A War on Terrorism

Author: Richard R. Tryon

To paraphrase Sally Field... they loathe us, they really loathe us.

Loathe, as in hate. They really hate us.

Who hates us? Well, according to Bishop Frank Griswold III, senior Anglican bishop of the U.S., the world hates us, and the bishop just hates being hated.

Here's what he said...

"I'd like to be able to go somewhere in the world and not have to apologize for being from the United States. We are loathed, and I think the world has every right to loathe us, because they see us as greedy, self-interested and almost totally unconcerned about poverty, disease and suffering."

I think the bishop has a problem with wanting to be liked. He wants it too much. After all, the U.S. government — taxpayers — spend an enormous amount of money on world poverty and hunger. Americans like Bill Gates and Ted Turner pledge billions to causes like fighting AIDS worldwide.

When I was in starving Somalia, the country was up to its swollen knees in American food aid — tons and tons of sacks of food, way more than the warlords could need or steal — in the hopes that enough would get through to starving people. And it worked.

The U.S. has sent its military to liberate people, not conquer them, and it has cost American lives.

And for all of this, we are loathed, because we won't be forced into signing things like the Kyoto Treaty. Because we will take the lead to rid the world of a dictator everybody knows is bad, but only we are actually willing to dislodge. For this, we are loathed, and the bishop is unhappy he can't go anywhere without someone blaming him.

Bishop... you are the senior Anglican bishop for the U.S. Stay home. You won't feel so loathed then, and later you might be thanked.

Dear John Gibson and Friends of God and the Episcopal Church,

I suppose it can be argued that there is nothing more difficult in life than to represent the Episcopal Church in America, unless it is perhaps the Roman Catholic faith which has found itself embroiled in sexual scandal. The attitude of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal church, Bishop Frank Griswold III, is not really surprising.

Almost by definition, a leader in his position must have an altruistic outlook on the perfectibility of man. To such persons it is axiomatic that no such thing exists as an evil person that can't be able to receive the love of Christ and the grace of God. Surely goodness and mercy shall overcome Saddam Hussein, if only we don't provoke him!

Theologians can debate forever the existence of Satan or the anti-Christ or whatever terms they care to use to indicate that God is so good that no evil can long endure in His presence. Even the idea of God allowing Evil to exist in a way as personified, as is Good in the name of God, seems hard for some to accept. But, the reality is that some are able to seemingly enjoy the sense of power and might that they learn to possess as dictators, and come to be labeled as Evil.

In Iraq, one man has achieved that position. His name is Saddam Hussein and he has won his spurs by showing the people inside and out of the borders of Iraq that he means to rule and rules meanly. The thousands that have perished at his hands are often just innocent bystanders and other times individuals that made the error of coming to Saddam's attention in a way that he thought was a threat to him. He learned to kill all such before he was 20 and now 45 years later he has perfected ways to publicize a false image with hundreds and thousands of followers too afraid to resist, and unwilling to die and be forgotten.

For our chief Bishop to accept the litany of publicized hate as a reason for him to look like he is for' peace in Iraq at any price', is unfortunate. I hope that after listening to the President of the U.S., he will be ready to once again go forth into the world to save souls. Perhaps he would like an assignment in Iraq after Saddam either leaves on his own or is removed. He might well discover, if he goes into the streets instead of into the papers to read of the sensationalist hate mongers, that a high percentage of people, able to know the truth, find that they not only like Americans, they may even love the good bishop. Even enough for him to discover the truth and be happy to find a place where he is loved- even more than he is among some Episcopalians in NYC.

Incidentally, I have found many friends all over the world who know and love good Ameicans some of which are also Episcopalians.

Richard R. Tryon
Humacao, P.R.
Episcopalian for 70 years