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"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."
-St. Augustine
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Machines of War
September 20, 2007
“I had an opportunity to participate in civilian role-play training with an Army unit in Fort Hunter-Liggett, CA. I was one of forty volunteers who played the part of a townsperson in a mock Afghan village. This training was conducted to prepare a psychological operations unit that will be deploying to Afghanistan in late October. Each role player was assigned a character and placed in everyday scenarios experienced during wartime. My role was quite complicated: I was asked to play the part of an American spy disguised as a USAID worker. In the duration of 48 hours I had been “caught” in my profession by the local Afghan police of the village, captured, placed in prison, held hostage, rescued by military forces, and interrogated by military intelligence. Like I said, it was quite a bit more than I bargained for when I first volunteered for the training. The things I return home with from this experience are disturbing, and yet not surprising considering what our country is doing in Iraq.
It was shocking to see Military Police, Drill Sergeants, and Infantry soldiers adapt into the mindset of the local Afghan police, the defenders of the village that was being occupied. These huge men, literally I was the only female at the training, that make Veterans proud soaked into their roles as local Afghan villagers when the “Military forces” rolled into town. After each group of soldiers passed by they would shout, “This is our town, who the hell do they think they are to just come in here like that!” “If my home was being invaded I’d be pissed, I’d take my weapon and just shoot the hell out of them”! A couple of times I responded to their complaints, “Well how to you think the Iraqi’s felt when you were there doing the same thing?” Some of them accused me of just being a “military hippie”, others said that “I was on the wrong side of things.” My response was completely dismissed.
It hurt to see how poorly trained and young these soldiers are. They came in questioning us with guns in their hands. They never smiled, acted friendly as if to win hearts and minds, asked our names, or opened up with their own names- and our Government is sending these men and women over there next month. Each scenario escalated to the final raid at the end. The military wanted to rid our town of the “bad guys” that were causing so much trouble.
I was told to be in hiding during the raid, so I huddled up in a little ball, with my head against the backside of a table. I knew they were coming even before the sound of gunshots. Our little town took its place in preparation for the raid that was about to come through. After a heavy downpour of gunfire, a message came out on the hummer’s speakers. “The United States is evacuating American citizens and select nationals, for your safety, please stay away from U.S forces.” The message did not exactly fit the soldier’s purpose for invading the small village. They came to rid the town of enemy CLF and drug dealers, even at the expense of the lives of innocent local civilians.
I was never actually evacuated from that raid, either I was being a bad role player or I couldn’t open my mouth to the horror experienced in just a mock scenario of a being in an occupied village. Some of the soldiers laughed as blanks were being fired like crazy. When their weapons malfunctioned, soldiers would yell, “BAM I got you!” I understand this because I am a soldier and it is very easy to dismiss this training as just a game. When I was in my hiding place, I could barely understand the message on the speaker…and it was English! I remembered thinking, “Am I supposed to come out and approach the soldiers to ask for help, or will they shoot at me with blanks?”
Today is the last day and I thought I was done playing G.I Jane. We had a formation and an after action review to discuss how the training went this week. I took my computer bag with me since I knew we’d be dismissed afterwards. I came back to the barracks around noon to find my bed torn apart and sheets all over the place. I said, “Who did this to my bed?” “I did”, said an E-8 who claimed to be in charge of the females at the training since she was the highest ranking NCO. “You were supposed to make up your bed and be back here after formation to help us clean, but since you weren’t you need to clean the bathroom and laundry room in the hallway.” There was NO instruction by the commander to do any of this at all. I said, “OK, but why did you have to mess up my bed?” Before I could say anything else she interrupted me and yelled, “What’s your rank?” I reluctantly responded, “I’m a Sergeant (E-5).” She got right up in my face, still yelling, “You better not disrespect me or my rank, if there’s a problem I’m taking this to the Commander, do you understand?” “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME SERGEANT?” I didn’t say anything the first time, and finally stammered out, “Yes.” Under my breath I uttered, “Now I understand how the military creates machines, not human beings.”
This was a rather long excerpt from my journal I wrote while training at Fort Hunter-Liggett, CA for a Civil Affairs course in September 2007. I have since, after being dismissed from the Army as a Conscientious Objector, wrestled with this degrading issue of humanity. When does a human being exist to be a human being and become a target, number, statistic…something expendable?
That following summer I attended another training in Camp Shelby, MI for a Basic Non-Commission Officer Course. I was absolutely horrified when the class instructor showed us this video during a block of training on Improvised Explosive Devices. This is graphic footage of three Iraqis who were shot to death by an Apache helicopter after being caught planting IED’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAYc-wFV2cQ&feature=related
To me, the cost of war is not nearly as horrifying as the transformation of war into a game. The class instructor played the video four times, and after each sequence the mocking laughter and celebration of the “hajji’s” explosion escalated. Is it a joke to watch precious life slip away into an unknown existence? If we believe that all women and men are created equal, then how is the death of an Iraqi no less tragic than the death of an American Citizen? Our nation’s eyes have turned to Haiti as the death toll is exceeding well over 100,000 from an uncontrollable earthquake. The majority of our nation’s eyes are blinded to the Iraqi death toll, which has exceeded well over 1,000,000 because of a once controllable U.S lead invasion in March of 2003. When will we wake up and realize the sacredness and value of every human life?
