Unloop.

I doubt the question in the title has even occurred to these people.

In a word: Pathetic.

what a pathetic excuse for human beings. if the rescuers had chopped off the heads of these sad sacks, maybe they (the soldiers) would get more acclaim.

I remain skeptical these people were really hostages. They were held 4 months without any ransom demands I am aware of and were apparently unguarded when found. The only question is why the American was killed? Perhaps he was insufficiently dedicated to the cause and was sacrificed, or perhaps he even volunteered. The circumstances of their detention and subsequent behavior brand them as viciously anti-American and objectively pro-terrorist.

I won't be surprised to hear statements about the compassion, humane treatment, and religious virtue of their captors.

Posted by: jd watson at March 24, 2006 11:30 PM

It's apparent that American Tom Fox refused to be a good little dhimmi, and got his head chopped off for it.

Pro-war bloggers are getting more and more anti-Christian by the minute. You'll be attacking the Pope next.

M.A.

Like you I am awed by the consistent, steadfast commitment of these Christians to their principles. No one can accuse them of being hypocritical.

Unfortunately as OJ has pointed out before, that necessarily means they are sociopaths. (that's agujero del asno for our visitors from south of the border)

Pope JP II's stance on the Iraq War was indeed immoral.

When Christians act like fools (and enablers), sometimes other Christians need to say so.

I forgot to add - what these "hostages" and their friends did immediately after the rescue was such a gross example of bad manners that rebuke was inevitable.

I've thought the same as JD Watson and further believe that the CSM female reporter is in the same boat. Now they have to figure out what to do with her. I hope she makes it without damage ... seems like a sweet but misguided fellow traveler.

h-man;

The CPT and in particular a couple of these "hostages" have worked with violent Palsestinian groups. It seems that their commitment isn't to non-violence, but to non-violence-for-certain-people. If this report is true, then I'd say "hypocritical" is an excellent description.

OJ, don't take the 'Vatican announcements' from European cardinals as the stance of the Church. Many of them were taking advantage of a frail man. The actual views expressed by JPII were completely in line with tradition just war theory. And his pronouncements were on the order of reminders of the considerations in that tradition, including war should be only in 'last resort'. At no time did JPII claim whether the war would be moral or not. That would be counter to just war doctrine. That determination (and decision to act) lies with the legitimate authority -- in this case, our President. Since the invasion, the pronouncements have dealt only with humane concerns about the Iraqi people. There have been no second guessing from the pope post-invasion -- for one, it doesn't help anyone, and second, with low casualties and no mass suffering, the war was indeed a moral act.
I'm inclined to think that the JPII, as well as BXVI, thinks the invasion was moral, but cannot say so directly. It is implied in the lack of Monday morning quarterbacking. With the Vatican, it is important to distinguish what the pope says and what is spewed by the bureaucracy. Sort of like the President versus the State Department.

Benedict seems to have a heartier appetite for the clash of civilizations. JP II may have been fooled by how easily the Cold War was won into thinking all peoples are Poles.

Benedict is JPII's Cheney (or Jeb). Mainly a difference in style, not core beliefs. I think the message out of the Vatican would have clearer had JPII been healthier. He might have challenged Islam to reform/improve as Benedict has.

Being a martyr means you are a witness to truth, even if that means your death. What these people are now doing is not being a witness, but refusing to document the evil of their kidnappers. Since their kidnappers are most likely now doing evil to more innocents, it is profoundly un-Christian.