Most people would say our Middle East wars began on Sept. 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers came down. Those more historically minded would say it began in 1991 with the brief but intense Gulf War.

But I believe the wars began on June 5, 1968, when Sirhan Sirhan shot Robert F. Kennedy, the leading Democratic candidate for president. Sirhan’s diary revealed that he did this because of Kennedy’s strong support for Israel, including supplying jet fighters. Sirhan changed the course of American and world history. He is now likely to be paroled. This doesn’t quite excuse his crime. But it comes close.

Our Middle East wars are often described as being against radical Islamist extremism. This isn’t entirely accurate. Yes, many of our enemies describe themselves as Muslims. But Sirhan called himself a Christian. I don’t really care what religion someone claims to adhere to. If the chief form of worship is killing people, and throat-cutting and beheading are the principal sacraments, then I believe they are worshiping not any form of god, but the devil.

God forbade human sacrifice three and one-half millennia ago, when He told Abraham to sacrifice a ram, not his son Isaac. After all that time, perhaps people should have gotten the message. But some people didn’t. Bin Laden called himself a Muslim, as do current Taliban and Isis fighters. Sirhan called himself a Christian. But those who practice human sacrifice are in effect, if not in name, worshiping the devil.