In June of 2007 I filed to be honorably discharged from the U.S Army as a Conscientious Objector to War. I refused to be responsible for any death by the barrel of my weapon. After over a year of fighting through my chain of command to prove the sincerity of my beliefs, I was released from the Army in October of 2008. I have the utmost respect for our servicemen and women today, and I support them by exposing the lies of the Military-Industrial Complex they are enslaved to. With over 700 military bases in over 120 countries worldwide, the American “Empire” has an expanding agenda with little to no regard for human life. It is this machine that is responsible for the deaths of the innocent. It is this machine that strips mankind of its humanity, and it is, therefore, our patriotic duty to destroy this machine so that humanity can be restored.
“I had an opportunity to participate in civilian role-play training with an Army unit in Fort Hunter-Liggett, CA. I was one of forty volunteers who played the part of a townsperson in a mock Afghan village. This training was conducted to prepare a psychological operations unit that will be deploying to Afghanistan in late October. Each role player was assigned a character and placed in everyday scenarios experienced during wartime. My role was quite complicated: I was asked to play the part of an American spy disguised as a USAID worker. In the duration of 48 hours I had been “caught” in my profession by the local Afghan police of the village, captured, placed in prison, held hostage, rescued by military forces, and interrogated by military intelligence. Like I said, it was quite a bit more than I bargained for when I first volunteered for the training. The things I return home with from this experience are disturbing, and yet not surprising considering what our country is doing in Iraq.
It was shocking to see Military Police, Drill Sergeants, and Infantry soldiers adapt into the mindset of the local Afghan police, the defenders of the village that was being occupied. These huge men, literally I was the only female at the training, that make Veterans proud soaked into their roles as local Afghan villagers when the “Military forces” rolled into town. After each group of soldiers passed by they would shout, “This is our town, who the hell do they think they are to just come in here like that!” “If my home was being invaded I’d be pissed, I’d take my weapon and just shoot the hell out of them”! A couple of times I responded to their complaints, “Well how to you think the Iraqi’s felt when you were there doing the same thing?” Some of them accused me of just being a “military hippie”, others said that “I was on the wrong side of things.” My response was completely dismissed.
It hurt to see how poorly trained and young these soldiers are. They came in questioning us with guns in their hands. They never smiled, acted friendly as if to win hearts and minds, asked our names, or opened up with their own names- and our Government is sending these men and women over there next month. Each scenario escalated to the final raid at the end. The military wanted to rid our town of the “bad guys” that were causing so much trouble.
I was told to be in hiding during the raid, so I huddled up in a little ball, with my head against the backside of a table. I knew they were coming even before the sound of gunshots. Our little town took its place in preparation for the raid that was about to come through. After a heavy downpour of gunfire, a message came out on the hummer’s speakers. “The United States is evacuating American citizens and select nationals, for your safety, please stay away from U.S forces.” The message did not exactly fit the soldier’s purpose for invading the small village. They came to rid the town of enemy CLF and drug dealers, even at the expense of the lives of innocent local civilians.
I was never actually evacuated from that raid, either I was being a bad role player or I couldn’t open my mouth to the horror experienced in just a mock scenario of a being in an occupied village. Some of the soldiers laughed as blanks were being fired like crazy. When their weapons malfunctioned, soldiers would yell, “BAM I got you!” I understand this because I am a soldier and it is very easy to dismiss this training as just a game. When I was in my hiding place, I could barely understand the message on the speaker…and it was English! I remembered thinking, “Am I supposed to come out and approach the soldiers to ask for help, or will they shoot at me with blanks?”
Today is the last day and I thought I was done playing G.I Jane. We had a formation and an after action review to discuss how the training went this week. I took my computer bag with me since I knew we’d be dismissed afterwards. I came back to the barracks around noon to find my bed torn apart and sheets all over the place. I said, “Who did this to my bed?” “I did”, said an E-8 who claimed to be in charge of the females at the training since she was the highest ranking NCO. “You were supposed to make up your bed and be back here after formation to help us clean, but since you weren’t you need to clean the bathroom and laundry room in the hallway.” There was NO instruction by the commander to do any of this at all. I said, “OK, but why did you have to mess up my bed?” Before I could say anything else she interrupted me and yelled, “What’s your rank?” I reluctantly responded, “I’m a Sergeant (E-5).” She got right up in my face, still yelling, “You better not disrespect me or my rank, if there’s a problem I’m taking this to the Commander, do you understand?” “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME SERGEANT?” I didn’t say anything the first time, and finally stammered out, “Yes.” Under my breath I uttered, “Now I understand how the military creates machines, not human beings.”
This was a rather long excerpt from my journal I wrote while training at Fort Hunter-Liggett, CA for a Civil Affairs course in September 2007. I have since, after being dismissed from the Army as a Conscientious Objector, wrestled with this degrading issue of humanity. When does a human being exist to be a human being and become a target, number, statistic…something expendable?
