HOW TO PREPARE FOR TERRORISM

How do we prepare for terrorism?  Can we truly prepare for it?  Does the Bible have anything to say about it?  We will attempt to answer this question, but first, let’s look at a recent publication by the American Red Cross titled “How to Prepare for Disaster.”  It begins with probably the most important thing you can do in preparing for almost anything in life.  According to the handout:

Finding out what can happen is the first step. 

We will be focusing on terrorism, but finding out what can happen is sound advice for all kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made.  To rephrase this in question form: What events are possible during a terrorist attack and what effect will they have on me?  The handout goes on to say:  “Once you have determined the events possible and their potential in your community, it is important that you discuss them with your family or household.  Develop a disaster plan together.” 

So, let’s try to develop a disaster plan focused primarily on terrorism.  In order to discuss this matter, we should agree upon just what is terrorism, anyway. So, before we begin to list specific ways in which to prepare for terrorism, we should define the word.  If you ask around, “What is terrorism?” most people would tie it to recent events.  Their definition of “terrorism” might go something like this: “Hit-and-run attacks by people or organizations too chicken to fight out in the open.”  While this is true of terrorist attacks, the word “terrorism” does not necessarily mean surprise attacks.  It can be far more insidious.  If we look at Webster’s definition, it gives a more general meaning to the word.  To quote: “The systematic use of terror as a means of coercion.”

When someone coerces another someone by using systematic terror, this is considered terrorism.  For instance, we consider the attacks upon the World Trade Center as terrorism because they were one event in a larger and on-going systematic use of terror to force our country to do something it doesn’t want to do.  In that event, the loss in terms of life eludes comprehension.  2500 lives were lost as we watched on T.V.  Even with modern technology bringing the action into our homes, we were not really aware of the loss of lives taking place.  But when we saw the buildings collapse, then we knew for sure something terrifying was happening.  In terms of dollars, those two jets did over 33 billion dollars of damage in just a few moments!  (This is not counting on-going losses due to coercion, such as in our country’s security tightening).

If terrorism uses systematic terror to coerce people, then we might think of a bully.  The definition of a bully is “one habitually threatening, harsh, or cruel to others weaker or smaller than himself.”  In the case of the al Qaeda, this is only true when they attack their own countrymen; when they attack the U.S., they are no longer bullies, but remain terrorists par excellence.  Terrorism really knows no limit as to whether the person is bigger or smaller, or whether it is one set of values against another, or whether it is just plain psychotic: Terrorism uses terror to get people to do things against their own wishes.  It may use hit-and-run techniques, but it has an agenda and won’t stop until that agenda has been fulfilled.  Terrorism itself is not hit-and-run; it is a long-term systematic application of fear tactics in order to accomplish a greater goal than just terror.

A serial murderer, for instance, is not usually classified as a terrorist.  He is terrorizing the population, for sure, but he is not trying to get the rest of the people to do anything.  He is pretty much just trying to satisfy a strange lust.  The Unabomber, however, was looked at as a terrorist.  So was Timothy McVeigh, who did just one act of destruction, acting almost on his own.  This does not fit the usual definition of terrorism, but the target was government and the act was so heinous that it is hard not to classify it as terrorism.  The US State Department classifies a lot of things as “terrorist activity,” but we will stick with Webster’s.  Recently a pair of men were sniping American citizens, but that story does not seem to link them to terrorism, yet.

So, in short, to prepare for terrorism means to do what we can to identify systematic terror and protect ourselves against being coerced by it.  Having failed that, we should have a backup plan in place in order to regroup and possibly live through it.  The simplest way to deal with it, of course, is to avoid situations that produce terror.  Much of our lives are spent trying to steer around disaster, or see to it that disaster is dulled in its effect.  Trying to avoid terrorism is a little tricky, however.  Sometimes, the real terrorists are the ones who claim to be fighting terrorism.  So we need to have good information and not be prone to falling for schemes that find us at the short end of a manipulation stick.  Perhaps the best cure for terrorism is to have a government in place that does not use terrorism on its own people.  But this is not a political manual.  Anyway, no matter what the government, anyone can be coerced by terrorism at any time.

