Strange Imaging

[Neighbor]

8 hours ago, D. Adrien said:

I'd rather be seeking the peace of Jesus. Non-violence, kindness and gentleness to everyone I meet. Always seeking the fruit of the Spirit and remaining in the light.

Edit; Very hard to watch what is happening to this country.

Pick up the full armor of God, and use it in kindness is my own thought. Being a Christian  warrior isn't being a person of violence.

[D. Adrien]

8 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Pick up the full armor of God, and use it in kindness is my own thought. Being a Christian  warrior isn't being a person of violence.

Tell that to those marching off to war, after being conscripted. The Quakers have the right solution.

[Neighbor]

2 hours ago, D. Adrien said:

Tell that to those marching off to war, after being conscripted. The Quakers have the right solution.

Which Is?

Seems to me military conscription  itself, an active military draft, is not a bad thing. It is better than an all volunteer military force  in that it comes with the fear to all that they might have to engage in war  up close and personal. 

[D. Adrien]

43 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

Which Is?

Seems to me military conscription  itself, an active military draft, is not a bad thing. It is better than an all volunteer military force  in that it comes with the fear to all that they might have to engage in war  up close and personal. 

The Quakers accept incarceration over serving in the armed forces. There may have been instances of serving as a medic without carrying a weapon, I'm not certain on this point.

Isn't being a Christian suppose to be about the government of God, being sojourners on this earth?

[Neighbor]

God is awesome. He provides my need perfectly, for  furthering my sanctification. I need not worry despite the woes of this world, for my hope is certain  in Christ, my Lord Jesus.

[Marathoner]

I'm in agreement with @D. Adrien. I didn't know the Lord when I enlisted in the U.S. Army. There's surely no shame to be had but I must say that, knowing the Lord as I do now, I would certainly not do such a thing. I would gladly be incarcerated than join myself to such a thing. 
 

19 hours ago, D. Adrien said:

There may have been instances of serving as a medic without carrying a weapon, I'm not certain on this point.

Medics are armed, my friend. The only individual in the U.S. armed forces who is exempt from carrying arms by regulation is the military chaplain; however, chaplains are assisted by aides and those soldiers are the ones who bear arms. 

[Marathoner]

Even when I didn't know the Lord, I never understood why some fell prey to jingoistic propaganda. It was always terribly transparent and even garish to my sensibilities, but perhaps that was partially due to my upbringing. I was born on a military installation --- ironically, home of the same military school I would attend after I enlisted --- and grew up on military bases overseas. Perhaps it was because I witnessed aspects of the military that others did not, though on the surface that doesn't speak of the evil which occurred beneath flying flags, wearing uniforms and festooned with medals. What command let certain men get away with was the face of evil itself. 

I surely didn't join the U.S. Army to "serve my country." I owed that country nothing at all. Rather, the Gulf War was brewing... I knew that some stateside units were preparing for deployment to the Persian Gulf... it was my chance to escape the horror of the house I was born into... and it was an opportunity to potentially check out of this sick and twisted world. I had a combat MOS and I had heard rumors that soldiers arriving in Europe from the states were being diverted to Tent City at the Frankfurt airport. Tent City was the staging point for deployment to the Gulf. That was where you exchanged your woodland camo gear for the newly issued desert BDUs. 

117 soldiers on that flight into Frankfurt (I was one), and what happened? 116 were sent to Tent City except for one. I was the only soldier on that flight assigned to West Germany. I volunteered to go to Kuwait but because my commanding officer designated me as indispensable to the operation of the company, I was stuck in Germany. I couldn't leave that unit until the Gulf War was over. 

I was denied my opportunity to check out. I didn't know it back then, but that was according to the will and purpose of the Lord. Indeed, for He called me after I was finished with the military. 

