How to handle ISIS

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Anglewannabe

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I am a firm believer that God calls most people to quietly go about living out their faith and a few people to live it out publicly for example Mother Teresa.

When it comes to ISIS, I feel all I can personally do is pray. However, I know some people are of the opinion prayer is not enough, it is time for action. In my personal case, I do not know what action (apart from prayer) I can take.

Just curious but do others feel called to do something besides prayer?
 
This isn’t a charitable response, but I’ve stated it before: I think we oughta drop some Ebola on them and let nature take its course.
I actually kind of believe that.
 
Anglewannabe said:
However, I know some people are of the opinion prayer is not enough, it is time for action.
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What are these people proposing - to go to Syria and join the local Kurdish militia?

(note: this is illegal for Australians now; not sure where the US stands on it).

Or do they just mean it’s time for our governents to escelate their involvement in the conflict? That is a very complex issue and rest assured that many governments are collectively and separately weighing such choices.

Otherwise, prayer is all any of us regular civilians can do.
 
Pray hard - but there’s definitely more we can do in addition:
  1. First, recognize that ISIS is evil and say so. Don’t let people tell you, or tell others, anything to water down that reality. We don’t need to understand these people; we don’t need to apologize to them; we don’t need to be sensitive to them, any more than the world needed to understand the Nazis and the Japanese warlords who made war on the world in the 1940s.
  2. Support the military of your country. Thank a soldier. Give to veterans’ charities. Know that the military is the only thing standing between ISIS and you and your family.
  3. Don’t let people talk down about nations that have a history of standing up to or combating terrorism. I repeatedly “get into it” with people on the moral theology forum who trash the US; trash the US military; say they’re ashamed of what the USA has done, tell me my patriotism is “disgusting,” etc., all of which appears to come from other Americans. I always say to them: OK, where else would you like to live? They never seem to want to answer that one.
  4. Don’t vote for any politician with any history of appeasing terrorists or who is not a friend to Israel. Israel is the greatest bastion in the world against terror, outside of the USA: You can tell that’s so, because who do terrorists always target? The USA and Israel, that’s who.
Just my $0.02.
 
when you say we; do you mean “we” as a nation, “we” as a global community, or “we” as a catholic community

because to me that is a distinction with a big difference
 
I think it’s time to open our catechisms and turn to the section on just war theory:

http://www.kbvp.com/sites/default/files/images/USAF F-22 Raptor.preview.jpg

***The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:
  • the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
  • all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
  • there must be serious prospects of success;
  • the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.
These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the “just war” doctrine.

The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.***

Catechism of the Catholic Church #2309

My roots are in Syria. I don’t want to see innocents die, but neither do I want to see ISIS take control. Waging war and keeping one’s humanity can’t be accomplished without God’s help.
 
My roots are in Syria.
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that is why i phrased my question the way i did. kurdistan, syria & jordan should be on the vanguard in a certainly just war against ISIS which ultimately i think they can win

but no more US blood in that region

sorry we are bankrupt, broke & have been shown to be completely unable to understand or handle the situation and in many ways the USA has made the situation worse
 
I agree with you to a large degree, Brian, but I think some amount of involvement by American forces might be necessary. But it will indeed take more than bullets and bombs to win this war. Of that I’m sure.

Besides, I’d hate to see those F-22’s collect dust. 🙂
 
PolarGuy said:
Pray hard - but there’s definitely more we can do in addition:
  1. First, recognize that ISIS is evil and say so. Don’t let people tell you, or tell others, anything to water down that reality. We don’t need to understand these people; we don’t need to apologize to them; we don’t need to be sensitive to them, any more than the world needed to understand the Nazis and the Japanese warlords who made war on the world in the 1940s.
  2. Support the military of your country. Thank a soldier. Give to veterans’ charities. …
  3. Don’t vote for any politician with any history of appeasing terrorists or who is not a friend to Israel. Israel is the greatest bastion in the world against terror, outside of the USA: You can tell that’s so, because who do terrorists always target? The USA and Israel, that’s who.
Just my $0.02.
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This is good, but I’m a bit lost with the “prayer” subject. I want to understand it better.
For example, I’m about to read the Bible and I say a short prayer first; asking God for understanding. Should I infer that whatever I grasp after reading whatever passage is the right way to interpret it? Considering I prayed before.
Thanks, in advance. Help from anyone else would be appreciated.
 
If you’re anti-social like me, you won’t care about these people.

But, I think the least we (USA) could do, is offer some drone support or AC-130 support to the country Jordan; who is going to fight them.
 
Kount_C said:
If you’re anti-social like me, you won’t care about these people.

