LETTER: Jesus quoted out of context

Editor,

The time-honored tradition of justifying war with religion marches on (The Utah Statesman, Letters, Sept. 1).

Now that nearly 12,000 innocent Iraqi civilians have been killed (along with untold numbers of Iraqi soldiers) under our president’s false pretense of fighting the terrorists that murdered about 3,000 on Sept. 1, 2001, I would think those who believe they will meet Jesus in the afterlife would hesitate invoking His name in support of such carnage.

When Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” I doubt he was referring to soldiers killing people. Please note that Jesus’s previous line was, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you,” and I suspect he would not approve of being quoted out of context.

Mark Ellis