A War Against Terrorism Is Moral

It is sobering to realize that if our government had learned what was being planned a week before this tragedy and had gone in and killed the people coordinating the attack, we would have been denounced by Arab leaders and much of the world for being assassins. I think it would behoove us all to realize that in the war against terrorism, trying to kill terrorists before they strike again--as Israel has been trying to do in the face of international condemnation--is actually the most moral of acts, an attempt to stop the most guilty from doing the most evil.

	Religious Support for Fighting Back This Is a Just War Paul's letter to the Romans says God ordains the secular state to punish evil. By Richard Land Warrior Buddhists Buddhists cannot hurt a fly...unless that fly is hurting someone. By Lawrence Pintak Advice from a Cold War Theologian Mobilize against attacks, but keep examining your own flaws. Discuss: Religion, just war, and retaliation Complete 9/11 coverage

As we will find over the coming days, there undoubtedly are many lessons to be learned from this wicked attack, but the above is perhaps the most important, a lesson that puts us in mind of a 2,000-year-old teaching from the Talmud: "If someone comes to kill you, wake up early and kill him first."

Unfortunately, there are groups in the world now that see it as a holy act to kill Americans and Jews. If we and the rest of the world do not learn from this that we must coordinate an international war against terrorism and suicide bombers (and against the mentality of those people on the West Bank and in Egypt who greeted the news of American deaths with celebrations and shouts of "God is great"), then the likelihood is that more and more good and innocent people will die, and the most evil of people will achieve more and more power.