Iraqi Humanitarian Organization Reports 128,000 Iraqi Civilians Killed in Iraq War – Who Would Jesus Kill?

An Iraqi humanitarian organization is reporting that 128,000 Iraqis have been killed since President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. We have just a few thousand more than that number of US troops in Iraq, and they’ve lost that many civilians. Over a year ago the Lancet, the leading British Medical Journal (the British equivalent of the Journal of the American Medical Association) estimated that at least 100,000 Iraqis had died in the war. An international research organization in Switzerland also estimated that 100,000 Iraqi civilians had died in the Iraq War. This latest estimate of 128,000 means that more than 40 times as many civilians died in the Iraq War as died in the September 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. More than 40 times! What would America do if we had experienced more than 40 September 11 attacks? How would we feel if foreign troops controlled our country? I admit that the situation is not exactly the same, but considering how we would react in this situation may give us greater incites in what drives the Iraqi insurgents. And how they feel about us being there.

Jesus taught us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. He also taught that rather than an eye for an eye we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. How much more should we love civilians who are not our enemies? Love thy neighbor. Jesus taught that on judgment day he would say whatever you did to the least of My brothers that you did unto Me. The lion share of Iraqi civilians killed were poor or just getting by in a country that now has little clean running water and electricity. The least of His brothers. We in the US are the richest people on earth. Jesus taught that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. The commands that Jesus left us are very difficult, and often oppose our natural urges of vengeance. I am no perfect Christian, I will admit. After 9/11 I was as angry as any American, and supported our going after bin Laden in Afghanistan. I try to do what Jesus commanded, but I fail sometimes. We all do. It's hard! But fail though we do it is important to consider what Jesus taught us and try to follow his teachings as best we can.

128,000 of the least of Jesus’ brothers have died as a result of the decision to invade Iraq. "Whatever you did to the least of My brothers that you did unto Me." What have we done to Him? Many Christians have the line "What would Jesus do?" on their cars, t-shirts, or homes. Whatever you did to the least of My brothers that you did unto Me. What would Jesus do? Who would Jesus kill?

May the blessing and mercy of God be on all of us.

Joe