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"Terrorism is a cancer in Pakistan, we are determined, God willing, we will rid the country of this cancer."

Said the new Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, after today's horrific bombing.

In America, we like to quote Lincoln:

No nobler reply ever fell from the lips of a ruler, than that uttered by President Lincoln in response to the clergyman who ventured to say, in his presence, that he hoped "the Lord was on our side."

"I am not at all concerned about that," replied Mr. Lincoln, "for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

The frightening thing is that the terrorists -- some of them, anyway -- imagine that they are on God's side.

Zardari says "God willing," but surely there are those who hear that and think that it is God's will that the other side win. It's the custom to say "God willing," I understand, but if you say "God willing, we will rid the country of this cancer," you are saying that if you do not win, God must be on the other side.

Does it help to bring God into the discussion? It must fire up the enemy to fight harder, because to win will be to prove that God is on their side.

I understand that it is intended as a prayer for God's support, but still...

The Lincoln link goes to a discussion of Sarah Palin's invocation of Lincoln to explain a remark of hers. And here's a good post by Ray Fowler asking: "Was Sarah Palin out of line with her prayer or simply following presidential precedent?"

Full post as published by Althouse on September 20, 2008 (boomark / email).