General Boykin Exercising First Amendment Rights

US Army General William "Jerry" Boykin is the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He is in charge of a special operations group responsible for tracking down "high value targets" like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. He is also a committed Christian, at the center of a controversy over remarks he has made in churches over the past year and a half.

According to an October 23, 2003 Associated Press report, General Boykin recently "characterized the battle against Islamic terrorists as a clash between Christianity and 'a guy named Satan'". He has called the US a Christian nation, and related telling a defeated Somali warlord that "You underestimated our God."

Many have interpreted Boykin's comments as saying that the "war on terrorism" is a war on Islam. Since the Bush administration has bent over backwards to avoid giving anyone that impression, such a public proclamation by a top officer in the anti-terrorist effort might undermine the administration's efforts.

A reader taking the AP story at its word might agree with Boykin's critics. Before leaping to judge the general, however, I recommend reading the far more balanced article that appeared in the November 6, 2003 Washington Post (on the internet at www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp- dyn/A6529-2003Nov5).

The Post article presents a brief biography of General Boykin, showing that he is a true Special Forces and special operations hero. He is also an extremely religious man, active for all of his life in spreading the Gospel to those around him. His comments about the war on terrorism were made in the context of long talks in churches about his perpetual battle with Satan in his own life. His point was not that Islam is satanic (though as a Christian he does treat it as a false religion), but that terrorism is a tool of Satan. Even those Muslims who oppose terrorism would have to agree that terrorists are doing the will of Satan.

Many of the critics of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq are having a field day attacking General Boykin. One of the most strident has been Democratic presidential candidate Senator Joseph Lieberman. He claimed that the general's remarks contributed to a dangerous "global theological conflict…That's exactly what bin Laden and al-Qaida want to do, and these remarks unfortunately give material, give fuel to the fire that bin Laden wants to start all around the world against the rest of us." He characterized Boykin's words as "very bigoted" and "wrong theologically." Lieberman and other critics want to see General Boykin fired from his role in the war on terrorism.

Who is it that is fueling the fire of Islamic hatred for the US? Christians like General Boykin practicing their religion in their own churches, or politicians and big media companies who give worldwide publicity to any parts of those church services that might be critical of Islam? I'd say that the AP and Senator Lieberman have more to answer for than Boykin.

As for Senator Lieberman, an orthodox Jew, there is some irony in hearing him tell Christians that their beliefs are "wrong theologically." When was the last time you heard a Christian senator commenting on the correctness of theological thought expressed in synagogues? Lieberman should confine his expression of theological opinions to unofficial contexts, as Boykin has done.

The proposal to fire General Boykin for practicing his religion in church services is an unconstitutional "religious test" (see Article VI) for public office. Any government harassment of the general for any religious comments he makes in church also "prohibits the free exercise" of religion, illegal under the First Amendment.

While Boykin was a Captain in Delta Force, his commander once wrote in his "officer efficiency report" that "Jerry Boykin is a Christian gentleman of the highest order." We need more Jerry Boykins in our Army and in other positions of responsibility.