Really?  What about the powerful who run things?  I assume I am not speaking to such.  But even so, they are some of the most paranoid people on the face of the earth.  They are terrorized in ways we don’t even dream about.  Look at the history of some of the richest and most famous of people.  They seem to suffer from an undue amount of paranoid anxiety that seems to increase with age until they become convinced there are a lot of people after them for their position and their wealth and will kill them for it (maybe they aren’t really paranoid after all).

But there are subtler forms of terrorism.  A series of portents (omens) may so convince a person that he may take irrational action.  Or, an entire populace can be taken by mass hysteria.  History is littered with just this sort of terrorism.  Sometimes, the perpetrator is man; sometimes we just can’t really say.  People tend to worry a lot about things like the future and many dread the possibilities.  In order to prepare, they take out health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, house insurance, job insurance, performance insurance, and anything-else-you-can-think-of insurance (anyone selling terrorism insurance?).  We put our wealth in safes and protect ourselves with armies. We have early-warning systems and anti-theft devices.  We stay inside at dark and travel with caution (except, in order to spend our wealth as tourists, we risk traveling on 767 jets). 

Remember our definition of the word “terrorism”?  Hitler used terrorism.  So did Mussolini.  So did Stalin.  Saddam Hussein uses it.  Terrorism is being used right now in Indonesia, China, and the Sudan.  For at least one thousand years, the “Church” used terrorism.  Yes, if one considers the history of the “Church” these last two thousand years, he will see that the “Church” has been routinely terrorizing anyone who does not agree with its authority.  It is one thing to blow up a building; but it is quite another to search out the citizens of a country, inquire as to their beliefs by torturing them, and then roasting them over a slow fire when you are finished inquiring.  Saddam understands this kind of coercion. So did the Roman Catholic pontiffs.

We see a good example of what it’s like living under constant fear when we look at the modern nation of Israel.  They are prepared for terrorist activity everywhere you go in that country.  Their enemies think twice about full-scale attacks, but it seems that the folks over in the Middle East spend a lot of time terrorizing one another just the same.  This sort of terrorism has been happening since the beginning of history, it seems.  In defense of the United States of America, we have never made it an official policy to use terrorism.  Some branches of our government may have in time past or may be presently using terrorist tactics secretly, our Civil War was not without these abuses, but our citizens have never willingly allowed that kind of use of force (some opponents of capitalism and pacifists in general would disagree).

I hope I have made it clear by this point that I defend America’s stance among the nations and that I recognize our freedom from fear just because we have a good government.  Let no one accuse me of being a subversive for the next things I have to say.  I am a Christian and I must speak to the church and it does not matter if that gets in the way of my being a citizen.  So I speak not to Americans as American citizens, but to my brethren in the Lord Jesus. 

The church in the United States of America sits like an undefended city, ripe for the taking.  Our country may be the most powerful and secure nation on the planet in many ways, but we (the church) are falling down the rabbit hole of coercion by terror.  Our government appears to be responding to the terrorist activities by clamping down on the freedoms of our citizens, as it should be.  They are surrounding us with more and more regulations to keep the bad guys from having their way.  We have started with our airports.  This involves searching six-year olds for concealed weapons such as plastic scissors and sharpened crayons.  This imparts a certain fear factor to the population, but it’s worth it.  We must prepare.

This kind of preparation will do nothing for the real terror that’s coming. To rephrase the Red Cross’s advice into a question:

What is the worse that can happen?

Well, the worse that can happen is we die a horrible death. The greatest terror a person can face is death.  The destruction of property by disaster of any kind is always a source of anxiety and fear.  But compared to the fear of death, this takes a distant second.  One of the reasons men accumulate wealth is to protect against death and its partner, fear.  The Bible says that money is a defense (Ecclesiastes 7:12). But often, the wealthy and the powerful are the objects of terrorism.  Money cannot buy life (nor freedom from fear).  As a matter of fact, if we really look at what Ecclesiastes 7:12 is saying we read, “money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.”  Wisdom, not money, gives life.

