It should be no secret by now that the bible has been hijacked by evil men and twisted to suit their own agenda. If you don’t believe me, research the time when the Catholic leaders convinced “sinners” that if they go to war for the church, their sins will be forgiven and they will go to heaven. It never said that in the bible. I read about repenting and being born again.
But it doesn’t stop there. Sadly, humans have attempted to use the bible to justify all sorts of ungodly acts – from war to slavery and everything in between.
This afternoon, I read an article about 3 former US Marines committing suicide. And it made me remember the high suicide rates among veterans. These brave soldiers became the victim of post traumatic stress disorder.
Year after year, America has sent thousands of young men in uniform across shores to kill and maim other people they know nothing about. Sometimes, this happened by air or sea, and at other times, it happened on the ground. These military men and women came back with a fancy name “heroes” but the reality is not so beautiful. Those who were not killed in the war came back wounded. Some of them lost limbs. But they became poster stars. They were proud to serve their countries. Then there were those who came back seemingly unharmed. But deep down in their minds was a troubling story. They were mentally dismantled from the horrors of war.
It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. – William Tecumseh Sherman – former US General who served in the American Civil War.
Throughout history, warmongers, for their own selfish purposes, have devised clever schemes to lure young minds into a zeal for fighting. These include the “old lie” told with such high zest: it is sweet and proper to die for your country.
Then there is the “hero” ideology. Those who die for their country are called “heroes” and those who do not are cowards.
But it doesn’t stop there. Recently, I saw a poster circulating on Facebook with a soldier who lost his limbs in a war while trying to save another soldier. A bible verse was quoted, “greater love hath not a man than to give up his life for another.” While my heart goes out for this great man, and I pray that God protect him from those who seek to take advantage of him, I don’t agree with the motive behind quoting God’s word.
Yes, the bible did say that, but it is not meant to justify aggressive measures and sending your children to fight war. What did Jesus say? “If a man asks you for your coat, give him your cloak also.”
Listen, if you want to coax uncanny people into warfare, you will have to give account to divine providence for that – whether it is justified or not. But as far as recruiting soldiers go, leave Jesus out of that. How about using Jesus to justify a policy of peace instead?