But, I think the least we (USA) could do, is offer some drone support or AC-130 support to the country Jordan; who is going to fight them.
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I care about the innocent people they are enslaving, torturing and killing.

As another poster said supporting our soldiers and paying attention to the politicians and their stance on terrorism and being informed about the situation over there. And prayer.
 
Anglewannabe said:
I am a firm believer that God calls most people to quietly go about living out their faith and a few people to live it out publicly for example Mother Teresa.

When it comes to ISIS, I feel all I can personally do is pray. However, I know some people are of the opinion prayer is not enough, it is time for action. In my personal case, I do not know what action (apart from prayer) I can take.

Just curious but do others feel called to do something besides prayer?
Click to expand...
Prayer for members of ISIS alone is sufficient.
 
on_the_hill said:
This isn’t a charitable response, but I’ve stated it before: I think we oughta drop some Ebola on them and let nature take its course.
I actually kind of believe that.
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Your outrage is understandable, but your solution might be inspired by the evil one, because Christ certainly would not agree. In Matthew 5:43-48, the Lord speaks definitively on what our actions should be:

43*“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48*So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Peace and all good!
 
brian_custer said:
when you say we; do you mean “we” as a nation, “we” as a global community, or “we” as a catholic community

because to me that is a distinction with a big difference
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Well, I think they were talking about ‘we’ as Catholics. I am from Canada and I have no problem with my taxes paying to send Canadian soldiers over to fight a war if that is the decision the government makes. However, I don’t see how I as a Catholic can do much about it when I go to work or go around my day to day business.

I think what I found the most upsetting is the conversation was not so much about stopping ISIS as it turned into criticising the muslom (sp?) religion. And they were saying that the nice guy who is muslem at the office could snap any moment and how scary that was. I almost felt like the conversation was becoming prejudice.
 
Anglewannabe said:
I think what I found the most upsetting is the conversation was not so much about stopping ISIS as it turned into criticising the muslom (sp?) religion. And they were saying that the nice guy who is muslem at the office could snap any moment and how scary that was. I almost felt like the conversation was becoming prejudice.
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Yes, I think we must resist developing an “us” and “them” mentality towards muslims in general. Working with moderate muslims to osctracise ISIS (and any other extremists) is one important element of the fight against them.

We must note that ISIS is killing many fellow muslims, perhaps moreso than they are killing others. They kill Shia muslims indiscriminately and kill fellow Sunni muslims who will not swear allegiance to them. Their brutal murder of ther Jordanian pilot has brough all this into sharp focus again, and Jordan is very unhappy. Their involvement in this war may mark a very important step towards driving ISIS back and hopefully into oblivion.

In the meantime, Catholics must continue to respect and treat with dignity all muslims we encounter, and befriend rather than osctracise any moderate muslims in our communities. We must also respect that our law enforcement teams need to continue their diligent work in nipping any homegrown terrorism in the bud. The balance of these issues is a key difficulty we all face.
 
Anglewannabe said:
I am a firm believer that God calls most people to quietly go about living out their faith and a few people to live it out publicly for example Mother Teresa.

When it comes to ISIS, I feel all I can personally do is pray. However, I know some people are of the opinion prayer is not enough, it is time for action. In my personal case, I do not know what action (apart from prayer) I can take.

Just curious but do others feel called to do something besides prayer?
Click to expand...
I think your right in that GOD say to love your enemies and pray for them. :gopray2::signofcross: Also if it helps remember that evil will always have it’s way for while to be defeated later by the power of GOD.
 
How to handle Isis?

2 to the chest and one to the head.

Evil is evil.
 
Islamic extremism is an ideology that is 1400 years old. The key to defeating IS is to understand that they are simply one recent result of this ideology, like Hezbollah and Boko Haram. Without dismantling the underlying ideology, we will never have lasting peace, save for direct and unmistakable divine intervention.

Islamic extremism is an ideology, and you cannot kill an ideology with swords or bullets. What we need to do is confuse and obfuscate that ideology. Convince Muslim Extremists everywhere that they know about the Koran is wrong. Air drop Korans with profoundly different and conflicting texts. Attribute false statements to Islamic leaders and Koranic scholars. Make every Islamic extremist believe that every Islamic extremist he or she comes into contact with is an apostate. If done properly, such a strategy could dismantle the Islamic State and the grotesque ideology that underpins it.
 
By them all ice creams, dipped in chocolate from Toppers. Then explain to them that we respect their differences. That they are free to practice their Islam how they wish. I think they will understand and appreciate our courtesy. Respecting differences help us co exist.
That is what secular enlightenment has taught me. 😃
 
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