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1. Aren't the claims of the "Truth Movement" just a conspiracy theory?
Frequently Asked Questions
The definition of a conspiracy is a criminal act that is planned and carried out by multiple people in secret. So regardless of what happened on 9/11, it was certainly a conspiracy. There are conspiracies going on all the time. For example, Madoff’s criminal organization was a conspiracy to defraud his investors. There are multiple theories about what happened on 9/11. One could call all of these “conspiracy theories.”
What people need to decide is which explanation is the most plausible. Is it the government’s conspiracy theory in which 19 men armed with box cutters and limited piloting skills were able to outsmart all of the most sophisticated intelligence agencies in the world as well as manage to out-maneuver the world’s most powerful air force? Or is it the “conspiracy theory” proposed by the 9/11 Truth Movement which postulates that elements acting within the U.S. government, who had declared that they wanted a new pearl harbor to justify their wars, who had access to the technical means to carry out the attacks, who had massive financial incentive for the attacks and who have a history of carrying out false flag attacks in the past, actually carried out the attacks?
A legitimate, open and honest investigation is needed to assess the facts and finally determine the truth of the matter. Only through the truth can we fully heal from this great tragedy.
Regardless of what actually happened, the post 9/11 policy of the U.S. Government has been blatantly immoral and has no basis of support in Christian teaching.
What people need to decide is which explanation is the most plausible. Is it the government’s conspiracy theory in which 19 men armed with box cutters and limited piloting skills were able to outsmart all of the most sophisticated intelligence agencies in the world as well as manage to out-maneuver the world’s most powerful air force? Or is it the “conspiracy theory” proposed by the 9/11 Truth Movement which postulates that elements acting within the U.S. government, who had declared that they wanted a new pearl harbor to justify their wars, who had access to the technical means to carry out the attacks, who had massive financial incentive for the attacks and who have a history of carrying out false flag attacks in the past, actually carried out the attacks?
A legitimate, open and honest investigation is needed to assess the facts and finally determine the truth of the matter. Only through the truth can we fully heal from this great tragedy.
Regardless of what actually happened, the post 9/11 policy of the U.S. Government has been blatantly immoral and has no basis of support in Christian teaching.
3. Didn't Popular Mechanics disprove the skeptics claims?
The March 2005 issue of Popular Mechanics published an article attacking the 9/11 Truth Movement. The article claims to have assembled a team of 70 experts to investigate the 16 most prevalent claims made by the "conspiracy theorists." It is our opinion that the article is pure propaganda. In the spirit of openness, we encourage you to read it for yourself and see if it honestly answers any of the basic questions that we outline in our background information section.
"Popular Mechanics 'Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report'"
The article immediately starts by labeling people who ask questions as "extremists" and "paranoid." They make the association that anything that is not in line with the official story is a "wild conspiracy tale." I guess we must include The 9/11 Commission Report in this group as well since the chairman says it did not get to the truth.
The article spends most of its time looking at issues that have relatively little relevance or have already had doubt cast upon them by online researchers. For example, the article says there is no evidence for a "pod" under the aircraft that hit the towers and no evidence of "windowless planes." They fill up pages debunking these issues of relatively little importance so that it looks like they are doing a careful and thorough job. This allows them to ignore many bigger issues.
There is no analysis of free-fall collapse, complete pulverization of the buildings, or foreknowledge of collapse. They ignore physical melted metal with minimal fire, the presence of thermite and a lack of "pancakes" at the bottom of the towers. We obviously need a real investigation into what happened and not simply whitewash puff pieces from a popular magazine.
"Popular Mechanics 'Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report'"
The article immediately starts by labeling people who ask questions as "extremists" and "paranoid." They make the association that anything that is not in line with the official story is a "wild conspiracy tale." I guess we must include The 9/11 Commission Report in this group as well since the chairman says it did not get to the truth.
The article spends most of its time looking at issues that have relatively little relevance or have already had doubt cast upon them by online researchers. For example, the article says there is no evidence for a "pod" under the aircraft that hit the towers and no evidence of "windowless planes." They fill up pages debunking these issues of relatively little importance so that it looks like they are doing a careful and thorough job. This allows them to ignore many bigger issues.
There is no analysis of free-fall collapse, complete pulverization of the buildings, or foreknowledge of collapse. They ignore physical melted metal with minimal fire, the presence of thermite and a lack of "pancakes" at the bottom of the towers. We obviously need a real investigation into what happened and not simply whitewash puff pieces from a popular magazine.
