Six years ago today, almost 3,000 people perished in the worst terrorist attack perpetrated against the USA and many of us are still mourning and deploring the savagery visited on so many innocent parents, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, acquaintances, so, so many.
For many in this country and around the world who profess to be Christians, there is the consolation that there is life after death and that the victims of 911 are enjoying a better and eternal life where there is no suffering, no pain, no greed, no hate, no base instincts such as revenge or ill will toward one another, where there exists only eternal love and bliss keeping a watchful vigil on their loved ones left behind, blessing and protecting them, gone but still with us.
I wouldn't dare for the life of me, venture a question and ponder if any one of the innocent victims of that attack is not in Heaven, I'm afraid I'd be accused of being a heretic, how dare I mouth such a blasphemy; but really, taking on face value that there is an after life and that all of the victims are in Heaven looking favorably on the rest of us, then several reflections materialize in my mind.
There's so much I don't understand.
I ask myself: How many of those souls, if any, bless or are even OK with the actions taken by President George W. Bush, an avowed self professed Christian who proclaims that he does what his God tells him to do, or the actions that his Party and approximately 70% of the population of this country took, incited or condoned in the aftermath of the attack? Do any or all of those innocent souls look with benign eyes upon the death of tens of thousands of people in a country which had nothing to do with the attacks? Do these souls appreciate what was done in response to their sacrifice and in their name? To avenge them? Men, women, children, pregnant women, babies, old people, young people killed for no fault of their own.
Do these now heavenly beings look favorably upon the deaths of as many young American Soldiers as those killed on the attacks who were sent under the premise they were going to "Get" The perpetrators or to retaliate for the attack?
If I could ask them, what would they say RE the division in this country brought about as a consequence of their deaths and in their name? The loss of individual liberties? Would it help to say that all was done to protect their loved ones left behind? Can they see all the hate and violence that permeates through the population of this country as a result of the inflammatory words of so many Christians and self defined Patriots? What would they say if I could ask them and they could answer? Did they heard so many of their countrymen being called unamericans (sic) and unpatriotic? I wonder what is their opinion if as so many people say, they are watching and hearing us?
Do the souls of the innocent victims of the attack on 911 deplore, as so many of us do, the loss of good will around the world which was immediately squandered by the Leader of this country and promptly replaced with ill will, distrust, animosity and violence among nations and peoples? All of it promoted by the rulers of this country and supported by so many of it's citizens, I wonder if these souls approve of it, specially if it was done for their sake.
In our annual remembrances, do we really honor them? Do we ever reflect on whether or not we do? Or do we ever ask ourselves if the loved ones lost in the attack are happy with our behavior?
Is it a Christian Value the way some segments of this society treat the less fortunate amongst us? The weakest among us? I mean, where does a Christian Nation places Matthew 25? Or Our Father's "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?" After all, I'm told that this is "A Christian Nation"
I wonder what the Souls of the victims of the 911 attack would say, if we asked them, about the so many people's post 911 behavior in their name, considering these people's pious annual remembrances of them?
I wonder... I ponder... but mostly... I muse.