Remembering 9/11
Posted on September 11, 2007
Filed Under Personal, Worldview |
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20)
Most of us can remember exactly what we were doing six years ago. I was driving to an early morning speaking engagement when the radio broadcast was interrupted and I heard the confused on-scene reporter trying to describe the horrifying events before him. At that time, nobody really had a complete understanding of what was happening. The first plane had hit the north tower and it was burning. People were jumping out of windows and plunging to their deaths. We were innocently ignorant, in those early moments, of the events that were still yet to occur: a second plane was about to hit the south tower; a third plane would hit the Pentagon; unbelievably, both of the Trade Center towers would collapse; heroic passengers on Flight 93 would force the crash of the fourth plane into a Pennsylvania pasture, sparing the targeted U.S. Capitol. Nearly 3,000 human beings, from 2 years old to 80, were murdered on that morning. And then, to our disbelief, sections of people, here in America and around the world, danced in the streets with glee at the news. It was a day one would like to forget…but it is one we must never forget.
Well, the students decided they wanted to go ahead with the lecture, which I did. But it was a somber one and difficult to get through. My topic was the American Experiment and the pillars of religion and morality that our founders believed were critical to our hopes for liberty and freedom. Although early Americans held starkly different opinions about tactics, there was a unity bound up in our common biblical worldview. Our discussion led us to bemoan how far we had walked away from those foundations.
I don’t think any of us could have imagined, though, how the events of that day would eventually expose just how far we have fallen and how deep the worldview fractures in our country run. Knowing that there were pockets of Americans celebrating the success of the attacks might have tipped us off, if the media had carried it, but that would have only been a piece of the story.
(Now, I have to warn you that what follows is strictly my opinion and it will not be shared by everyone, including a friend whose opinion I highly respect. But I offer it here for what it is worth and to stimulate your thinking.)
Although the immediate days surrounding the attack seemed to bring out a surge of spiritual renewal and righteous indignation, it didn’t take long for that to fizzle out. Slowly, but surely, a counter-worldview tenet began to raise its head again, from the college classrooms to the newspapers and popular media. Soon the virtue of “tolerance” began to present the notion that it would be wrong of us to judge the actions of the hijackers. That view merged quickly with other worldview tenets that abhor any vestiges of narrow-minded “right” and “wrong” or “good” and “evil” thinking. We soon began to hear of professors and others who proffered the notion that the hijackers were actually the good guys, with admirable character, and America was the villain.
Since then, this underlying tenet of “tolerance” has so encapsulated 9/11, that it is increasingly truncating the historical context of the attack. Broadcasts are primarily limited to the effects, not the causes; supporting pictures highlight those effects without being “too graphic”; storylines are mostly focused on human-interest tales; remembrances are largely devoid of anything that would hint of the evil behind it.
We have sterilized 9/11.
We have stripped it of its evil cause so that it has become more akin to a “natural” disaster, not much different than a hurricane or a tornado, neither of which carry any underlying “purpose”, let alone any evil intent. It just “happened”. But it was not natural. It was perpetrated by an evil worldview. And that worldview still remains, with its adherents preparing themselves for the next attack. They boast of it. They predict it. They promise it.
When Japan struck Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack on December 7th, 1941, we identified the enemy and put the full energy and will power of the country behind engaging that enemy until we had eliminated it as a threat. I don’t see that unity or will power today. I believe it is because we no longer share a common worldview. We no longer have a common foundation of what we believe to be right and true and good.
So, because we find it so distasteful to call evil evil, or to denounce another’s worldview, we are more comfortable in limiting our 9/11 thoughts to the “disaster” and ignore the real basis of the threat. And because we have bought the notion that there is no absolute truth, we find ourselves at a loss to effectively analyze this threat or even discuss it…at least discuss it with ethical clarity. When you don’t believe in absolute truth, then you are eviscerated from any basis of calling something evil. You just can’t. And we aren’t.
Yet we must.
