Here’s yet more evidence (as if we needed any more) that Christians ought to avoid the military, and churches should stop promoting military service. The Pentagon has announced they may consider courts martial for soldiers who proselytize while in uniform. Instead, as I advocate here, Christians who feel called to minister to soldiers should do so without joining the ranks.
Tag Archives: War
Could This Be the Final Straw?
Well, this might be what they need to justify overt military operations in Syria. According to Reuters, chemical weapons have been used in northern Syria, although it’s unclear which group initiated the attack.
“Syria’s state television channel said rebels fired a rocket carrying chemical agents that killed 25 people and wounded dozens. The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, said 16 soldiers were among the dead.”
Read the rest here.
Glenn Beck and Libertarianism (Not a Love Story)
There now seems to be a small rift growing between Glenn Beck, who claims to be evolving into a libertarian, and a number of the libertarians he hopes to attract with his new media project. Of course many are skeptical of a guy who, for many years supported the Bush administration, seems always to have supported the U.S. government’s wars overseas, and backed this guy for president in 2012.
That he recently accused the founder of Students for Liberty, Alexander McCobin, of being a jerk and a Nazi makes this all the more comical. McCobin was addressing the annual conference of Students for Liberty (SFL) when he suggested Beck’s libertarian cred may not be up to muster. Beck it seems was upset that he’s not being taken seriously and used his radio show to air his grievance.
In response, McCobin challenged Beck to “engage [young libertarians] in a meaningful conversation, embrace the positions where libertarianism is substantially different from conservatism, and work with [them] for a truly freer future.” He also offered that while he may call himself a libertarian, there’s no reason anyone has to accept Beck’s transition. As Andrew Kirell sarcastically put it: “We are glad for your newfound support for legal marijuana, gay marriage, and your backing down from Bush-era hawkishness. But many of us libertarians prefer to say ‘thanks but no thanks.’”
One peculiar point raised by McCobin in his letter to Beck was “that libertarianism is difficult to define, and there is significant room for debate.” Actually no, it’s rather simple to define, and there shouldn’t be any room for debate.
Libertarianism is simply the political system wherein the initiation of force is not acceptable. The use of force may only be used in defense against aggression and where force is being unjustly applied to persons or property. Beyond that all interaction is to be under voluntary terms and any system which deviates from this may not be accurately described as libertarian.
Christians who Do the Devil’s Work
It is my contention that in advocating war, particularly in parts of the world dominated by non-believers, Evangelical Christians (of which I consider myself) are doing the devil’s work. In my latest column on LewRockwell.com I explain this argument and offer advice as a fellow Christian and veteran of these wars, to anyone who will listen, particularly current and prospective soldiers.
‘Civilians Kill Themselves, Too’
“Look on the bright side, the percentage of vets taking their own lives isn’t so high, since the general population is committing suicide at an even higher rate,” the bureaucrats essentially say. Only the state would celebrate something so morbid as this.
Oh, and as the article points out, the veteran suicide rate should be much lower, since they’re supposedly getting all these great mental health services.
