Chapter 5 - Love Our Enemies or Kill Them?
The military is run by hard-core zealots, many who attempt to merge a distinctively American arch-conservative Christian orthodoxy with military training and discipline. “For God and Country” is their mantra. Paradoxically, the Army Field Manual says religious beliefs aren’t allowed to contradict the values of the Army, while the mainstream churches don’t object. Meanwhile, the state encourages mass killing outside of the constraints of any sort of “Just War” paradigm. Several million have been systematically slaughtered in wars promoted by the United States since World War II, usually with the tacit support of the churches. The Catholic Church leads the pro-military religious bandwagon.
Catholic Catechism teaches that war is sanctioned if the following four conditions are met, at one and the same time:
The totality of the conditions stated above have never been met in post-World War II American military encounters, rendering all American military actions that have resulted in the deaths of enemy combatants, civilians, and Americans, at least since 1945, as immoral and unjustified.
The judgment of the souls of the men and women who have participated in these campaigns rests between them and their Creator. Certainly, heaven holds a million soldiers. God's designs are paradoxical to us.
Aside from three historical peace churches: the Quakers, Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren, almost all of the mainstream churches tacitly approve unchecked American militarism. These peace churches recognize that loving one’s enemies is the heart of Christian doctrine. They remind us that Jesus said no one could serve two masters.
Conservative congregations might empty if Christian preachers spoke the unfiltered message of the Prince of Peace - and there’d be less in the collection baskets. After all, American flags are permanent fixtures on thousands of American altars while the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops officially defers to the wishes of parish priests in this regard.
Catholic Catechism teaches that war is sanctioned if the following four conditions are met, at one and the same time:
- The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
- All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
- There must be serious prospects of success;
- The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to . The power of modem means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.
The totality of the conditions stated above have never been met in post-World War II American military encounters, rendering all American military actions that have resulted in the deaths of enemy combatants, civilians, and Americans, at least since 1945, as immoral and unjustified.
The judgment of the souls of the men and women who have participated in these campaigns rests between them and their Creator. Certainly, heaven holds a million soldiers. God's designs are paradoxical to us.
Aside from three historical peace churches: the Quakers, Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren, almost all of the mainstream churches tacitly approve unchecked American militarism. These peace churches recognize that loving one’s enemies is the heart of Christian doctrine. They remind us that Jesus said no one could serve two masters.
Conservative congregations might empty if Christian preachers spoke the unfiltered message of the Prince of Peace - and there’d be less in the collection baskets. After all, American flags are permanent fixtures on thousands of American altars while the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops officially defers to the wishes of parish priests in this regard.
