Awhile ago a US general received international attention for making untoward remarks and shooting his mouth off.
Lt. General Boykin’s comments and attitude were looked at by several bloggers including such small hands, Cut on the Bias, and locdog.
The General’s orginal remarks can be found in this MSNBC story. The diplomatic backlash to his attitude is understandable to most of us, but apparently not all of us.

And it now appears the Lt. General is being investigated for Iraqi prison abuse.

One of the major players in the Iraqi prison abuse scandal, it now appears, was the same general almost fired last year for describing the war on terror as a clash between Judeo-Christian values and Satan.

According to testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee and new reporting from the New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh, the prison abuse scandal grew out of a decision to give greater influence to the defense intelligence unit, led by Stephen Cambone, the under secretary of defense for intelligence, and his deputy, Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin.

Boykin is a stratigist for a secret program for capturing and interrogating terrorism targets.
This puts evangelical politicos in a pickle.

In addition to adding another wrinkle to the diplomatic catastrophe of this scandal–many Muslims overseas already believe Americans are engaging in an anti-Islam crusade–it raises difficult political and moral questions for conservative Christians.

Last fall, they stoutly defended Boykin, and by extension President Bush, yet they also condemn abuse and torture.

So far, Religious Right leaders are standing by Boykin.

“A lot of our people are just so tired of hearing about that whole situation, especially now that we’ve seen” the beheading of Nicholas Berg, Christian Coalition Spokesperson Michele Ammons said. “I think it’s time to get over it. And that’s what I’m hearing.”

Time to get over it?
There is a far deeper issue than abuse of prisoners involved.

Angell Watts, spokeswoman for Pat Robertson, said that although “the troops messed up big time,” the “liberal media” are overplaying it.

“I was more disgusted at the beheading of Nick Berg,” she said. “Look at what we’re dealing with.”

As for Boykin? Watts said that if Boykin knew about the abuses, “he has to be held accountable. … Christians are held to a higher standard.”

Apparently not.

The Christian Coalition started an online petition in support of Boykin–and posted it on its home page.

Pat Robertson’s 700 Club even went so far as to ask Chuck Holton, a former Army Ranger who served under Boykin in Somalia, to attend a church service at which Boykin spoke, record his speech and then report on it for Christian Broadcasting Network.

Welch, in a column for Baptist Press, described Boykin’s critics as “back-stabbers,” writing: “I despise the unthinkable and asinine fact that some take cheap backstabbing shots at a real God-fearing American hero who continually risks his life to protect all of us.”

Even if the evidence accumulates that Boykin was a key figure in the scandal, evangelicals may hold the line.

“They’ve invested so much in Boykin,” said John Green, an expert on the religious right and director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron.

In the cult of celebrity, we hold on tight.

People in the pews, however, may react differently.

“No doubt some of them will be appalled,” Green said. “And a denial reaction by their leaders might actually encourage an appalled reaction.”

The Christian leader in perhaps the trickiest position is Welch, whose new position as president of the Southern Baptist Convention will give him a much higher profile. A friend of Boykin’s, Welch has defended Boykin and also collaborated with him on evangelism projects.

Reached at his home, Welch declined comment on Boykin’s connection to the Iraqi prisoner scandal, explaining that he knows nothing about Boykin’s involvement.

“I really don’t want to comment on it because I don’t have any idea what he does with those people. I don’t have the foggiest idea. I’ve never inquired what he does. He is just an unbelievable patriot.”

What he does with’ those’ people?
He is indeed an unbelievable patriot.