That following summer I attended another training in Camp Shelby, MI for a Basic Non-Commission Officer Course. I was absolutely horrified when the class instructor showed us this video during a block of training on Improvised Explosive Devices. This is graphic footage of three Iraqis who were shot to death by an Apache helicopter after being caught planting IED’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAYc-wFV2cQ&feature=related
To me, the cost of war is not nearly as horrifying as the transformation of war into a game. The class instructor played the video four times, and after each sequence the mocking laughter and celebration of the “hajji’s” explosion escalated. Is it a joke to watch precious life slip away into an unknown existence? If we believe that all women and men are created equal, then how is the death of an Iraqi no less tragic than the death of an American Citizen? Our nation’s eyes have turned to Haiti as the death toll is exceeding well over 100,000 from an uncontrollable earthquake. The majority of our nation’s eyes are blinded to the Iraqi death toll, which has exceeded well over 1,000,000 because of a once controllable U.S lead invasion in March of 2003. When will we wake up and realize the sacredness and value of every human life?
In June of 2007 I filed to be honorably discharged from the U.S Army as a Conscientious Objector to War. I refused to be responsible for any death by the barrel of my weapon. After over a year of fighting through my chain of command to prove the sincerity of my beliefs, I was released from the Army in October of 2008. I have the utmost respect for our servicemen and women today, and I support them by exposing the lies of the Military-Industrial Complex they are enslaved to. With over 700 military bases in over 120 countries worldwide, the American “Empire” has an expanding agenda with little to no regard for human life. It is this machine that is responsible for the deaths of the innocent. It is this machine that strips mankind of its humanity, and it is, therefore, our patriotic duty to destroy this machine so that humanity can be restored.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"Who Kills in God's Name" Song Lyrics
"Who Kills in God’s Name"
I am the last son of a meager man
Recruited from a war-torn desert land
My brother was killed by shrapnel in his chest,
when my mom got near they shot her in the neck
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a poor man, no education
Recruited to fight for this mighty nation
College can wait, I’m headed back to the War,
they took my buddies life and screamed, “Allah Hu Akbar”
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a poor dad at the roundabout
Waiting for work when I hear a man shout,
I walk to his car, he says I know what you need,
put this vest on- you have a family to feed
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a chaplain in the Army of God
Begging the Lord to bless our troops abroad
Give them courage to kill today
all the lost souls who hate the American way
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a widow taking shelter at Mosque
Begging for mercy for our country’s loss
Blood soaked streets, War’s cry from Imam,
Jihad declared, this is not my Islam
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a soldier that was caught in a war,
unjust death not worth fighting for
I lace up my boots and hit the streets of D.C,
it’s the war resisters who will set us free
Stop Killing in God’s Name
We can change
I am the last son of a meager man
Recruited from a war-torn desert land
My brother was killed by shrapnel in his chest,
when my mom got near they shot her in the neck
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a poor man, no education
Recruited to fight for this mighty nation
College can wait, I’m headed back to the War,
they took my buddies life and screamed, “Allah Hu Akbar”
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a poor dad at the roundabout
Waiting for work when I hear a man shout,
I walk to his car, he says I know what you need,
put this vest on- you have a family to feed
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a chaplain in the Army of God
Begging the Lord to bless our troops abroad
Give them courage to kill today
all the lost souls who hate the American way
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a widow taking shelter at Mosque
Begging for mercy for our country’s loss
Blood soaked streets, War’s cry from Imam,
Jihad declared, this is not my Islam
Who kills in God’s name?
Who’s to blame?
I am a soldier that was caught in a war,
unjust death not worth fighting for
I lace up my boots and hit the streets of D.C,
it’s the war resisters who will set us free
Stop Killing in God’s Name
We can change
Friday, October 3, 2008
My "working" Peace Quote List
“I think the human race needs to think more about killing, about conflict. Is that what we want in this 21st century?”
“If we had lost the war [Pacific engagement of WWII], we would all have been prosecuted as war criminals… what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?”
“We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe we should ever apply that economic, political and military power unilaterally… If we can’t persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better reexamine our reasons.”
“What is morally appropriate in a wartime environment?”
“If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe, we must develop a sense of empathy (understanding) to counter their attacks on us and the western world.”
-Robert S. McNamara, Sec. of Defense for Presidents Kennedy & Johnson (in the acclaimed documentary “The Fog of War”)
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. - Issac Asimov
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. - Albert Einstein
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong no matter who does it or who says it. - Malcolm X
"The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." - Abraham Lincoln
"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it." - Thomas Jefferson
"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount." - General Omar Bradley
"Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out ... and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel.... And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for 'the universal brotherhood of man' - with his mouth." - Mark Twain
Albert Einstein: “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”
“A permanent peace cannot be prepared by threats but only by the honest attempt to create a mutual trust. However strong national armaments may be, they do not create military security for any nation nor do they guarantee the maintenance of peace."
“I think the human race needs to think more about killing, about conflict. Is that what we want in this 21st century?”
“If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe, we must develop a sense of empathy (understanding) to counter their attacks on us and the western world.” -
Robert S. McNamara, Sec. of Defense for Presidents Kennedy & Johnson, in the Academy Award winning Documentary The Fog of War:
"Holy Disobedience becomes a virtue and indeed a necessary and indispensable measure of spiritual self-preservation." - A.J. Muste, Author of the essay Of Holy Disobedience 1952
"If you believe that all men are created equal, then a child's death in some other country is no less tragic than in the United States." - Bill Gates
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix
"War is not nice." - Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. President George H. Bush, mother of U.S. President George W. Bush
"This is a war between good and evil. …we will stand strong on the side of good, and we expect other nations to join us. This is not a war between our world and their world. It is a war to save the world." - George W. Bush, U.S. President
“[War] is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other's children." - former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize (10 December 2002)
Pope John Paul II:
“Today the scale and the horror of modern warfare—whether nuclear or not—makes it totally unacceptable as a means of settling differences between nations.”
