Sunday, August 8, 2010

Once Upon A Time...I Thought About Becoming A Chaplian for the Military...


Come on! The benefits are rather amazing. You could serve God and your country! But I don't think I would be doing my country a "good" favor if I decided if I choose to I became a chaplain in the military and preached messages on their terms. Before recognizing that I was a pacifist, I thought about pursuing such a career, because I've heard the news and discovered that there is a great need for clergy in the military.


It saddens my hearts to hear of soldiers not just dying, but killing themselves. The things that they see and do are leave many traumatized. Many of these men and women (veterans) live in guilt for killing people. There is a great need for pastors to reach out to these men and women with the grace of God. They need special care.

As for those that embrace a "just war" or "God's on our side conquest" way have been misguided in my opinion. Especially, since yesterday I was talking to a friend who is considering going into the Navy. He says that he wants to do it, because "he wants to kill some Muslims." Now whether he was joking or not is besides the point. Jerry Falwell (not to attack him personally) made a similar statement: "You've got to kill those terrorists before the killing stops. And I'm for the President to chase them all over the world. If it takes ten years, blow them all the way in the name of the Lord." It's ridiculous statements like these that are being embedded in the minds of Americans (many of them are so-called Christians). The problem is we (the Church) have support these ideas. We have baptized our country with our blessings as long as our freedoms are being protected.

Sadly, I cannot be a military chaplain and of good conscience embrace and support such nonsense. What the military really needs is bold chaplains who will rescue our soldiers of this blindness. Many veterans are starting to notice that participating in war (military) and being a Christian cannot be compatible with one another. Shane Claiborne was able to use a letter received by a US soilder in Iraq in his recent book "Jesus for President." In the letter this enlightened solider said, "We are dying and killing for abstract nouns like freedom and democracy...but this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ."

I think a Christian solider is an oxymoron. People are so use to fighting with guns, they don't believe that evil can be stopped with doing good. People think that Jesus' words are nice, but the are not very realistic. I'm sorry, but as a person who will embrace his call, no matter where God calls me, I will preach the way of Christ, no matter how unpopular it is. The military may need chaplains, but not the kind the government and military officials want.

The Kingdom of God Flag


What is this all about? Sounds like heresy to me! Or maybe not???

http://kingdomofgodflag.info/

Heresies that Threaten the Contemporary Church

I have listed several heresies that I believe are effecting our Churches in the 21st Century. What are your thoughts? Would you like to add to the list or add comments to the ones I have listed?


Universalism
Pluralism/Relativism
Gnosticism
Nationalism
Process Theology
Open Theism

P.S.>>What's your thoughts on postmodernity?