A World Divided
(Signs of the Time - May 1999)
In March, 1999, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic became the first former members of the old Soviet bloc to join NATO. This expansion increased the Western military alliance to a total of 19 members. Almost immediately after expanding, NATO decided to act apart from the United Nations and commenced bombing the remaining parts of Yugoslavia. As a result of the bombing mission, literally hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes.
This month’s article will look at NATO actions and conclude that the world is becoming increasingly divided entirely along age-old religious affiliations. As well, we will note that just this type of event was spoken of in scripture several thousand years ago.
Background on NATO
Actions by the former USSR, including the formation of Comniform in October, 1947, and
the Czechoslovakia coup in February, 1948, created Western fears of further Soviet
advances. These fears resulted in the formation of NATO (signed April 4, 1949; in effect
August 24, 1949).
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was originally created with 12 member nations: the United States, Canada, and ten European countries. The purpose of NATO was to have the member nations act harmoniously in the defense of other treaty members. The treaty specifically called for member nations to:
* Settle disputes by peaceful means.
* Develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
* Regard an attack on one as an attack on all.
* Take necessary action to repel an attack.
The critical feature is that an attack on one member nation of NATO is considered an attack on NATO itself. This particular portion of the treaty was emphasized and re-emphasized by the newest members at their inaugural address in March. The New York Times reported March 12, 1999: "We celebrate today the end of the bipolar world symbolized by the Iron Curtain...Poland forever returns where she had always belonged -- to the free world. Poland is no longer alone in the defense of her freedom. It’s a great day for Poland and for the world," said Bronislaw Geremek of Poland.
In early 1990, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union signaling the end of the cold war, NATO sought to redefine itself. The mission of NATO was modified to include greater emphasis on political action. A rapid deployment force was designed in order to react to local crises. It was this deployment force that initially responded to the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina in December, 1995, and is involved in the current NATO military action in Kosovo.
For the most part, member countries are wealthy, economically developed, and, interestingly enough, predominantly Roman Catholic. NATO’s newest members further emphasize this religious distinction. According to the 1999 edition of the World Almanac, the Czech Republic is 49%, Hungary 68%, and Poland 95% Roman Catholic as well as being the birth place of the current Pope, John Paul II.
A religious war
As we view the pictures of the terrible atrocities happening in the Baltic region --
the steady stream of refugees leaving the area and the continued "smart
bombing" campaigns of NATO -- the casual observer wonders what the fighting is
all about. The New York Times provides a useful scorecard of the various different
players involved in the fighting. "Many Serbs believe Kosovo to be Yugoslav
territory. They consider it sacred, blood-soaked soil; the land where nationhood was
forged in 1389. Turkish armies crushed Serbian forces on the Kosovo plain that year, a
victory that ushered in five centuries of Muslim Ottoman domination and Christian Orthodox
Serbian resistance."
The NATO action started in March after intense negotiations failed to reach a peace accord. NATO was upset with Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic’s systematic process of "ethnic cleansing." Mr. Milosevic had attempted to drive out, kill and virtually eliminate ethnic Roman Catholics and Muslims from the remaining Yugoslavian states of Serbia (which includes Kosovo) and Montenegro. Days prior to the bombing campaign, the United States said 30,000 more ethnic Albanians (Muslims) had been displaced from their homes.
The actions of the Eastern Orthodox Serbs are now being opposed with the force of the Western Roman Catholic NATO nations. Ironically, in doing so NATO has come to the defense of a largely Muslim populace.
Two legs of Daniel’s image
As Bible students, we understand that the legs in the image portrayed in Daniel 2
represent the eastern and western sections of the ancient Roman Empire. The image is known
to represent the continuous historic perspective of the world’s political landscape.
As we know, the image commenced with the Babylonian Empire as represented by the head of
gold, and is followed by the silver chest and bronze mid-section, the Medo-Persian and
Grecian empires, respectively. Once the image moves to the iron leg section it is split
into two distinct legs, never to be joined again until the stone (cut out of the mountain
without human hands) is to smash the image at its feet. The Atlas of World History
(Volume 1) indicates the eastern portion of the Roman Empire was ruled from Constantinople
and the western portion was ruled from Rome. The eastern portion of the Empire has been
associated with the Orthodox Church (it broke away from the Roman Church in 1054), while
the western portion has affiliation with the Roman Church.
It is very interesting to consider that the demarcation line separating the eastern and western churches runs right through the area experiencing the current turmoil. In short, the Eastern Orthodox population is attempting to cleanse the area of the Roman ruled Catholics, as well as ethnic Albanians, many of whom are Muslim. In return, Roman Catholic-dominated NATO has positioned itself against the Orthodox Serbians in an attempt to stop this divisive cleansing.
Although many of us have little background on these centuries-old animosities, our understanding of scripture aids us in putting the current crisis in perspective. This conflict will not be resolved until the image is destroyed. No intervention, however sincere and well meaning on the part of man (NATO, papal, Russian or otherwise), will provide a permanent and lasting peace to this region. The two legs stand apart until the stone destroys the whole image. We look to that day when the stone becomes a great mountain and fills the earth. Of this it is written:
"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever" (Dan. 2:44).
George Rayner