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13 Responses to “Remembering 9/11”
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Dr. Del Tackett is president of the Focus on the Family Institute and Senior Vice President to Focus on the Family. He is also the architect and chief spokesperson for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project--a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
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Counter Worldviews
I would suggest that Sept 11 open the door for multiple counter-worldviews including the one you have listed. For instance, a very strong and growing view is that all religions are bad and need to be eradicated; ideas suggested often by atheist like Richard Dawkins who on his very own website shows banners saying “imagine a world without religion” and in the background are the twin towers still standing.
Link to banners: http://richarddawkins.net/images/RDFflyerIMAGINE4page.jpg
The other counter-worldview which is also growing the 9/11 conspiracies and the most famous is that of the Bush administration and the U.S. government being accused of being behind the 9/11 attacks. Movies like Loose Change which depicts the president as an evil man with a plan is just one of many that now plague the World Wide Web and the minds of people around the world.
Info about Loose Change: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loose_Change_(2007_film)
The other famous and growing conspiracy theory which at times connects in with the Bush administration is that the Jews are behind the 9/11 attacks not the Islamic extremist. This again is a very popular and, as I find it, a very distraught view.
A CNN video about the Jewish conspiracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnqWs8pAsRk&mode=related&search
No wonder the world is so confused and unsure of what is true and what is not true. Each of these counter-worldviews have some sort of evidence that, to at least some, is substantial enough for them to except as truth. What you must also take into account is the hate and personal agendas behind each of these counter-worldviews. One can only wonder what is going to happen next.
“So, because we find it so distasteful to call evil evil, or to denounce another’s worldview, we are more comfortable in limiting our 9/11 thoughts to the “disaster” and ignore the real basis of the threat”
This statement is so true, and so honest. I call 9/11 a disaster instead of an attack, without understanding what lies were behind doing so. . I will have to change my verbage when I speak of it from now on. You have opened my eyes once again to the lies in our world. I am amazed at how many churches and Christians do not believe in or speak about Hell, and evil. Thank you Dr. Tackett.
-t.b.
Couldn’t agree more with your assessment, Dr. Tackett. Well stated.
You have stated things pretty clearly and wisely. I find it very disturbing that so few in this country “get it”-that there really is evil and that there are plenty of people willing to carry it out!
Thank you Dr Tackett for articulating to the very point what I been feeling since the years following 9/11… that “we have sterilized” that horrific attack on this great nation on September 11, 2001… all for the sake of “tolerance. and disguising the truth!
Yesterday I attended the 9/11 Freedom Walk at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. and one of the speakers Deena Burnett Bailey talked about the events of that day, how her husband and others on flight 93 overtook the terrorist in the cockpit… they gave up their lives so that many others might be saved. Truth and freedom come at a price… such as to stand up to the deceivers around us and “call evil evil, or to denounce another’s worldview” and even to give up our lives for the sake of truth!
Tonight our Truth Project study group meets and your blog on “Remembering 9/11″ will be discussed and how these world events are distorted because of the lack of absolute truth… Your blog is very timely as we finish our lesson 1 study and move on to lesson 2.
Thank you again for helping us see the truth!
God Bless you and your family!
Len Krukowski
I am of the same opinion, Del. I want to thank you for “putting it out there” with no apologies and all sincerity.
We just finished lesson 3 of The Truth Project with our youth and college career group. (Our group was so big we split into 3 using other couples from our last group to help facilitate) I notice that the issue of “tolerance” is very hard for our youth culture to grasp. They have been indoctrinated with tolerance teaching and that nobody can believe without any doubts.
Pray for us and we will pray for you! God’s character be manifested in and operate continually through you!
As usual, I agree with you entirely Del.
God’s standards continue to be rewritten by society, there is obvious tolerance and acceptance of EVIL behavior through replacement of biblical words and implications in our language.
Have you seen the news imply EVIL behavior RECENTLY?
I only see it used when referencing ISLAM, or some historical figure, however…..
Liars, a family member killing his family, murderers, thieves, child molesters and rapists are all some degree of desperation or SANENESS, no one would call them GOOD, but we sure don’t call them EVIL.
