You make a good point. In most every war, God fights on both sides (if you listen to the powers that be). In reality, he probably is on neither - or in pieces of both. If God really is on your side, it’s very obvious (see Gideon, Joshua, etc).

As humans, we obviously confuse our enemies with God’s enemies. I don’t pretend to have a lithmus test to determine who are the enemies of God. The point is that there are people who hate God and His creation and work to destroy it. I would categorize anyone that wants to further his/her own situation in life by raping and murdering women and children an enemy of God.But that’s kinda my thing. Kids are very precious to me. If I had any say about what the US did/didn’t do with their military, I would move kids to the top of the prioirty list. I would be in the face of terrorists who hide in or near schools and hospitals. I would make it my personal mission to target movements that put kids on the frontlines. I would also make the killing of children in our own country a thing of the past, but that’s another post altogether.

I am no fan of the Iraq war, but I also don’t think God intends for us to never fight. The teachings of Christ with regard to turning the other cheek are personal guidelines for an invisible Kingdom that resides in the hearts of people. I don’t believe he was talking to the larger social morality. When used in that context, I think people take it out of context.

By the way, I love Lincoln’s quote. It’s one of my favorite of all time. Just out of curiousity, do you think Lincoln’s decision to go to war with the south over slavery and the other issues of the day was righteous? Do you believe God was "in his corner" so to speak?

For the record, I don’t understand how President Bush or anyone else can claim that God is in our corner. We live in a nation that must be a huge diappointment to God. Our nation is selfish, greedy, rebellious, prideful, ignorant and contemptuous of other cultures, involved in all sorts of blatant sin, and the list goes on and on. Every time he says "God bless America", I wonder when America is going to begin to care again about blessing God and the rest of the world.