Veterans / Rememberance Day

[Sojourner]

As we honor our veterans today, I'm aware of many who argue that Christians should never kill others, even in war. So, based on the New Testament, is it justifiable for Christians to fight in the military?

[Gregory Matthews]

There will never be agreement in this forum on that subject.

[fccool]

As we honor our veterans today, I'm aware of many who argue that Christians should never kill others, even in war. So, based on the New Testament, is it justifiable for Christians to fight in the military?

 

Yes and no.   Semantics meaning of the word "war" can't properly frame the scope of the war.   We are told to defend the innocent.  Wars of aggression is a different thing.

[Gregory Matthews]

Fccool, you are on point.  That is part of the reason that there will never be agreement.

 

The SDA Church has not achieved agreement on the role that SDA Christians may have in serving in the military.  The result is that the position of the denomination is that whatever the position by the individual, that person should be accepted and provided ministry.  In some circumstances our members find it hard to do that.

 

1)  I am thinking of a nation in another part of the world where in that country U.S. military personnel assigned to that area are not welcomed to attend local SDA Churches.

 

2) I am thinking of a SDA Church located in the United States, that is quite close to a large military installation that currently has a SDA military chaplain assigned to that installation.  That chaplain is not welcome to participate in the local SDA Church.

 

3) On one assignment of mine, a military officer from another nation showed up in a U.S. church one Sabbath.  He was in the area due to some training that he was taking at a nearby U.S. military base.  We invited him to join us for lunch at our home after the service.  He was dumbfounded by that fact that I was SDA Clergy and also a member of the U.S. Army and a chaplain.  He was married to a SDA wife.  Her congregation would not allow him to join due to the fact that he was in the military of his country. 

 

4) On every installation to which I was assigned as a chaplain, I would obtain a list of people who had told the Army that the SDA Church was their church of preference.  The majority of times, I would be given a list of 100+ such names.  Typically 100% of them would be fully participating in the Army and would not be conscientious objectors.   Folks just about 100% of our members today, who are in the military are in such a status.

 

5) Yet, many of them are faithful to the teachings of the Church.  The United States Air force Academy has active SDAs as students.  It has reached an accommodation with those students who desire a more traditional observance of the Sabbath.  In ways that I do not wish to be specific about, that has come about due to the intervention of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries of the General Conference/North American Division.

 

6)  No, as a retired U.S. Army Chaplain, I can say that SDAs who follow more conservative, traditional, beliefs and practices  should, with a few exceptions such as chaplains, should not enlist in the military.  But, not every SDA member is conservative and those are enlisting in the military in greater numbers that some are aware of.  The U.S. military provides substantial benefits:  a)  a quick path to citizenship.  education and training.  c) educational scholarships upon release from military service.  d) employment with benefits to include health care for family members in a time when one may not be able to find employment.  I could list more, but this is a sample. 

 

7)  The bottom line is that members in the SDA Church are divided on this issue.

[Sojourner]

It is a shame that you would find a church that would prevent people coming in because they are doing military service... I seem to recall that invitations to the great feast are for everyone, not simply those considered to be "higher caste" in exclusive churches.