Which Biblical verses should be cited on the gunsights of the M4 and M16 rifles that American soldiers are using in Iraq and Afghanistan? That's right. The Michigan company making the gunsights has been putting Biblical citations on them, as in John 8:12 ("I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness ...") and 2 Cor 4:6 ("For God who said, `Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of [Jesus] Christ.")ABC News had the story this week, with help from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Trijicon, the Michigan company that makes the gunsights, said it has imprinted weaponry with Biblical citations for a long time.It's hard to believe that the government is fighting wars that depend heavily on winning over the good will of Muslims while using weaponry emblazoned with Biblical references. And furthermore, references that point to the key religious difference Christians and Muslims have, Jesus' divinity. (Some of the weapons are being used to train Iraqi soldiers, according to The AP.) It's also incredible that a military spokesperson would downplay the issue by comparing the gunsight imprints to the "in God we trust" on U.S. currency.But if the Defense Department isn't going to apologize quickly for this colossal error, perhaps some other Biblical verses can be used in the meantime: John 18:11 ("Put your sword into its scabbard") or Matthew 5:44 ("love your enemies"), for instance. Any suggestions?

Paul Moses is the author, most recently, of The Italian Squad: The True Story of the Immigrant Cops Who Fought the Rise of the Mafia (NYU Press, 2023). He is a contributing writer. Bluesky: @PaulBMoses.bsky.social

Also by this author

Most Recent

© 2024 Commonweal Magazine. All rights reserved. Design by Point Five. Site by Deck Fifty.