"War is against Life and against Man." - World Day of Peace Homily, 01JAN1980
“Violence and arms can never resolve the problems of men.”
Rev. Billy Graham:
"God is not interested in destruction, but in redemption."
"Christ calls us to love, that is the critical test of discipleship."
"People matter, life is sacred. Men, women and children are worth the greatest sacrifice, the supreme effort, the ultimate gift."
"War's a profanity, because let's face it, you've got two opposing sides trying to settle their differences by killing as many of each other as they can." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"[The Jewish] Bible and the Talmud refrain from praising David and the Maccabees for their military leadership, but underscore their eminence as psalmist and as upholders of religious freedom." - Rabbi Isidor B. Hoffman
"Do you know, Fontanes, what astonishes me most in this world? The inability of force to create anything. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the spirit." -Napoleon
“The future of modern society depends much more on the quiet heroism of the very few who are inspired by God. These few will greatly enjoy the divine inspiration and will be prepared to stand for the dignity of Man and true freedom and to keep the Law of God, even of it means martyrdom or death.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Did the Martyrs not pray that Love would overcome hatred, that men dying for their faith, rather than killing for their faith, would save the world?" - Dorothy Day, in an editorial of "The Catholic Worker"
“What a cruel thing is war...to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.” - Robert E. Lee
"So that by killing by order of your commander you are a murderer as much as the thief who kills a rich man to rob him. He is tempted by money, and you by the desire not to be punished, or to receive a reward. [such as praise or recognition] A Christian cannot surrender his conscience into the power of another man, no matter by what title he may be called." - Leo Tolstoy (Author of the classic War and Peace)
Mahatma Gandhi:
"To benefit by others killing and delude oneself into the belief that one is being very religious and nonviolent is sheer self-deception."
"In nonviolence the masses have a weapon which enables a child, a woman, or even a decrepit old man to resist the mightiest government successfully."
Nonviolence is, he said, "the most active force in the world. It is the weapon not of the weak...but of the strongest and bravest... No power on earth can stand before the march of a peaceful, determined, and God-fearing people."
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"
Martin Luther, the Reformer:
“War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.”
“My conscience is captive to the Word of God, for to go against [my] conscience is neither right nor safe… Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars." [the myth of redemptive violence]
"These are extreme times. The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?" from Letter from the Birmingham Jail, 16APR1963
"The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness."
"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land."
"The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows."
“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
“It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.”
Mother Teresa:
"We can do not great things, only small things with great love. It is not how much you do but how much love you put into doing it."
"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
From The New Testament Basis of Peacemaking, by Richard McSorley:
Active love is the response Jesus wants us to have even towards our enemies. Our love is to be independent of the attitude of the other person. We are to love simply because God wants us to reveal ourselves as true sons and daughters of our heavenly Father by this love. P. 5
The absence of hate is not what the gospel asks of us. P. 7
[War] makes my neighbor hungry, thirsty, homeless, a prisoner, and sick. War asks us to lay the cross of suffering on others. P. 16
Christian pacifists of the first three centuries were able to live through and overthrow the government of the Jewish Priests, the government of Rome, and the religion of Rome. P. 46
Once the messiah came and the chosen people became all people, war was obsolete; no longer part of the covenant arrangement. P. 51
It is precisely because life belongs to God that God forbids humans to take it. P. 68
From The Irresistible Revolution, by Shane Claiborne:
There is something worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for. p.207
It is more courageous to love our enemies than to kill them. p. 207
Revolutionary Subordination exposes the evils of power and violence without mirroring them. p.217
People in Iraq call leaders in the US Christian Extremists, just as leaders here speak of Muslim Extremists. Everyone is declaring war and asking for Gods blessing. P. 218 (read War Prayer by Mark Twain)
Christians are not called to safety, but we are promised that God will be with us when we are in danger, and there is no better place to be than in the Hands of God. P.227
Christians should be troublemakers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society. -French theologian Jacques Ellul p.231
There comes a point where we recognize we’re trying to serve two masters, and we have to choose which one we will serve. Our arms are just not big enough to carry both the cross and the sword. P.249
If we believe terrorists are beyond redemption, we can rip out half of our New Testament, since it was written by a converted terrorist who became an extremist for Grace. P.272
Violence is for those who have lost their imagination. P. 279
The only thing harder than hatred is love. The only thing harder than war is peace. P. 285
We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving. P.286
Degrees of separation allow us to destroy human beings we do not know except as the enemy. P. 304
[Jesus'] power was not in crushing but in being crushed, triumphing over the empires sword with his cross. P. 337
From The Call to Conversion, by Rev. Jim Wallis:
We are barely conscious of the harm we inflict on others when it is done through the social institutions to which we belong. P. 31
God’s kingdom is never brought into the world by force, but rather through a cross; not through a warrior king, but a suffering servant. P. 86
The cross is both the symbol of our salvation and the pattern for our lives. P. 93
A church that places its trust in weapons and war is a church that no longer trusts in the Lord. P. 94
Perhaps we can better comprehend the deaths in war if we realize that that Jesus is the central victim… Jesus is there with every father, mother, and terrified child. He feels every death. P. 107
The making of peace… can result in great conflict. Such a ministry of reconciliation will cost something, and it will often make us misunderstood in a world that knows violence better than peace. P. 108
The greatest need of our time is for koinonia, the call simply to be the church, to love one another, and to offer our lives for the sake of the world. p. 112
The experience of God’s forgiveness occurs most directly through the forgiveness of [our] brothers and sisters. P. 131
Becoming known as peacemakers in the world is not simply a political stance, it is through and through a reflection of our worship. P. 149
Nonviolence turns adversaries into friends, not by winning over them, but by winning them over. P. 152
The love that established the pattern of servanthood in Jesus Christ [will] forever be the heartbeat of Christian faith. P. 162
BIBLE (NIV Translation)
Isaiah 6:8 "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here I am, send me!"