The long and the short of it is, in order to prepare for terrorism, we must get wisdom.  We have to “wise up,” as it is said colloquially.  A terrorist uses a cloak.  He works in darkness.  He uses disguises.  He uses lies.  He has to:  a terrorist cannot fight a fair fight.  In order to wise up, we must know the fear tactics our terrorist uses.  In the United States, we think that the main terrorist activity is blowing things up, but there could be many others.  We know about chemical and biological weapons.  Are there others?  What about just plain fear-mongering propaganda?  In our country, we don’t have propaganda, you might say.  Well, I think you should compare what the media and entertainment industry would have you believe against what the Bible says.  You may be living under fear this minute and being manipulated by it and don’t even suspect it.  Take a quick inventory of the kinds of meds you are taking and the experts you are consulting and the things you do to satisfy physical and emotional urges.  You may need to “wise up.”

But let’s say you know there is propaganda, and lots of it.  Let’s say you know that this propaganda is trying to get you to prepare for terrorist activity, but it is actually causing you to be terrified and getting you softened up for more terrorism.  You will probably be branded as paranoid.  But it may be true.  The cure may be worse than the disease.  If you have investigated this possibility, then I say you are on the right track to getting prepared.  As a real Christian, you know that you can’t buy guns and ammo to take care of it.  You know you can’t “hole up” somewhere.  You know you can’t get them before they get you.  You know that doing things like that just get you more paranoid, plus it gets you in trouble with the law.  But maybe you just can’t put your finger on the specifics of the propaganda and how to counteract it.

Good.  Let me say that you are surrounded with it.  Every time you see the news, every time you go out to dinner, every time you travel to work, it’s there, like a splinter in your mind.  Science fiction and fantasy stories play off this what-is-the-real-world paranoia.   Horror movies specialize in terror.  Sometimes, these stories and religion get all mixed up (witness Scientology).   We have had the ability, science-wise, to blow up most of the populated and civilized world for some time now, and contaminate the rest.  If the evil beings in movies are portrayed as being tricky and sinister, then what you are experiencing makes all of that look like sandbox stuff.  As a matter of fact, movies are one of the prime sources of propaganda and if you don’t know that, then you are very much enmeshed into the terror (error).  We’ll get back to that.

But enough of the theatrics.  Let’s get down to some ways to prepare for terrorism.  Following Red Cross’s suggestions, we should:

“1. Create an emergency communications plan.  Choose an out-of-town contact for your family or household...your contact should live far enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly affected by the same event, and they should know they are the chosen contact.”

Comment: I would add, “Your contact should have personal sympathy with your plight.”  The Bible says: “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” and “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Heb 4:15.

“2. Establish a meeting place. Having a predetermined meeting place away from your home will save time and minimize confusion should your home be affected or the area evacuated. You may even want to make arrangements to stay with a family member or friend in case of an emergency.”

Comment: The meeting place has been established.  It is in the heavens, well removed from the terror down below.  “Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”  Heb 4:14.  “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.”  The arrangements in the meantime are as follows: “...let us consider one another in such a way as to provoke to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of one another together, as is the habit of some, but all the more encouraging one another as you see That Day approaching...” Heb 10:24-25. 

“3.  Assemble a disaster supply kit. If you need to evacuate your home or are asked to ‘shelter in place,’ having some essential supplies on hand will make you and your family more comfortable.”  There follows a pretty short list of things to stow away and bring along.  If interested, you can ask your local Red Cross chapter for the brochure titled Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit (stock number A4463).

Comment: However, terrorism is a little different from a disaster scenario in which you can find your gear and get out.  The Jews in Germany, for instance, had no such luxury.  They were coerced, little by little, until they were on a train to the death camps, sometimes with just the clothes on their backs (sometime naked).  All of their ties to their families and their claims to their belongings in this world had been carefully destroyed.

