Military Service Confusion (page 3)

Vanderhoven7

I believe it was the Baptist who encouraged the soldiers to be content with their wages. But same difference.

The article that you provided gives situations where soldiers can disobey their superiors if the orders are unreasonable. - But how many soldiers get that opportunity to scrutinize their conscience while in the field?

Also, isn't war fuelled by state propaganda? A Russian Christian soldier will mercilessly hit a shopping complex in Ukraine because he is convinced in his heart that Ukrainians are his enemies. I'm not sure if his Christian conscience will be in bearing for his actions.

In India, many Christian soldiers were part of the contingent that participated in Operation Blue Star in 1984. However, many experts still believe that the operation was a political move by the local government, and was utterly unnecessary.

In short, Doesn't a Christian soldier participate in war in a zest of patriotic fervor and the propaganda fed to him by the ruling party? I'm not sure if his Christian ideologies will come into play on the battlefield.

BluesBrother

I would agree with Drearyweather’s post above.

Sea Breeze earlier wrote.

“When Jesus told the soldiers to be content with their wages, he tacitly told them to keep doing their job as soldiers. They could not have been "content with their wages" unless they continued as soldiers.”

I do not see that when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 7 ,which is the scripture to which we have referred, he was tacitly addressing soldiers. His remarks are to slaves and he later brings in married men , to be content with their lot.

The lack of Scriptural references to soldiers could suggest that there were none in the congregation…… perhaps?

Sea Breeze

@BB

As VH pointed out, the reference was to John the Baptist, not Jesus as I originally said. (Luke 3: 14) But, the point is the same. How could soldiers be content with their wages as instructed without continuing their job as soldiers?

Likewise, how could governments (made up of people employed by such) bear the sword (as instructed by God) without using it from time to time?

WT reasoning makes no sense unless you falsely conclude that God commands people to do stuff for which they will later be punished.

GodBeliever

The armies of heaven followed him, mounted on white horses and wearing clean white linen. Out of his mouth came a sharp sword to strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he himself will tread out in the wine press the wine of the fury and wrath of God the almighty. He has a name written on his cloak and on his thigh, “King of kings and Lord of Lords.” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to fight against the one riding the horse and against his army. The beast was caught and with it the false prophet who had performed in its sight the signs by which he led astray those who had accepted the mark of the beast and those who had worshiped its image. The two were thrown alive into the fiery pool burning with sulfur.

Revelation 19:14‭-‬16‭, ‬19‭-‬20

SB IN which army would you rather be in this fight? Not that Christians will be directly involved in this final battle, but they will be on Jesus's side.

Disillusioned JW

What https://ancientromelive.org/christians-the-roman-army/ says is very relevant to this discussion.

Sea Breeze

SB IN which army would you rather be in this fight?

Christians are always on the side of Christ. In his absence, we help keep order by bearing the sword as commanded.

Question for all you WT trained pacifists; would you not help your next door neighbor who was being attacked?

Answer?

Simon

Christians are always on the side of Christ. In his absence, we help keep order by bearing the sword as commanded.

would you not help your next door neighbor who was being attacked?

Depends on whether I like my neighbour and think it's worth involving myself in a situation I know nothing about.

But what has a pretend fictional character got to do with the price of milk?

Vanderhoven7

I must say, Christians in the Russian army should not be in the Ukraine. In fact they should never have joined the army of a despotic country in the first place. Canadian soldiers tend to go on peace missions to prevent war. They were involved in Afghanistan and did take an active role in the second world war which I believe most would classify as a just war engaged in by the allied nations to liberate Europe.

I could be wrong, but I don't think most JWs would have or use a firearm, even in in self-defense, but would be the first to call in men with firearms (police) if their homes were being broken into by armed intruders.

Sea Breeze

The rule of Law has been what has separated Judeo/Christian culture. I believe people should intervene when laws are broken. Laws, constitutions, and such are social contracts for mutual survival and the pursuit of happiness. If possible, citizens should do what they can to protect their neighbors... whether they like them or not.

Nations should protect their citizens from invaders and other attackers.

If you were out of town and your wife was attacked, you would hope that a good Samaritan would do what they could to help.

Jesus makes it easy, just do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I don't know how to improve on that simple guide.

So, if you decide to help your neighbor's wife from an attacker, when do you stop? Down the street? The next block over? The next city?

Military Service Confusion

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