[D. Adrien]

2 hours ago, Marathoner said:

I'm in agreement with @D. Adrien. I didn't know the Lord when I enlisted in the U.S. Army. There's surely no shame to be had but I must say that, knowing the Lord as I do now, I would certainly not do such a thing. I would gladly be incarcerated than join myself to such a thing. 
 

Medics are armed, my friend. The only individual in the U.S. armed forces who is exempt from carrying arms by regulation is the military chaplain; however, chaplains are assisted by aides and those soldiers are the ones who bear arms. 

I believe there was a medic in the second world war that was Quaker and allowed to serve as a medic without bearing arms. I'll see if I can locate his story.

Edit: Here is the story: https://search.brave.com/search?q=Quaker+that+served+in+WW2+as+a+medic+and+did+not+bear+arms&source=desktop

Edited April 25 by D. Adrien

[D. Adrien]

2 hours ago, Marathoner said:

Even when I didn't know the Lord, I never understood why some fell prey to jingoistic propaganda. It was always terribly transparent and even garish to my sensibilities, but perhaps that was partially due to my upbringing. I was born on a military installation --- ironically, home of the same military school I would attend after I enlisted --- and grew up on military bases overseas. Perhaps it was because I witnessed aspects of the military that others did not, though on the surface that doesn't speak of the evil which occurred beneath flying flags, wearing uniforms and festooned with medals. What command let certain men get away with was the face of evil itself. 

I surely didn't join the U.S. Army to "serve my country." I owed that country nothing at all. Rather, the Gulf War was brewing... I knew that some stateside units were preparing for deployment to the Persian Gulf... it was my chance to escape the horror of the house I was born into... and it was an opportunity to potentially check out of this sick and twisted world. I had a combat MOS and I had heard rumors that soldiers arriving in Europe from the states were being diverted to Tent City at the Frankfurt airport. Tent City was the staging point for deployment to the Gulf. That was where you exchanged your woodland camo gear for the newly issued desert BDUs. 

117 soldiers on that flight into Frankfurt (I was one), and what happened? 116 were sent to Tent City except for one. I was the only soldier on that flight assigned to West Germany. I volunteered to go to Kuwait but because my commanding officer designated me as indispensable to the operation of the company, I was stuck in Germany. I couldn't leave that unit until the Gulf War was over. 

I was denied my opportunity to check out. I didn't know it back then, but that was according to the will and purpose of the Lord. Indeed, for He called me after I was finished with the military. 

I've frequently said to others that instead of unit patches the uniforms should bear corporation patches signifying whom the unit is representing. Exxon Mobile, Shell, BP or perhaps Haliburton.

[Neighbor]

On 4/24/2024 at 5:16 AM, D. Adrien said:

The Quakers accept incarceration over serving in the armed forces. There may have been instances of serving as a medic without carrying a weapon, I'm not certain on this point.

Isn't being a Christian suppose to be about the government of God, being sojourners on this earth?

God has raised up many a notable warrior, even telling of how He has used them mightily and then often returning them to their previous standing. Their military use perhaps being the high point of their service to God.

The most famous of world war one USA heros was  of Quaker heritage. There is an old  and classic movie about his amazing service to the military and his fellow soldiers of the USA,  Sargeant  York. We have had a US president that was Quaker and had served in the US Navy, President Richard M. Nixon.

 I cannot identify with the  denigration  of those that serve willingly or  by way  of draft boards. Though it is  good warning that came from a brilliant Soldier General Dwight D. Eisenhower that warned of the extreme dangers to  the military and the country that the military -industrial  complex poses to  freedom itself.

I have respect for all , ALL, that have served their country in the sacrifice that it is to be  in the military for my own benefit. The memories of those that gave life itself,  in causes heralded by civilian leadership that had no direct threat to themselves, cries out for better citizen selection of it's leaders. It does not cry against  the honor of soldiers; the honoring of them all being well deserved by all that do get to live a daily life of secure affluence like never before known to any society.  What is needed is better involvement by all civilians in their government leadership selection.