Love your enemy
"44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:44-45
"27 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28
"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:35
1 John 3:15 “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him.”
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.
Obedience/Authorities
“Everyone should submit themselves to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1
"1Remind the people to be subject to the rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility to all men." Titus 3:1-2
"1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1Timothy 2:1-2
“Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’” Acts 5:29
Shiphrah and Puah, Hebrew midwives, risked their lives by refusing Pharaoh's order
to kill all the Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:15-22).
Moses challenged mighty Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go into the desert to worship God
(Exodus 5-12).
Elijah confronted King Ahab when he killed Naboth and confiscated his vineyard
(I Kings 21).
Three youths named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were willing to be thrown into a
fiery furnace rather than bowing down to King Nebuchadnezzar's 90-foot golden
statue (Daniel 3).
When King Darius ordered his subjects to pray only to the king, Daniel continued to
pray to God -- and was thrown into a lion's den (Daniel 6).
Esther risked her life to plead the case of her people before King Ahasuerus
(Esther 4-8).
The people appealed to Nehemiah, the governor, about unjust economic practices of
the ruling class (Nehemiah. 5).
John the Baptist lost his head challenging King Herod about his unlawful marriage
to Herodias (Mark 6:14-29).
The birth of hierarchy: “But when [the elders] said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” 1 Samuel 8:6-7
Peace
God’s eternal covenant is called a “covenant of peace;”
Numbers 25:12,
Isaiah 54:10,
Ezekiel 34:25 & 37:26,
Malachi 2:5
Judges 6:24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
1 Kings 2:33 May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the LORD's peace forever."
Psalms 34:14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Psalms 85:10 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
*compare to Isaiah 32:17 - “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”
1 Peter 2:16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
Psalms 12:20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.
Psalms 68:30b Scatter the nations who delight in war
Zechariah 9:10 [the Messiah] will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 9:6 - Messiah is the “Prince of Peace”
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Luke 1:79 (the end of Zechariah’s song) “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord [disagreement or strife between people], jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions [disagreement or difference of opinion, especially when leading to open conflict], factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Colossians 3:14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
1 Peter 3:11 He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Luke 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Colossians 1:21, 2:15 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior… having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Hosea 10:13b-14 Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated.
Romans 3:8 Paul explains to the Church in Rome what to do about people who say “Let us do evil so that good may result”– he says their condemnation is deserved.
He goes on to say: “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” (Romans 3: 15-17, quoting Isaiah 59:7-8: “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.”)
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but you don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you spend what you get on your pleasures.
Matthew 26:51 With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
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“If we had lost the war [Pacific engagement of WWII], we would all have been prosecuted as war criminals… what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?”
“We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe we should ever apply that economic, political and military power unilaterally… If we can’t persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better reexamine our reasons.”
“What is morally appropriate in a wartime environment?”
“If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe, we must develop a sense of empathy (understanding) to counter their attacks on us and the western world.”
-Robert S. McNamara, Sec. of Defense for Presidents Kennedy & Johnson (in the acclaimed documentary “The Fog of War”)
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. - Issac Asimov
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. - Albert Einstein
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong no matter who does it or who says it. - Malcolm X
"The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." - Abraham Lincoln
"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it." - Thomas Jefferson
"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount." - General Omar Bradley
"Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out ... and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel.... And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for 'the universal brotherhood of man' - with his mouth." - Mark Twain
Albert Einstein: “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”
“A permanent peace cannot be prepared by threats but only by the honest attempt to create a mutual trust. However strong national armaments may be, they do not create military security for any nation nor do they guarantee the maintenance of peace."
“I think the human race needs to think more about killing, about conflict. Is that what we want in this 21st century?”
“If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe, we must develop a sense of empathy (understanding) to counter their attacks on us and the western world.” -
Robert S. McNamara, Sec. of Defense for Presidents Kennedy & Johnson, in the Academy Award winning Documentary The Fog of War:
"Holy Disobedience becomes a virtue and indeed a necessary and indispensable measure of spiritual self-preservation." - A.J. Muste, Author of the essay Of Holy Disobedience 1952
"If you believe that all men are created equal, then a child's death in some other country is no less tragic than in the United States." - Bill Gates
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix
"War is not nice." - Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. President George H. Bush, mother of U.S. President George W. Bush
"This is a war between good and evil. …we will stand strong on the side of good, and we expect other nations to join us. This is not a war between our world and their world. It is a war to save the world." - George W. Bush, U.S. President
“[War] is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other's children." - former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize (10 December 2002)
Pope John Paul II:
“Today the scale and the horror of modern warfare—whether nuclear or not—makes it totally unacceptable as a means of settling differences between nations.”
