by turtleturtle 27 Replies latest watchtower bible
the Bible itself is completely silent on the subject of avoiding military service
I'm going strictly by my faulty memory, but weren't Israelite men required to serve in the military when invading lands as directed by Jehovah? And were not these soldiers required to put under the sword women and children?
Jesus, and his followers may have been pacifists, but the Hebrew God from which Jesus claimed to be a son of, was not.
I agree Christians and thinking people should not be involved with the military.
If there is no God and no after life the military is a good way to make this life a short one, or a screwed up one.
If there is a God its probably kind of hard to justify killing your neighbor in Vietnam or Iraq in light of Jesus words to
"love your neighbor as yourself.
Wars are fought to make the rich richer. People are riled up to fight wars by all kinds of means, nationalism, religion,
hate.
Those who serve in the military in the US and dont get screwed up get some nice rewards.
Jobs with the post office, fire department and all kinds of Federal jobs with great benefits and retirements.
US vets get lifetime medical coverage thru the VA.
Thats why there are so many homeless vets. They are well taken care of.
Not everyone in a country can think like us and be paccifist or the country would get run over.
I guess its a personal and spiritual belief.
I was speaking of the New Testament, of course, Undercover.
Actually, the NT is full of military references - such as the practically unexplainable "does anyone have a sword" on the night of the cruxifiction.
It is a great stretch to say that it teaches strict non-militarism and complete neutrality.
It does teach Jewish subserviance to the Roman state, but that is far different than general neutrality and non-militarism.
I believe pacifism is morally indefensible.
Fighting for peace is not an oxymoron.
just as it is completely silent about the rightness or wrongness of slavery. - James Woods
No it totally approves of slavery but that's another thread
I believe pacifism is morally indefensible.
Fighting for peace is not an oxymoron.
Cofty has a valid point: What would the world be like if the United States had not fought WW2?
TurtleTurtle is not aware of the actual policy of the Watchtower Society because it was secret.
I went to prison from 1967 to 1969 when it was legally provided for me to perform Alternate Community Service by law working
in a hospital.
I was privately advised by the Presiding Elder (the were called Congregation Overseers back then) and his assitant.
I was specifically told I could NOT accept the legal provision for Alternate Service but that I could NOT say publicly they were advising me.
I was NOT to say the Watchtower or Jehovah's Witnesses had influenced my decision directly!
What was wanted was public martyrs for P.R. purposes.
Turtleturtle is one of their successes.
He thinks the position of JW's is a moral one based on scripture.
It was a private policy based on manipulation.
Off Topic slightly...speaking of slavery...here is the American Atheist response to Christianity and Slavery
Actually, I mentioned slavery above because (like military service) many people equate anti-slavery with New Testament teachings - but in reality the NT is completely silend about the issue.
Oooops:
I meant my first post in this thread to read:
One thing I totally agree with (JW beliefs)
I probably gave everyone the wrong idea with what I initially said.
