disciple of Jesus, missionary, introvert, blogger, husband and friend to Amanda
After watching this, which opinion do you agree with most? Do you have anything to add?
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My wife and I are cross-cultural workers in Peine, Germany. We serve at the Christusgemeinde and our main focus is follow-up work with the Let's Start Talking ministry.
I’m not sure any of them are right on. I suppose I agree the most closely with Chuck. Greg hints at a few good points, although using stereotypes or anecdotes(of military men in this instance)doesn’t make for a strong argument. I would defend military service in a different way from what Chuck does.
I don’t see nations as being instructed to “turn the other cheek”. Jesus spoke us being slapped on the cheek–this is a personal insult, not a criminal assault. He is saying that if someone insults us, personally, we shouldn’t esteem ourselves so highly that we shame God by retaliating. This does not apply to nations for two reasons. Firstly, as I’ve demonstrated, personal insults are not the same as threats on national security. Secondly, the leader of a nation is not just one man taking a hit, he is given charge over the welfare of an entire nation of men, women and children.
Where it turns for me is that while think nations should have armies to defend their borders and their interests, and while I believe that soldiers by absolutely need to take orders without question as part of their jobs, I also believe that when the USA turns against Israel,(or possibly before that) I am against the USA. Patriotism will fall flat. Some of our wars have been iffy, possibly misguided, in the future, if we are still a nation at all, our wars WILL be misguided.
I think we would do well to see soldiers a little more as police officers protecting and defending us on a larger scale against more powerful evils. Policemen defend their neighborhoods, and love their neighborhoods–as Coleson hinted at, just because they are THEIR neighborhoods.(I don’t think patriotism needs to go much farther than that). We are not going to be pleased with everything the police do, but under normal circumstances we are glad that they are there for us to help in times of trouble and as an ever-present threat to evildoers. And, indeed, just as a nation can use its armies for evil, a totalitarian state will use its police officers for evil.
Becoming a soldier can become a dishonorable thing under certain conditions (when the military’s interests are against the citizens and not for them) but I think it should generally be considered honorable, protecting and defending that to which they have been entrusted.
At the moment I am pressed for time so I can not give an adequate response. Thanks for commenting I will try to get back asap.
Anybody else out there feel free to throw in your two cents.
PS: I just remembered who you are when I went to your myspace site. Thanks for coming by and checking things out!