Death and Blood: The NAE's Version of Answered Prayer

When a friend told me about what follows, I didn't want to believe it. An article entitled "Do the Prayers of Evangelicals Impact World Events?" ends up claiming that good Christian folk helped American bombs and bullets find their target: Saddam Hussein's two sons. This 2003 article sits in plain sight on the National Association of Evangelicals' main website, from the Office of the NAE's President yet, and once again illustrates the disconnect for many biblically-rooted Christians between evangelicalism's version of American nationalism dressed as Christian faith and the real thing.

"Did prayer have something to do with the 'impossible' feat of Saddam Hussein' sons being killed in a firefight on Wednesday July 23, 2003?" the article begins, and continues, "Mosul, the city where Uday and Ousay Hussein were killed, was the most heavily targeted area by praying Christians using Operation Iraqi Care (OIC), a global prayer effort coordinated by the National Association of Evangelicals and the World Prayer Team."

The NAE is one of evangelicalism's most well-known entities, and in the past has shown the ability to be moderate politically. However, in recent years, as with much of evangelicalism, the NAE has drifted further and further toward the right and a surprisingly naive alliance with American corporate / military policy. In short, the NAE seems to be confusing Christianity with nationalism.

After a few paragraphs discussing how various Christians prayed over Mosul, giving it more prayer concentration than other cities, the punchline sounds like the worst sort of fundamentalist aberrations of Islam:

"God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. Operation Iraqi Care is one tool that He is using to bring peace and democracy to Iraq and to pave the way for the proclamation of the gospel and the spread of the evangelical church. Thousands of people have been mobilized to pray; the majority somehow chose Mosul and almost simultaneously we see tangible results in the death of Saddam's sons. Coincidence?"

Doubtless the answer to the above is supposed to be "No, it was prayer!" And of course, that response in turn means we are supposed to assume a number of things:

1. That our role in Iraq as a military power is part of God's work rather than fallen man's violent history of power-mongering.
2. That killing two human beings is something God wanted to do, and wanted us to do in His Name!
3. That part of our reason for being militarily in Iraq -- PAY ATENTION!! -- is to create an environment there where our religion can be spread and gain influence. THIS IS A RETURN TO THE CRUSADES. THIS IS THE MAKING OF RELIGIOUS WAR. And it is not Christian; not one Bible verse comes to mind that would justify making bloody, hellish war where thousands of innocent Iraqis, along with combatants on both sides, die in the name of the Prince of Peace.
4. That American military policies are, nearly without question, the will of God.

I find these ideas horrendous and blasphemous. Until the NAE removes this posting from its site, and apologizes for suggesting such vile things, I suggest we inundate them (and any media sources we can find to tell this story) with email. They offer this information at article's end: "For additional comments or interviews please contact: Kyle Fisk, NAE Executive Administrator / (719) 268-8211 kfisk@nae.net." Please, email Mr. Fisk. And email all your friends, Christian, Muslim, or pondering observer. Ask them to also let the NAE know why this sort of Christianity sounds more like Satanism than a religion worshipping a God of Love.

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Another commentary on this article has come to my attention.

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The original article in its entirety is pasted below, along with the URL from whence it came:

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The URL:
Do the Prayers of Evangelicals Impact World Events

Office of the President - Public Relations Department

July 25, 2003 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Do The Prayers of Evangelicals Impact World Events?

Did prayer have something to do with the "impossible" feat of Saddam Hussein' sons being killed in a firefight on Wednesday July 23, 2003? Mosul, the city where Uday and Ousay Hussein were killed, was the most heavily targeted area by praying Christians using Operation Iraqi Care (OIC), a global prayer effort coordinated by the National Association of Evangelicals and the World Prayer Team.

OIC is one of the evangelical responses to help the people of Iraq following the war and removal of the dictator, who had for decades oppressed the Iraqi people. Individuals, families, churches, organizations and others can "adopt" an Iraqi town and pray specifically over that region, its people, its rebuilding and for the Christians within that city. Since its inception only a few months ago, OIC has mobilized thousands of Christians to bathe the country of Iraq in concentrated prayer.

Out of dozens of potential cities to adopt, over fifteen percent of our thousands of prayer warriors adopted the city of Mosul, compared with less than nine percent adopting Tikrit and just over eleven percent praying for the capital, Baghdad.

According to Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times, the death of Hussein' sons "ay diminish but not eliminate attacks that have killed 40 American soldiers since President Bush declared the end of major combat on May 1." In another editorial, the Times proclaimed this as "the most encouraging news out of Iraq in weeks." There is additional speculation that Saddam himself, may be in the same region of Iraq. Is this simply an odd circumstance or is God moving through the prayers of His people?

God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. Operation Iraqi Care is one tool that He is using to bring peace and democracy to Iraq and to pave the way for the proclamation of the gospel and the spread of the evangelical church. Thousands of people have been mobilized to pray; the majority somehow chose Mosul and almost simultaneously we see tangible results in the death of Saddam's sons. Coincidence?

For additional comments or interviews please contact:
Kyle Fisk, NAE Executive Administrator
(719) 268-8211 kfisk@nae.net