"War is against Life and against Man." - World Day of Peace Homily, 01JAN1980
“Violence and arms can never resolve the problems of men.”
Rev. Billy Graham:
"God is not interested in destruction, but in redemption."
"Christ calls us to love, that is the critical test of discipleship."
"People matter, life is sacred. Men, women and children are worth the greatest sacrifice, the supreme effort, the ultimate gift."
"War's a profanity, because let's face it, you've got two opposing sides trying to settle their differences by killing as many of each other as they can." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"[The Jewish] Bible and the Talmud refrain from praising David and the Maccabees for their military leadership, but underscore their eminence as psalmist and as upholders of religious freedom." - Rabbi Isidor B. Hoffman
"Do you know, Fontanes, what astonishes me most in this world? The inability of force to create anything. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the spirit." -Napoleon
“The future of modern society depends much more on the quiet heroism of the very few who are inspired by God. These few will greatly enjoy the divine inspiration and will be prepared to stand for the dignity of Man and true freedom and to keep the Law of God, even of it means martyrdom or death.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Did the Martyrs not pray that Love would overcome hatred, that men dying for their faith, rather than killing for their faith, would save the world?" - Dorothy Day, in an editorial of "The Catholic Worker"
“What a cruel thing is war...to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.” - Robert E. Lee
"So that by killing by order of your commander you are a murderer as much as the thief who kills a rich man to rob him. He is tempted by money, and you by the desire not to be punished, or to receive a reward. [such as praise or recognition] A Christian cannot surrender his conscience into the power of another man, no matter by what title he may be called." - Leo Tolstoy (Author of the classic War and Peace)
Mahatma Gandhi:
"To benefit by others killing and delude oneself into the belief that one is being very religious and nonviolent is sheer self-deception."
"In nonviolence the masses have a weapon which enables a child, a woman, or even a decrepit old man to resist the mightiest government successfully."
Nonviolence is, he said, "the most active force in the world. It is the weapon not of the weak...but of the strongest and bravest... No power on earth can stand before the march of a peaceful, determined, and God-fearing people."
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"
Martin Luther, the Reformer:
“War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.”
“My conscience is captive to the Word of God, for to go against [my] conscience is neither right nor safe… Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars." [the myth of redemptive violence]
"These are extreme times. The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?" from Letter from the Birmingham Jail, 16APR1963
"The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness."
"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land."
"The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows."
“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
“It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.”
Mother Teresa:
"We can do not great things, only small things with great love. It is not how much you do but how much love you put into doing it."
"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
From The New Testament Basis of Peacemaking, by Richard McSorley:
Active love is the response Jesus wants us to have even towards our enemies. Our love is to be independent of the attitude of the other person. We are to love simply because God wants us to reveal ourselves as true sons and daughters of our heavenly Father by this love. P. 5
The absence of hate is not what the gospel asks of us. P. 7
[War] makes my neighbor hungry, thirsty, homeless, a prisoner, and sick. War asks us to lay the cross of suffering on others. P. 16
Christian pacifists of the first three centuries were able to live through and overthrow the government of the Jewish Priests, the government of Rome, and the religion of Rome. P. 46
Once the messiah came and the chosen people became all people, war was obsolete; no longer part of the covenant arrangement. P. 51
It is precisely because life belongs to God that God forbids humans to take it. P. 68
From The Irresistible Revolution, by Shane Claiborne:
There is something worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for. p.207
It is more courageous to love our enemies than to kill them. p. 207
Revolutionary Subordination exposes the evils of power and violence without mirroring them. p.217
People in Iraq call leaders in the US Christian Extremists, just as leaders here speak of Muslim Extremists. Everyone is declaring war and asking for Gods blessing. P. 218 (read War Prayer by Mark Twain)
Christians are not called to safety, but we are promised that God will be with us when we are in danger, and there is no better place to be than in the Hands of God. P.227
Christians should be troublemakers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society. -French theologian Jacques Ellul p.231
There comes a point where we recognize we’re trying to serve two masters, and we have to choose which one we will serve. Our arms are just not big enough to carry both the cross and the sword. P.249
If we believe terrorists are beyond redemption, we can rip out half of our New Testament, since it was written by a converted terrorist who became an extremist for Grace. P.272
Violence is for those who have lost their imagination. P. 279
The only thing harder than hatred is love. The only thing harder than war is peace. P. 285
We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving. P.286
Degrees of separation allow us to destroy human beings we do not know except as the enemy. P. 304
[Jesus'] power was not in crushing but in being crushed, triumphing over the empires sword with his cross. P. 337
From The Call to Conversion, by Rev. Jim Wallis:
We are barely conscious of the harm we inflict on others when it is done through the social institutions to which we belong. P. 31
God’s kingdom is never brought into the world by force, but rather through a cross; not through a warrior king, but a suffering servant. P. 86
The cross is both the symbol of our salvation and the pattern for our lives. P. 93
A church that places its trust in weapons and war is a church that no longer trusts in the Lord. P. 94
Perhaps we can better comprehend the deaths in war if we realize that that Jesus is the central victim… Jesus is there with every father, mother, and terrified child. He feels every death. P. 107
The making of peace… can result in great conflict. Such a ministry of reconciliation will cost something, and it will often make us misunderstood in a world that knows violence better than peace. P. 108
The greatest need of our time is for koinonia, the call simply to be the church, to love one another, and to offer our lives for the sake of the world. p. 112
The experience of God’s forgiveness occurs most directly through the forgiveness of [our] brothers and sisters. P. 131
Becoming known as peacemakers in the world is not simply a political stance, it is through and through a reflection of our worship. P. 149
Nonviolence turns adversaries into friends, not by winning over them, but by winning them over. P. 152
The love that established the pattern of servanthood in Jesus Christ [will] forever be the heartbeat of Christian faith. P. 162
BIBLE (NIV Translation)
Isaiah 6:8 "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here I am, send me!"