Is it that SANITY, a word expressed little or not at all in God’s word is the replacement for “GOOD” and INSANITY the replacement for “EVIL”?
Isn’t it easier to accept this set of words since there is no correlation to the bible or God and it implies a sickness or the absence of one, in either case they are not responsible for it?
Isn’t it ironic that an alcoholic has a “DISEASE”.
A pedophile has an “OBSESSION”.
It just is not their fault at all, it is a chemical reaction, or something they were STRUCK with, just bad luck.
Titus 1:15 - To the pure, all things are pure: but to those who are corrupted and do not BELIEVE, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
I say…..GOD BLESS YOU Del Tackett, YOU tell it like it is, like I so need to hear it.
Sincerely,
Tom St. Clair
I’ll never forget the day. I was at work when it came over the radio and they quickly turned on several televisions, just as people were jumping out of windows to their death. It looked like the devil had won a great victory on that day, but all of Heaven stood firm knowing that the best the enemy can deliver on this earth, in an attempt to show his power, cannot even begin to touch what Jesus can do with just a one word. The waters can part, the earth can swallow, bodies can be healed and delivered. One day, all wars will cease, those hurting and suffering in their bodies will be healed, all schemes the devil uses against us will be settled with one spoken word. The enemy and tormentor of this world will be put in his place forever!
BTW, Happy Birthday tomorrow!
This is really just a Happy Birthday message for Dr. Tackett on 9/14. God bless you and thank you for all that you are doing to help others see His truth.
Dr Tackett, thanks for reemphasizing the truths behind that horrible day. I was in-flight the morning of 9/11 and will never forget how I felt that morning when our flight was allowed to land at LAX.
As for how that day is viewed today, my wife and I were in New York City on 9/11/2007 and there wasn’t one New Yorker that we talked with who didn’t call a spade a spade; what happened six years ago was an attack and thousands were murdered — this was no accident, no disaster, it was a result of pure evil… An evil that too many American’s haven’t the stomach, courage, or back-bone to deal with.
What would today look like if America had not pushed back against the evils of WW II? I doubt that the America we know today would exist; sometimes you must stand up against what is wrong, regardless of the cost…
I haven’t met many people who think 9/11 was a good thing, or even a tolerable thing. I’m not sure who “we” are, but if “we” are the American people, then we have used 9/11 to justify two invasions so far, killing far, far more innocents than were killed on that day, many of whom were Christians. I don’t think we have trouble calling evil evil - I think we have trouble overcoming evil with good.
I completely agree with this article. Unfortunately some use similiar reasoning to decry unfortunate, unintended casualties as evil even when approached with the purest intent and shaped around the principle of just war. Similiar point as made in your “Response to Chad” blog.
We do have a problem with calling things evil when they truly are, and instead embrace equality of ideas and values as the ideal. We decry as evil the attempts by authorities to root out these problems. Casualties are unfortunate and not desired by anyone, but they are a reality in war against anything (terrorism, drugs, crime, any enemy). Let us not let this disuade us from action against evil, such as disrupting a country harboring camps for training such monsters or removing a dictator directly responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of his own ppl, many of them political opponents.
The Bible verse that opens this blog could not be any more spot on. This is an excellent ministry undertaken by the Truth Project. Let us continue to id evil and act, in the most responsible manner, against such evil.
Acting militarily against evil might be considered responsible in an ideal world. It might be considered responsible in a just war theory meant for a flawed Christendom empire. It might even be considered responsible by a utilitarian summation of casualties coupled with the realpolitik version of the world that dominates the actions of modern nation-states. But none of these justifications are Christian, or even look at the world from a Christian perspective. They simply remove from the discussion the undeniable fact that the modern world - including our nation - considers irrelevant the existence of any transcendent realm or Being, and as long as we act as if this is the case, we simply reinforce it, and all the ridiculous, pointless violence that goes with it. Casualties are not “unfortunate.” They are ultimate.