Reckless anthropomorphism

Clifford May, writing for National Review Online, provides a level-headed analysis of the controversy over General Boykin. Responding to the outrage over Boykin’s reference to a spiritual enemy called Satan, May responds, “Boykin was clearly speaking here about mass murderers such as bin Laden. If they are not evil, then there is no such thing as evil. But if they are evil, it can hardly be outrageous to describe a war against such evil as a struggle against a ‘spiritual enemy.’ Isn’t that what evil is? As for Satan, he is the personification of evil. What’s the charge, here, officer? Reckless anthropomorphism?”
To the suggestion that Boykin has characterized Islam itself as an evil religion, May points out that without the full transcripts, one cannot absolve Boykin of this charge for certain. He adds, however, that based on what we know, “I think it’s only reasonable to infer that in all his remarks, Boykin