslim Middle and Near East now numbers in the hundreds of thousands. This is a crime against humanity. We have blood on our hands.

Those people “over there” may be illiterate “savages”, living in squalor and ignorance. But they are, many of them, devoutly religious. And we mock their religion when we think to impose our hedonist culture upon them – largely a culture of carnality, wickedness and faithlessness.

Captain Moroni rallied his people “in memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” Are Muslims “over there” doing anything less? We Americans are intentionally invading their lands, blowing up their wedding parties, firing upon their caravans, and killing their friends and family. How could they not hate us? If they were not our enemies before we arrived, how could they not be our enemies now? If you will indulge me one small change:

“And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Islam.” (Alma 48:10.)

Unlike “warriors for Allah” and “jihadists”, however, Captain Moroni…

“…was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people. Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.” (Alma 48:11-13.)

These are significant differences. Christ teaches those who take upon themselves His name to love and bless their enemies, not curse or subjugate them. Mohammad taught his followers to convert their enemies or kill them. Christ desires to set all men free. Mohammad demanded (at the point of a sword) that all men submit (i.e., practice “islam”) to Allah…and to him.

Neither modern Christianity (so called) or modern Islam (so practiced) reflects God’s will for His children, but merely demonstrates our present capacity to receive from God. Rather than come unto Him, we embrace religion. Rather than live for heaven, we fight and kill and die for this hell on earth.

In American Sniper, “The Butcher” killed those of his own people who collaborated with “the enemy” (U.S.) or who refused to take up arms with him. Likewise, Captain Moroni…

“…commanded that his army should go against those king-men, to pull down their pride and their nobility and level them with the earth, or they should take up arms and support the cause of liberty.
 18 And it came to pass that the armies did march forth against them; and they did pull down their pride and their nobility, insomuch that as they did lift their weapons of war to fight against the men of Moroni they were hewn down and leveled to the earth.
 19 And it came to pass that there were four thousand of those dissenters who were hewn down by the sword; and those of their leaders who were not slain in battle were taken and cast into prison, for there was no time for their trials at this period.
 20 And the remainder of those dissenters, rather than be smitten down to the earth by the sword, yielded to the standard of liberty, and were compelled to hoist the title of liberty upon their towers, and in their cities, and to take up arms in defence of their country. (Alma 51:17-20.)

Note that Captain Moroni only slew those who “did lift their weapons of war to fight against the men of Moroni”. Muslim terrorists kill those who will not lift up their swords (or guns) and join them in their murderous campaigns to impose an “Islamic State”, based on religious “shariah” law. These Muslims are, by nature, Gadianton robbers, exercising – not freedom and peace to practice their religion unmolested, but -- control and dominion and coercion upon the souls of the children of men.

The appeal of Islam -- seductive as it is in its solicitation to submit the “natural” man to the will of “Allah”, or God – is tarnished and destroyed inasmuch as men of corrupt minds and morals usurp that religion for their own carnal, demonic purposes. Likewise, the appeal of “Americanism” is tarnished and destroyed when the original virtues that liberated and empowered this nation are abandoned for hedonism and rejection of that God who makes men free (Galatians 5:1). These two “religions” – Islam and “Americanism” – are on a collision course. Neither one enjoys God’s favor, merely His pity and present tolerance.

But for how long?

Inasmuch as America is militarily venturing forth into over 130 countries, waging wars of aggression and instigating violence against other peoples (largely of darker skin), the Lord has withdrawn (or is withdrawing) His Spirit from among them. They are being given over to what they want: idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, and hedonism.

The Lord will not uphold such. The lessons of the Book of Mormon do not bode well for America’s future or her fate.