Unmentioned in this story is that followers of Jesus, "Christians", promise to adhere to a creed of non-violence, [i.e. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God." Matthew5:10 ] Using violence to promote Christianity might work through fear on some level to "recruit" Christians, but that is not a viable strain of Christianity that is based on the Word of Jesus. non-violence, remediation, dialogue and healing are also difficult and rigorous paths, requiring self discipline and self sacrifice. Why no mention ? Also, along with atheism, which would probably serve a soldier very well, the writer focuses on the Jewish prespective of "persecution", which fails because many Jews are high up in ... More »