by Jim Lad 23 Replies latest jw friends
My ex-brother in law phoned this morning and asked me how I felt about going to war now that I'm not in the org anymore. With so many years of being told not to I wonder how many of us still feel that way. Would you be worldly conscientious objectors or would you defend...etc...
I'm not trying to antaganize or be inappropriate. I sincerely look forward to thoughtful points on the subject that I've come to expect from being here.
has your brother-in-law asked the same question of the 'brothers' in mexico ? (ref crisis of conscience) ...
I personally wouldn't go to war. I'd like to believe that there are better ways of solving problems than killing people.
Then again, I realize there are times when defending oneself or one's allies or global interests and security are inevitable.
Sometimes aggression is provoked by nations. Perhaps more countries would benefit if they took a proactive approach and reviewed foreign policies and took a more compromising stance as opposed to an arrogant/aggressive one.
Path
My thoughts regarding war have not changed since being an exJW. I abhor war and violence and personally could not kill anyone. I would volunteer for efforts to help those injured by war.
joel
Damn right I would. But, they wouldn't have me because I'm gay.
The hatred I have now toward these assholes who master-minded this horrible atrocity in NYC and DC and PA cannot be put into words.
I can't wait until they find those who have been responsible, whether it be a group or a country. I'd personally like to dismember their bodies while they were still conscious, without their having the benefit of anesthetics.
I could NOT go to war, and if I was forced, I would rather be killed than shed innocent blood. War after all is between GOVERNMENTS and not the people.
Absolutley. Unfortunately, innocent lives have already been lost. They don't attack our military, they attack innocents. I firmly believe it's time to fight back. I would have no problem whatsoever, killing anyone that could orchestrate this horrible tragedy.
Slayer
The answer is determined by the circumstances. I was in the Military for 5 1/2 years. I was quite incompatible in a number of ways: immature, sensitive, critical thinker, lonely, unfulfilled, and so forth. I was kept constantly angry. I learned to hate. My emotional, mental, and spiritual growth were stymied. At the lower ranks, my superiors were often abusive, crude, sadistic, and disfunctional. In the military one cannot find who they are naturally. I always thought the slogan "We train men.." was quite appropo, especially since "train" is a word we use with animals.
As to actual warfare, one should know their parameters. If you are a Christian, you live in enemy territory alllll the time, and we are here temporarily anyway. Death is not a problem, since "to be absent from body is to be with the Lord. Jesus did not speak against the Roman army or Cornelious for being in the military. I am sure he knew the circumstances would vary widely. HOWEVER, WE KNOW as Christians what we are to do, being busy in our spiritual gifts in the Body Of Christ. Jesus as a warning said, "...live by the sword...die by the sword." There will always be war for those that like war--Jesus speaks of no more war as a future hope--so why jump in the bull ring, in Satan's world.
Free In Christ Jesus our Lord & Savior, as the Father would have it.
Hi Thomas, and welcome.
War after all is between GOVERNMENTS and not the people.
I agree. By now, people should have learned that the naive illusion of a "just war" harming only (or even mostly) non-innocent people is just that: a naive illusion. War kills indiscriminately. Bombs don't spare civilians. To begin with, it's usually almost impossible to even name the responsible ones for any nontrivial problem in the real world. Things aren't so simple.
Switching to the fantasy world: if I had lost a loved one in the recent terrorist attacks...and I would know exactly who's responsible...and I had that person in my gunsight...it's hard to claim that I could control myself.
But, going to war? No. Absolutely not, at all personal costs. I used to think otherwise and even went to the army instead of the civil service option, but things have changed.
f.
