General William Boykin

October 20, 2003 in Politics

General William Boykin

Ursula Petula Barzey 0 Like Post 14 Comments

Below is an excerpt from Fareed Zakaria’s October 27th Newsweek column:

…Boykin routinely told audiences that God elevated George W. Bush to the presidency. “Why is this man in the White House? The majority of Americans did not vote for him,” he would say. “I tell you this morning that he’s in the White House because God put him there.” Boykin now explains that he believes God routinely decides American elections and has done the same thing for “Bill Clinton and other presidents.” This is surely the first time a conservative evangelical has argued that Clinton’s election was caused by divine intervention.

General Boykin sounds like he’s off his rockers; and to think he was recently appointed to a senior Defense Department post.

14 Comments

October 30, 2003 at 11:44 am

Nicole

Tolerace – extende to every religion, belief, or way of life ~ except quite often not Christianity.
October 28, 2003 at 8:56 pm

john

I think this thing is really, really overblown by the secular media. I remember the words that CBS news posted the night the story broke. Something like General William Boykin is said to have said:
1. “I knew my God was real and his (the terrorist) was an idol.
2. God put George Bush in the White House…
3. This is a battle against Satan.
Wow?!? General Boykin is a Christian! Fancy that! I fail to see how his alleged comments can be imputed to be anti-muslim unless you correlate terroist theology with Islam. The only people who hold such disregard for Muslim people as to equate INSTANTLY the Islamic faith with the beliefs of terrorists are the mainstream media. Think of it. Boykin didn’t say that Islam was Satanic; he said that the terrorist were. Get it? And the other comments? Please. Any very religious person would be prone to say that it is the sovereignty of God is ultimately responsible for who gets elected and who doesn’t. For one it is a scriptural fact for the believing (Note: I said believing not “professing”) Christian. Boykin is guilty of being a Christian, nothing more. It is truly shocking that all you have to do to receive the full load of vitriol from the culture of the left is to be a faithful Christian. The only thing that suprises me more is that the administration has done nothing to point out the salient differences between Islam and terrorism. And the media are the foolish stooge in all this equating as they do Islam with idolatry. Shame on them. Hypocrites.
October 28, 2003 at 10:16 am

jack

This Boykin guy is a nut. He’s a national embarassment
and ought at least to be demoted. This issue isn’t about Boykin’s right to free speech. Its the position he’s in–the very same argument that was used to impeach Clinton can be used here, and more so because what Boykin did is so much more disgusting to anyone living in the 21st century with 21st century values.
Frankly, I feel the military should never have allowed this maniac to become anything more than a foot soldeir–why don’t they have a screening process where they relegate dangerous religious cranks like Boykin to the bin? Its not a healthy sign when you have Jesus nuts giving orders
October 27, 2003 at 7:36 pm

Patsy

Ursula–
Is William Boykin related to the infamous Frank Boykin of Alabama?
October 26, 2003 at 1:52 pm

EdwinBritt

What Gen. Boykin was speaking about was that the world is God’s and everything in it. It is a spiritual war that is going on. What other reason would a person have to strap explosives to his/her body to kill innocent people other than an influenctial force of evil. A dark and sinister force is at work. One that spreads destruction through fear and hatred. It is said that Satan,”goes to and fro looking for those to destroy”. That is his desire. To “kill and destroy”. AND all leaders through out history have be placed into power by God and Only God. He has place into power those leaders over those countries that are deserving of that leadership. Either as to awaken a nation to it’s on immoral, and evil ways or to awaken the world to it immoral and evil ways.
I have and continually experience God’s Love and faith in my life.
Do you?
Ask yourself this question.
Where would I spend eternity, if I died today?
Gods can be whatever we make them to be.
But the one and only true God, goes by many names.
Jesu, Yosef, Jevoah jira,
Abba Father,
and most importantly
Jesus Christ, son of God.
If you want to know more about this man. I challenge you to e-mail me.
I will so you a God that DOES NOT ask you to kill innocents, but to worship and allow him to provide, protect and love you.
October 25, 2003 at 8:56 pm