4. You state on the intro page that "countless thousands" have died in unfounded wars,
The loss of life associated with the post 9/11 wars is catastrophic. The media only reports on U.S. combat related deaths that occur in-country. While this number is tragically approaching 5,000 of our nation's finest young persons, continually focusing on this number obscures the true humanitarian crisis in Iraq. The U.S. government does not release any official estimates of civilian casualties. President Bush stated in December 2005, in response to much higher private estimates, that there were approximately 30,000 Iraqi civilians killed at that point nearly 2 years into the war.
If we are to trust the president and extrapolate that data out to the present it would actually fall in line with some of the lower mainstream press estimates of violent civilian deaths. The Associated Press estimates that as of April 2009 there have been 110,600 violent deaths attributable to the invasion and occupation. The Iraq Body Count estimates 100,000. Other sources suggest even higher numbers. The Iraq Family Health Survey estimates 151,000 through 2006. The Opinion Research Business Survey estimates 1,033,000 and the Lancet study estimates 601,000 violent war related deaths. The Lancet study was carried out by Johns Hopkins and M.I.T. and was peer reviewed and published in one of the oldest and most respected medical journals in the world.
From the available data we can see that at a minimum there have likely been over 100,000 civilian deaths attributable to the war. Peer reviewed epidemiological studies indicate that this number may in fact be considerably higher. This is in addition to the estimated 4.7 million Iraqi refugees who have been displaced from their homes due to the violence. Regardless of the actual number killed, it is an immensely tragic situation. Although it is hard to make the situation any worse, the fact that we were lied to about the justification for the wars adds insult to the unspeakable injury.
If we are to trust the president and extrapolate that data out to the present it would actually fall in line with some of the lower mainstream press estimates of violent civilian deaths. The Associated Press estimates that as of April 2009 there have been 110,600 violent deaths attributable to the invasion and occupation. The Iraq Body Count estimates 100,000. Other sources suggest even higher numbers. The Iraq Family Health Survey estimates 151,000 through 2006. The Opinion Research Business Survey estimates 1,033,000 and the Lancet study estimates 601,000 violent war related deaths. The Lancet study was carried out by Johns Hopkins and M.I.T. and was peer reviewed and published in one of the oldest and most respected medical journals in the world.
From the available data we can see that at a minimum there have likely been over 100,000 civilian deaths attributable to the war. Peer reviewed epidemiological studies indicate that this number may in fact be considerably higher. This is in addition to the estimated 4.7 million Iraqi refugees who have been displaced from their homes due to the violence. Regardless of the actual number killed, it is an immensely tragic situation. Although it is hard to make the situation any worse, the fact that we were lied to about the justification for the wars adds insult to the unspeakable injury.
God? Shouldn’t Christians implicitly trust the Government about 9/11?
Defenders of this position often quote Romans 13:1-5 in their defense.
1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
Some mistakenly take the text to mean “anything that any government does is ordained by God, and if you resist any government action you are resisting God and will therefore bring judgment on yourself.” This is the logic that Hitler used to pacify the Church in Germany. Would we say that the people who killed millions in German concentration camps were acting morally because they were “just following the orders” of a divinely appointed state? Clearly this extreme example shows that this logic is greatly flawed. There are limits to authority. For example, a father has authority in his home, but that does not give him the power to abuse his wife and children. Similarly, the state has authority in civil affairs, but that does not give it the power to abuse the people they are supposed to serve.
This is where the distinction in the passage is critical. The text clearly delineates the scope of the authority of the government. NIV “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong…(the government) is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The state is authorized by God to punish evil and to do good to its citizens. There is absolutely no authority given for the state to do evil. When the state does evil it is contrary to God’s will. So we can conclude from this that we should submit to the state insofar as the state promotes the well being of society and justice. It is equally clear, then, that we have a moral obligation to resist the state when it promotes policies that are unjust and detrimental to society.
Today we live under a government that kills and maims multitudes of people around the world in its pursuit of empire. It propagandizes the population to convince them that this evil is really for their own good, that we need to kill these people in ordered to make us safe. Substantial evidence indicates that elements of this same government either knowingly allowed or were, more likely, willingly complicit in the 9/11 attacks. Romans 13 shows us that we have a moral and scriptural obligation to resist this corruption. Governments that pursue evil policies like this are not of the Kingdom of God but the kingdom of darkness. We must stand for the truth.
Jesus was certainly not running around proclaiming “You better obey the Roman Government! It is instituted by God!” In fact one sees just the opposite. Jesus stands before the Roman Governor and declares that his Kingdom is the Kingdom of God and is in contradiction to the kingdom of this world. Jesus was executed by the Romans. Certainly this was not due to Jesus being an obedient follower of their government. Thanks to the example of our Risen Savior, we too can have the courage to speak truth to power.
