Offering prayers for peace and the well-being of U.S. soldiers seem the most logical thing President Bush could do on Easter Sunday. For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday; it represents the resurrection of Jesus, and without his resurrection, Christianity would not exist. As a self-described born- again Christian, Bush holds the responsibility of living up to the values taught through Christianity. This year, as reported by The Associated Press, the president traveled from his ranch for the third consecutive time to the largest active-duty post in the military to worship at the chapel there.

After the service Bush said, “We prayed for peace, we prayed for our soldiers and their families.”

During his Easter Sunday message in 2002, he made reference to the hurtful memory of Sept. 11, 2001 and said, “in the wake of great evil, however, Americans responded with strength, compassion and generosity.” He also added, “As we fight to promote freedom around the world and to protect innocent lives in America, we remember the call of the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’: ‘As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free.'” After reading his message, it is hard not to believe that this so-called “war on terror” has taken the shape of a holy war. There are Islamic radicals on one side and on the other Christians who do not want to accept that they are radicals. Both claim to be following God’s orders by violently attacking each other even though both religions condemn violence that takes place without reason.

In Christianity, Jesus preached against the Jewish law of “eye for an eye.” As quoted in the book of Luke, he said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.”

In Islam, the Quran mentions violence as a means to end oppression or as self- defense, as stated in chapter two: “Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but don’t transgress limits; for God loves not the transgressor.” The mentions of violence in the Quran, as in the Bible, represented a specific moment in history according to scholars. Jesus, however, is directly quoted when preaching non-violence, and in the Quran, one name of God is peace, and those who seek to please him will be guided to “paths of peace.”

In this modern-day holy war, those who fight are seen as the heroes — depending on what side of the fight you stand. The president, during the 2003 Passover speech, made reference to a soldier who lost his life during battle earlier that year. Bush quoted a radical soldier’s friend saying, “He [the soldier] believed God was working through him and he was part of the plan. I guess part of the plan now is God calling his soldier home.”

During the same speech, Bush said of God, “His purposes are not always clear to us, yet this season brings a promise: that good can come out of evil, that hope can arise from despair and that all our grief will someday turn to joy, a joy that can never be taken away.”

In a Newsweek article, a faculty member of a radical Islamic religious school is quoted saying, “Americans are killing Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq, and they are busy trying to poison Muslim minds everywhere with films, music and television.”

When two different religious groups are trying to prove that their ideals and beliefs are better than the others, peace cannot be accomplished. If both groups tried to respect their distinct beliefs or maybe think of the possibility that their God might be the same, a peaceful remedy might arise.

Yes, this “war on terror” deals with more than just religious disputes. It also deals with economic situations that our government would rather have us not know. If our president, however, is so interested in preaching to this country, it might be time for him to begin practicing what he preaches. Last time I checked, the Bible considered lying a sin and said Christians should strive to live a godly life.