jack kelley

Just a thought…
1. Like a previous writer…I wore my uniform to church during the time I served in the Army..and have spoken in churches and meetings outside by invitation–guess I’m guilty too.
2.As an old veteran..I stop and place my hand over my heart when the postman puts the flag up at our post office in the morning..guess that’s up for discussion too- if not today-tomorrow.
3.Freedom of speech, of the press–all good stuff, and I appreciate being in a country that allows this website-and Ursula allowing us to chat with one another.
5. Finally, I know General Boykin–and have for over 20 years..a hero, warrior, a man of high character…and one who loves his Lord…
I wish you had the opportunity to meet him..to talk with him–you’d meet a new friend.
just a thought
jack
October 24, 2003 at 6:26 pm

Bill Burley

I wonder who should be held to a higher account, a man making comments of faith in the privacry of a church or the people making those private comments public. Is it possible that some in the press want to see the peacable Muslims rise up. Everyone knows that Christians and Muslims have differnt views so why would they make a Christians view public? A”Christian” would not be offended by what General Boykin said so the only reason for writing the story is to excite people with differing views.
When my boys were young I taught them how to hunt. In doing so I taught them (by proper supervision) how to handle a weapon properly. It has been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. I wish our press could learn to use their weapon in the same responcible
manner. Instead they seem to take great delight in hurting the innocent, and those with whome they disagree.
Open your eyes has America’s great hour of paralogism arrived.
October 24, 2003 at 1:47 pm

Bill Burley

I’m glad George Washinton was born and lived when he did. If he was trying to lead our nation today he would be destroyed by the all wise and self made men of our times. Its sad to think that so few actually take the time to learn about what they hate so much, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy spirit. May the Three in One protect and keep our warriors of faith like General Boykin safe. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free” Galatians 5:1
October 24, 2003 at 9:50 am

Oliver Cromwell

Boykin should be given a medal for merely stating the obvious: Wahhabite Islam has declared war on the West, and it is a war to the death. If Boykin wishes to speak of this war in religious terms, good for him. At least he is honest enough to state that Islam is NOT a “religion of tolerance and peace,” it is a vile, pernicious cancer and must be destroyed. Go ahead and question him until the Bin-boys are launching themselves with explosive belts into your local Wal-Mart. Me, I’d like to see the sands of Arabia turned into glass.
October 22, 2003 at 11:31 am

Andrew

With all due respect, ZZtop, the very freedom of which you speak *is* being practiced here. If the American Forefathers didn’t “ridicule” King George III, where would we be? Boykin can certainly express his religious beliefs, but there is no reason why rational people can’t question public figures, especially if he claims that God decides something as earthly as political elections (and not to mention that it’s contrary to one of the basic tenents of Judaeo-Christian beliefs – Free Will.)
If I may speak on behalf of Ursula, I seriously doubt she was questioning his service to his country. But when a high ranking military personnel claims divine intervention (something European Kings and Queens had done for centuries – prior to the Age of Enlightenment), I don’t think it’s that unreasonable to question his state of mind. It has absolutely nothing to do with his military service.
You fail to see what Boykin has done wrong; I fail to see how this demonstrates Ursula’s hypocrisy.
October 22, 2003 at 8:31 am

titilayo

Here’s another article about General Boykin.
October 22, 2003 at 8:29 am

titilayo

Here’s another article about General Boykin.
October 22, 2003 at 3:56 am

ZZtop

Ursula,
My, aren’t we the tolerant ones? So now we fall to the level of ridiculing our warriors who are so willing to lay down their lives to give us the freedoms we enjoy in the the US – yes the freedom of speech and religious are just a couple of those he’s been wounded in battle protecting.
Such hypocracy. I fail to see what he’s done wrong, but then again I was a solider for 22 years so that puts me in the “off my rocker” department.
No, I’m not exactly what you would call a religious person but I don’t fault others for their beliefs either.
October 21, 2003 at 9:12 am

Toonces

Who do you think appointed him to that post? Certainly no mere mortal.