This is where the distinction in the passage is critical. The text clearly delineates the scope of the authority of the government. NIV “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong…(the government) is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The state is authorized by God to punish evil and to do good to its citizens. There is absolutely no authority given for the state to do evil. When the state does evil it is contrary to God’s will. So we can conclude from this that we should submit to the state insofar as the state promotes the well being of society and justice. It is equally clear, then, that we have a moral obligation to resist the state when it promotes policies that are unjust and detrimental to society.
Today we live under a government that kills and maims multitudes of people around the world in its pursuit of empire. It propagandizes the population to convince them that this evil is really for their own good, that we need to kill these people in ordered to make us safe. Substantial evidence indicates that elements of this same government either knowingly allowed or were, more likely, willingly complicit in the 9/11 attacks. Romans 13 shows us that we have a moral and scriptural obligation to resist this corruption. Governments that pursue evil policies like this are not of the Kingdom of God but the kingdom of darkness. We must stand for the truth.
Jesus was certainly not running around proclaiming “You better obey the Roman Government! It is instituted by God!” In fact one sees just the opposite. Jesus stands before the Roman Governor and declares that his Kingdom is the Kingdom of God and is in contradiction to the kingdom of this world. Jesus was executed by the Romans. Certainly this was not due to Jesus being an obedient follower of their government. Thanks to the example of our Risen Savior, we too can have the courage to speak truth to power.
what do you mean by that?
5. Doesn’t the Bible instruct Christians to obey the government because it is instituted by
2. Isn’t it more likely that 9/11 was due to gross incompetence and not an ‘inside job’
as many in the truth movement have suggested?
This may be the case. All areas of inquiry should be explored. However, assuming that the official story is completely true and there was simply massive incompetence on the part of our defense establishment and intelligence agencies, there should still be a thorough investigation to find out who was responsible. In this scenario, many people are likely guilty of criminal negligence for allowing the killing of thousands. However, the people in charge were not fired or reprimanded. In fact, they were promoted and congratulated. We must get to the truth of what happened. The available evidence, such as the overwhelming evidence for controlled demolition of WTC 7, implies much more than simple incompetence.
Aren't the claims of the "Truth Movement" just a conspiracy theory?
Isn’t it more likely that 9/11 was due to gross incompetence and not an ‘inside job’ as many in the truth movement have suggested?
Didn't Popular Mechanics disprove the skeptics claims?
You state on the intro page that "countless thousands" have died in unfounded wars, what do you mean by that?
Doesn’t the Bible instruct Christians to obey the government because it is instituted by God? Shouldn’t we implicitly trust them about 9/11?
Why Christians for 9/11 Truth?
Isn’t it more likely that 9/11 was due to gross incompetence and not an ‘inside job’ as many in the truth movement have suggested?
Didn't Popular Mechanics disprove the skeptics claims?
You state on the intro page that "countless thousands" have died in unfounded wars, what do you mean by that?
Doesn’t the Bible instruct Christians to obey the government because it is instituted by God? Shouldn’t we implicitly trust them about 9/11?
Why Christians for 9/11 Truth?
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6. Why Christians for 9/11 Truth?
"The LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8
Jesus was highly concerned with truth. He communicated his ultimate truth about God's love for humanity by standing for truth in his society. He called out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the day. He stood against the violence that permeated his culture and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers who were stealing from the people. If people are serious about Christ, they need to contemplate how they can take a stand for truth in our society.
Few issues today are more greatly in need of a thoughtful pursuit of truth than the events of 9/11. Over 1,500 licensed architects and engineers have studied the evidence surrounding the world trade center destruction and have concluded that the official explanation is false. This official explanation has led to multiple wars in which countless thousands have been killed, maimed and terrorized -actions that are clearly contrary to the Christian teaching of self-sacrificial love and forgiveness.
Christians are called to serve God above any human institution. (Acts 5:29) They should not blindly accept government explanations but rather thoughtfully consider all available evidence and come to their own conclusions. People who care about truth need to seriously examine this issue. If Christians want to be taken seriously when talking about the deep truths of God, they cannot dismiss empiric truth as it exists in God's creation.
Few issues today are more greatly in need of a thoughtful pursuit of truth than the events of 9/11. Over 1,500 licensed architects and engineers have studied the evidence surrounding the world trade center destruction and have concluded that the official explanation is false. This official explanation has led to multiple wars in which countless thousands have been killed, maimed and terrorized -actions that are clearly contrary to the Christian teaching of self-sacrificial love and forgiveness.
Christians are called to serve God above any human institution. (Acts 5:29) They should not blindly accept government explanations but rather thoughtfully consider all available evidence and come to their own conclusions. People who care about truth need to seriously examine this issue. If Christians want to be taken seriously when talking about the deep truths of God, they cannot dismiss empiric truth as it exists in God's creation.