by minimus 28 Replies latest jw friends
Being raised a Jehovah's Witness, I did not have any appreciation for the military or for veterans.
Now, when I see a military person, especially in uniform, I am grateful for their work as well as the fact that they risk their lives for us.
Do you appreciate our men and women of the military?
Yes!!! Yes I do......
As far as I am concerned they are part of the Superior Authorities, so while not perfect, they serve a purpose and should be respected and obeyed, within reason of course. Just think how crazy things could be if they were not in existence.
I have personally thanked uniformed men and women for their service.
It's sad to see how many of them come back, can't get a job, have emotional issues or commit suicide.
The military can be a tough job.
Yes I do. It breaks my heart to see the inner turmoil that many of them suffer from.
I think this is a heavily over looked error in WTBS theology. One of the few times in my adult life I have spoken to my father, we talked about this very subject. There is zero scriptural evidence of abstaining from military service. Zero. Period.
Here's the back story: I was at my grandfather's funeral about 6 years ago and my dad graciously tries to sell me a religion, I mean comfort me. We talk for a little and he asked me what I was doing now. I told him I was working for L-3 doing optics research. He asked what we did. I told him the company has different products and services spread around the world, but I was helping develop imaging systems for military aircraft. He got visibly mad. He said I can't believe my son would work for a defense contractor. He asked me if I remembered he almost went to jail as a draft dodger, I mean contentious objector. I said yes, but I follow the examples of the apostles when it comes to this subject not the made up rules of the Seven Day Adventist. He got indignant and asked me to explain. I said, "Sure."
I asked where in the Bible does it mention not to serve in a military. He had two retorts.
My response:
Yes, Jesus said both of those things. Is it loving to allow your fellow countrymen to be slaughtered and raped by an invading army? No of course not. It is pretty simple if a nation does not have a way to defend themselves they will be defeated and conquered. Armies have always been a part of nations, tribes, and clans through out history. Look at the history of any nation. The Apostles knew armies are essential to the existence of a nation. Did they ever have a situation involving an early christian who was a soldier? Yes of course, Cornelius. My dad said that the bible never addresses his association with the Roman Army. I said, "Absolutely, don't you think if it was an issue they would have addressed it." They could have left the fact he was an officer completely out of the narrative, but they didn't. They didn't order Cornelius to leave the military in order to become a Christian. (On a side note, One should read the account and notice the way God describes Cornelius. If he was living in sin by being a soldier, would God had poured these blessing upon him?) Cornelius had a 25 year commission and could not resign it. If he quit the Roman Army, he would have been executed for treason. If being in the military would have been an important detail it would have been discussed. Remember, Cornelius wasn't an officer for the Jewish Army. He commanded 60-80 Roman invaders. These were viscous and efficient killers non like the world had ever seen before. On the "Live by the sword die by the sword", it was probably a parable. Those who play with fire get burned, those who marry ugly women have ugly children, those who don't bathe smell offensively, those who live by the beach get sand on their feet etc. etc all make sense. No where did Jesus say I command you to never lift a sword. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away, not to get rid of it and never use it again. Christ submitted himself to the Roman Army and it's authority allowing his own capture, trial, and death.
My father looked at me and smiled and said, "I guess you have a point. I never thought of it that way."
yeah, the ones who are not corrupt!
My husband is a retired Army warrant officer. We originally met in High school, but got married after I left the religion 28 years later At first I found the whole military thing to be a bit strange, a little bit of dubbie think was still there. But gradually, I began to appreciate what he and the other service members sacrificed for our country. He served in Desert Storm, and his son was a marine who went to Iraq. I am proud of them both. My husband had reservations about both wars, but he did his duty, because that is what a soldier does.
I do sometimes have to remind him that I never enlisted, so I don't take orders well, lol. But he is a really great husband, and military training is not a bad thing to have in a husband. And that retirement pay and lifetime medical is great to have.
I will never forget my step sons graduation from boot camp. He went from a normal baggy pants sloppy teenager to a man with perfect posture, and good manners. Every thing was yes sir, no sir, or yes ma'am, no ma'am. He even made his bed. We were there when he came back from Iraq. When you see the families of these servicemen, you realize what a sacrifice it is for then to leave their wives and children for that long. Some were seeing their babies for the first time. the children were dressed up to welcome daddy home, It was very touching.
He spent eight years in the Marines, and got his college degree at the same time. He is still working in his military career field, making some serious money while still in his twenties. That is a great thing in this economy.
So hurray for red white and blue
What would the WTS say to a soldier who wanted to obtain Jehovah's favor?
Leave the military asap, right?
In Luke 3:14, John the Baptist told soldiers who came to repent to "rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
In Matthew 8, Jesus healed a Roman centurion's servant and said that he had not found anyone in Israel with as much faith as the centurion.
Acts 10 describes Cornelius, a Roman centurion, as "a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God." Peter said, "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him."
None of these men was rebuked for serving in the Roman army.
None was commanded or advised to leave the military as a precondition to obtaining God's favor.
yes i do....
and also for the leaders of the country, although i dont like mine at the moment...but i remember thinking that after Sept 11 there was a lot of backlash about the American government going to war....but i just took a step back and asked myself what would i do if i was the leader...i came to the conclusion that i would go to war too...bec i am not making a decision just on my behalf...but i have a responsibility to the people i serve and sometimes that makes for decisions i dont like or want to make....
i was still a jw when that happened....i just didn't realise i was out before i was physically out
lp
