I Hate War
“War is Hell” was a general’s summation of the terrible activities of war. However bad it may sound, the statement gets interpreted as a simple statement that war is a bad practice that should be avoided. The declaration is usually seen as being so general that hearers fail to consider war as really comparable to a specific place or condition where people burn forever in an environment of fire and brimstone, where they never burn up or die, but where the unbearable suffering continues forever.
War is the undeniable proof that members of the ”family of man” have not yet learned how to live peaceably together or to care for the natural environment in which they live.. Even though the people have learned that progress in education, culture and trade is enhanced through the making of rules and regulations they seem to ignore this knowledge when they consider questions of war. Somehow they feel that war is in a different category and subject to a different set of rules.
In ordinary life they would not willfully destroy a forest of trees, a fleet of ships or skyscrapers of a city, yet in time of war people destroy these valuable properties as if they were compelled by God’s will to do so. Since they are at war they seem to forget that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” They forget that in the beginning God admonished them to care for the environment as one would care for his grape vineyard.
We know that all life is a sacred gift from God and that one of the great commandments tells us that we should not kill. We know that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Yet, our self-declared Christian leader declares that we must go to war as a response to a “call” to bring the blessings of liberty to all the peoples of the world. The war then becomes a crusade to bring a regime change to a nation of oppressed people.
By calling this a war of liberation we can ignore the “Do Not Kill” command, especially since the leader of the country has killed thousands himself. To accomplish our mission we searched for the most efficient ways of killing the enemy. Our leaders gave us guns, bombs and land mines designed to kill large numbers of people and destroy their communication and transportation facilities. Ours is a good fighting force and the leader was overthrown in record time.
Although the war for regime change was won, the killing didn’t stop. The liberated people didn’t like us as an occupying force and began killing our soldiers, contractor employees and their own people who cooperated with us. Instead of identifying us as liberators, they branded us as invading infidels. All manner of new fighting techniques were employed to make us unwelcome. The war continues in its third year with no end in sight and with the death toll and frustration growing daily.
Man, the most noble and divine creation should be permitted to live out the purpose for which he was created. Otherwise his creation was a waste. The Scripture tells us that God’s creation “was good”. We, whoever we are, are obliged to recognize that goodness and do our best to protect and preserve every aspect of that creation.
Jerry Clements 11/15/06
War is the undeniable proof that members of the ”family of man” have not yet learned how to live peaceably together or to care for the natural environment in which they live.. Even though the people have learned that progress in education, culture and trade is enhanced through the making of rules and regulations they seem to ignore this knowledge when they consider questions of war. Somehow they feel that war is in a different category and subject to a different set of rules.
In ordinary life they would not willfully destroy a forest of trees, a fleet of ships or skyscrapers of a city, yet in time of war people destroy these valuable properties as if they were compelled by God’s will to do so. Since they are at war they seem to forget that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” They forget that in the beginning God admonished them to care for the environment as one would care for his grape vineyard.
We know that all life is a sacred gift from God and that one of the great commandments tells us that we should not kill. We know that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Yet, our self-declared Christian leader declares that we must go to war as a response to a “call” to bring the blessings of liberty to all the peoples of the world. The war then becomes a crusade to bring a regime change to a nation of oppressed people.
By calling this a war of liberation we can ignore the “Do Not Kill” command, especially since the leader of the country has killed thousands himself. To accomplish our mission we searched for the most efficient ways of killing the enemy. Our leaders gave us guns, bombs and land mines designed to kill large numbers of people and destroy their communication and transportation facilities. Ours is a good fighting force and the leader was overthrown in record time.
Although the war for regime change was won, the killing didn’t stop. The liberated people didn’t like us as an occupying force and began killing our soldiers, contractor employees and their own people who cooperated with us. Instead of identifying us as liberators, they branded us as invading infidels. All manner of new fighting techniques were employed to make us unwelcome. The war continues in its third year with no end in sight and with the death toll and frustration growing daily.
Man, the most noble and divine creation should be permitted to live out the purpose for which he was created. Otherwise his creation was a waste. The Scripture tells us that God’s creation “was good”. We, whoever we are, are obliged to recognize that goodness and do our best to protect and preserve every aspect of that creation.
Jerry Clements 11/15/06
posted by Jeremiah | 11:03 AM
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