This does not mean we can’t prepare for terrorism with a disaster supply kit.  But our disaster supplies had better be able to cope with terrorism.  We should call it a “terrorism supply kit.”  What do you put in such a kit?  Guns? Gas masks? C-rations? The Red Cross says that birth certificates and such papers are important.  A little spending cash is a good idea, too.   But the Bible says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:19.  As far as our birth certificate or our citizenship papers, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…” Ephesians 2:19.

One of the most terrifying things that a terrorist can do, if he is truly trying to soften up your resistance to his control, is to pretend to protect you from a perceived danger, only to feed you to the real danger.  He sets up “straw men” and knocks them down; in order to convince you he is dealing with a problem.  Problem with that is, he is creating the problem himself and then getting rid of it.  However, the real, undealt with, problem remains like a festering wound and becomes more deadly day-by-day.  If not dealt with, it eventually takes you out.  Death is one such problem.

Death really is the problem.  Death is the destruction of life.  It destroys and destroys until there is no more life.  The destruction is fearsome.  No one really wants to die.  Even the suicidal just wants the pain to stop.  Pain is part of death.  He thinks the pain will stop once he’s dead.  Problem with that notion is that pain is not dependent on being alive in our present state.  This fear permeates the life of man, making him seek ways to be rid of it.  Most religion is an attempt to deal with this sort of anxiety.  Fear drives it.  Much of this fear of death is unspoken or out-and-out denied, but it is there nonetheless, eating away at the life.  This power over death is the ultimate terrorism, is it not?

Someone has this power.  The Bible says, “…him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”  Most people know there is evil in the world, but they do not know that this evil has definite plans on them.  They think of the devil in psychological terms only, and the devil empowers a lot of authors to spread this “science” around.  This way, he can get people to deal with the terror of death on some level that makes them comfortable, but undone.  It is not fair to quote this verse out of context, however.  I will let you read the whole thing:  “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  Hebrews 2:14-15.

But the power of death here is spoken of in terms of this mortal life.  The real fear comes when the issues of life have not been nurtured, but left to rot.  Then comes the real death.  But there is no need to keep experiencing the fear of death when that issue has been dealt with.  Peace can be seen as the absence of fear.  Fear and its causes are real and should not be denied.   But fear has to be replaced with belief, or the object of fear, death, will become real.  Once again, we’re not talking about the cessation of biological function, but the destruction of the soul.  “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8.

Jesus said that this powerful being who has the power of death and has the power to keep people captive through the fear of death, is not to be feared.  This might sound all well and good philosophically, but how does one not fear someone who has this kind of power over him and is malevolent to boot?  One must have a greater fear of God, is what Jesus said: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”.  Matthew 10:28

To put it in one sentence: The only way to prepare for terrorism is to fear God.  See Ecclesiastes 12:13 and context.  In order to fear God properly, we must know His love.  If we are uncertain of His love, then we live in fear.  The fear is justified.  Without God’s protection and deliverance, we have only terror left.  Proverbs 3:25,26 says, “Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” The Lord must be our confidence.  We must fear Him thusly.  Once we have trusted in God, by believing in Jesus Christ, we can escape the terrorism of being under the devil’s power and God’s punishment of those under his power.

The apostle John says it beautifully:  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:15-18.

The times are treacherous.  Love is in short supply because of the prophecy of Jesus that states, “Because of the rise of wickedness, the love of many shall grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). 

Fear abounds as the Scriptures are fulfilled.  Jesus said:  “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”  Then he continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven…And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.” Luke 21:8-11, 25-26. 

Prepare for terrorism starting today, right now.  Stop looking to man for your protection. Fall upon the good graces of God, the Father of Jesus Christ. He will put your heart at ease.  

We encourage you to email the author to prove or disprove, from the Scriptures, the intent, meaning, purpose or doctrine of this piece. email Chris