June 13
Patriotism, national identity and Christianity
By Morf MorfordPage:
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“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:12-14
That was the inscription under the stained glass window in a military chapel of a paratrooper in full battle gear on his way to combat.
The layers of irony are too many to count: bad theology, Crusade-level holiness empire propaganda, murder described as ministry and a thorough misunderstanding of the role of a soldier.
A soldier is not equipped, trained and primed to give his or her life; the successful soldier is trained and equipped to take someone else’s life, while preserving their own.
The deliberate confusion of church and state conflates and muddles divine inspiration, faith, patriotism, military service and personal (and family) sacrifice.
I saw this stained glass window at the army chapel while at a wedding. Funerals, especially now, are far more common there.
Would you think that stained glass window is much consolation to the grieving family of a fallen soldier?
Would any of us think that a child, for example, in the emotional depths of a loved one’s funeral, might be “inspired” by such a sanctified rendition of righteous retribution in action to join the military so he too could “give” his life for his “friends”?
Is that really what people seek when they join the military? To give their lives? Not only is this bad theology, it is also terrible military strategy.
General George S. Patton knew better. He used to say that a soldier’s job was not to give his life, but to take the life of the soldier on the other side.
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Comments
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I'm disturbed that a Mennonite publication would publish an article that says, "I’m all for a strong national defense (for every country) and a well-prepared military", even if it is from a personal blog. To me, this seems to invalidate the work for peace & justice people have done for decades through Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Voluntary Service, Eastern Mennonite Missions, Brethren Volunteer Service, etc. I understand the point the author is trying to make, but strong national defense and a well-prepared military for every country is only counteractive and -productive to what we have been taught in the Gospels.
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Thank you MWR editors for printing this blog. I have read many stories and accounts of soldiers who have quickly taken action in military conflict to put themselves in harms way for the protection of other nearby fellow soldiers or individuals. To me, this was an act of love that relates to the Bible verse in John 15. It has been stated that a Godly soldier does not hate the person in front of him but rather is driven by his love of those behind him.
It appears as if Jake is critical of this blog because it violates his pacifist theology. I believe a Christian can be a member of the military and not violate the Bible teaching. A Christian does not join the military because he/she is in favor of war. Neither does a Christian join law enforcement because he/she is in favor of crime. Neither does a Christian join the fire department because he/she is in favor of fires.
Jesus commended the military officer for displaying his deep faith.
In Romans 13, God confirms the use force by nations to maintain law and order. If use of government force is ordained by God, it can not be called sin. It was Pre Incarnate Christ who gave Joshua instruction on the destruction of the city of Jericho and inhabitants except for Rahab and her family.
In Rev. 19, Jesus comes as Commander in Chief of an army, riding a white horse with a sword in his mouth. A Heavenly Angel invites the fowls of the air to feast on the slain bodies. The fowls of the air gorged themselves on all this human and animal flesh.
Finally, Jesus was not a pacifist nor does the Bible teach pacifism. Pacifism is a teaching of worldly appeasement type peace, not Biblical peace. Evil appeased is never satisfied.
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Dale, It should be noted that 1) the military officer whose faith Jesus commends is actually a member of the occupying "enemy" force, not on the side of Jesus' defeated homeland, 2) the prominent metaphor for Jesus in the Revelation is that of the slain Lamb, and 3) "the sword in his mouth" you refer to is the Word of God.
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Harvey, thank you for confirming my point that the centurion Jesus complimented for his faith was a military officer. If he was not on the side of Jesus’ defeated homeland, whose side was he on?
The sword like word in his mouth is to be used to bring widespread death to individuals as noted in the remaining verses of Rev. 19. Do you also have a metaphor for the fowls of the air that are invited to feast on the dead bodies slain by Jesus?
You can talk about Jesus as a previously slain lamb as a figure of speech, however the person on the white horse in this chapter is Christ the king and not a four footed metaphorical talking lamb.
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