Love your enemy
"44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:44-45
"27 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28
"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:35
1 John 3:15 “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him.”
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.
Obedience/Authorities
“Everyone should submit themselves to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1
"1Remind the people to be subject to the rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility to all men." Titus 3:1-2
"1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1Timothy 2:1-2
“Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’” Acts 5:29
Shiphrah and Puah, Hebrew midwives, risked their lives by refusing Pharaoh's order
to kill all the Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:15-22).
Moses challenged mighty Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go into the desert to worship God
(Exodus 5-12).
Elijah confronted King Ahab when he killed Naboth and confiscated his vineyard
(I Kings 21).
Three youths named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were willing to be thrown into a
fiery furnace rather than bowing down to King Nebuchadnezzar's 90-foot golden
statue (Daniel 3).
When King Darius ordered his subjects to pray only to the king, Daniel continued to
pray to God -- and was thrown into a lion's den (Daniel 6).
Esther risked her life to plead the case of her people before King Ahasuerus
(Esther 4-8).
The people appealed to Nehemiah, the governor, about unjust economic practices of
the ruling class (Nehemiah. 5).
John the Baptist lost his head challenging King Herod about his unlawful marriage
to Herodias (Mark 6:14-29).
The birth of hierarchy: “But when [the elders] said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” 1 Samuel 8:6-7
Peace
God’s eternal covenant is called a “covenant of peace;”
Numbers 25:12,
Isaiah 54:10,
Ezekiel 34:25 & 37:26,
Malachi 2:5
Judges 6:24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
1 Kings 2:33 May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the LORD's peace forever."
Psalms 34:14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Psalms 85:10 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
*compare to Isaiah 32:17 - “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”
1 Peter 2:16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
Psalms 12:20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.
Psalms 68:30b Scatter the nations who delight in war
Zechariah 9:10 [the Messiah] will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 9:6 - Messiah is the “Prince of Peace”
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Luke 1:79 (the end of Zechariah’s song) “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord [disagreement or strife between people], jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions [disagreement or difference of opinion, especially when leading to open conflict], factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Colossians 3:14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
1 Peter 3:11 He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Luke 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Colossians 1:21, 2:15 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior… having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Hosea 10:13b-14 Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated.
Romans 3:8 Paul explains to the Church in Rome what to do about people who say “Let us do evil so that good may result”– he says their condemnation is deserved.
He goes on to say: “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” (Romans 3: 15-17, quoting Isaiah 59:7-8: “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.”)
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but you don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you spend what you get on your pleasures.
Matthew 26:51 With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
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Sunday, March 16, 2008
A Window to my Pain
I want you to see what's inside: there's something lovely and broken and real, but it's dieing. The tip of the candlewick is flickering, the shriveled flower is curling up, the circles surrounding the eyes are growing pale. Nothing is more dreadful then the death of one's soul, my soul, and here is my story. The story of my death, because until you find what you're willing to die for, you're never really living.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Conscientious Objector Packet Essays
b. Training and belief
(1) Specific Statement: I am requesting discharge and classification as a conscientious objector 1-0.
(2) Nature of Beliefs: I believe that the whole world belongs to God. Every creature is a product of his creation, and therefore possesses intrinsic value beyond human understanding. Because I uphold the worth of humanity, as God’s “good” creation, I value all life. Life is God’s gift to every human being; I do not believe it is the right of any man or woman to take that life from another human being. I believe God is the only true judge of good and evil- it is not a responsibility that falls on humanity. Therefore, I do not believe it is the right of any man or woman, based upon the judgment of the measure of evil in another human being, to determine the final course of action for that human being’s life. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and my belief in him binds me to model my life after the life he lived on this earth. Jesus said “if someone slaps you on the cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well.” Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus said “no greater love is this, then if you would lay down your life for another.” I believe that if you truly love someone, you will be willing to promote that individual’s best interest at the risk of self-sacrifice. My faith in God compels me to lay down my weapon as an act of protection for those who cannot defend themselves.
(3) Development of Beliefs: I joined the U.S Army at 18 years old because my belief in God has always lead me to do something for the greater cause of humanity. I dedicated my life to helping people in need through voluntary military service, and anticipated overseas deployments in which I could experience new cultures and languages.
Basic Training was complete culture shock- nothing less than I expected it to be. The U.S began the occupation of Iraq while I was in my third week of training. The Drill Sergeants would scream, “We’re training you to kill those damn towel heads.” I believed in God’s love for the so-called “enemy” we were training to kill. Despite the comments offensiveness, my beliefs never crystallized about becoming or being a CO. I did not even know what a CO was; I was focused on finishing the initial training and getting to my permanent duty station.
After Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, I went to Johnson Bible College where I majored in Bible, theology, and missions. The military, during my years in college, became a great source of personal pride. My college and church were very supportive of the military and the war in Iraq. I was approached by two Command Sergeant Majors and two Officers to consider getting a direct commission as a chaplain because of my religious studies. I turned the offer down on all occasions because I felt that my vocation lied elsewhere than long term with the military, although I quickly advanced within the ranks of my unit because of my meritorious service. At this point I did not see my service to country conflicting with my religious beliefs. I continued to offer support to soldiers by coordinating chapel services with the student preaching majors from my college on drill weekends. I enjoyed the Warrior Task Training with my unit every year because it was bold and adventurous compared to the laborious office work that plagued my section every month. To me, the training was like a game of laser tag or paintball.
The turning point came earlier this year at my unit’s Warrior Task Training at Fort McClellan, AL from May 14th to 18th. I could no longer keep my composure when I started to realize that the targets we are training to fire at represent actual fathers, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, best friends, human beings. I escaped the reality of what we were training for by “having fun” to numb the pain. On two of the evenings that week I went out and drank exceedingly over the limit of what I can handle. My CSM was very disappointed in the display of my character not only as an NCO, but also as a person of faith. We talked about it, but I was not honest with him about the motivations for my wild behavior- how could I be honest with him if I was not even honest with myself or God? I came home cold and bitter, until I heard a sermon preached by a visiting priest at Sacred Heart, the Catholic Church I attend in Camden, NJ. He spoke about love casting out fear, violence, and war. I finally broke down into tears and a trusted friend revealed to me a truth they had been holding onto for a month. My friend said, “You always told me that you could stay in the military as a person of faith because it did not affect you, but the truth is that it does affect you, it has changed you.” It was this WTT training in May 2007 that crystallized my beliefs of being a CO.
(4) When These Beliefs Become Incompatible with Combatant Service and Why: My beliefs did not become incompatible with Combatant Service until recently. I went to a conference in January 2007 to network with relief organizations I wanted to work for after my time of service ended in the military. I was watching an informational video of a particular organization’s field teams in Iraq, when I had a rather embarrassing PTSD moment that interrupted their presentation. I cried out, “how can anyone like me help these people, I am a trained killer!” I left the conference believing I would be a lifetime slave to the military industrial complex, and vowed to volunteer for immediate deployment to Iraq.
The very first drill weekend after that conference, January 6-7, 2007, I marched into my CSM’s office and told him of my desire to deploy to Iraq. I said I’d like to possibly switch into Civil Affairs or look into becoming an Arabic linguist. He immediately took me to the 489th Civil Affairs unit that was drilling next door so they could provide me with accurate information about the MOS. I expected Civil Affairs to be the humanitarian aid side of the military. I was, however, surprised to find out that it wasn’t simply just meeting people’s needs; it was about working with the local Iraqi people to comply with the “Commanders intent.” Out my love and concern for the people, I could endanger the lives of fellow soldiers. I started having nightmares about disobeying the orders of my superiors and approaching civilians- women in need and children that cried to be held.
All of the mental confusion from Basic Training that I had forgotten came rushing back. I still wanted to deploy, but not without understanding what I was deploying into. I decided to commit the last semester of my senior year at Johnson to studying war, not only the current events occurring in Iraq, but God’s view on war and the application it had to me. I wanted to know how a person of faith could serve as a soldier. I sought out answers from professors and friends at school- and under their advice read several books on the Christian Just War Theory. After much debate and estrangement with the principals taught at my College, I realized I was on my own in my beliefs. Nothing in mind justifies taking human life, and there is an abundance of injustice for Iraqi civilians in this war our Government is waging. I was beginning to question my existence in the military- searching deep into the motivations for why I joined in the first place. I still wanted to stay with the military, to honor my commitment and not give in to the abandonment of something because is challenging to my belief system. I do think, however, that once the very institution I am a part of is contradictory to my personal identity as a person of faith, it is not just my choice to leave that entity. It is a command to obey all that God asks me to be, or not to be.
I now realize that my role in the military contributes to the greater mission and purpose of the Army. I may not be on the front lines, even though there are no front lines, but my mission as the S-1 NCO contributes to the cycle of violence that I strongly oppose. Today's Army trains every male and female to kill, following the motto, "everyone is an infantryman first." Because I do not believe in taking another human beings life, I, in no way, can remain true to my beliefs by being a part of this training that is geared towards ending human life.
(5) Acceptable Uses of Force: I am not a Pacifist, because I believe that making peace involves action. It is unfortunate that we live in a fallen world; evil does exist, and will continue to exist despite all of our efforts at making peace. I wish I lived in a world where I could walk home after dark and not have to be escorted by males- I’m currently living in Camden, NJ, the 4th most violent city in the United States. In Camden, I am not invisible to the eyes of the males with harassing stares and obvious motives. It is difficult to release the bitter hatred that built up in my heart as men in Cairo, Egypt verbally assaulted me. I wish that I could have done more to address the sexual comments made about myself and other females by males in the Army- even from our own unit.
If someone on the street attacked me, I would use every measure of self-defense, or expect someone from my accompanying party to protect me in a way that does not severely harm the attacker. Yes, it does take force to physically remove an opponent, just as it would take as much force to directly place one-self in front of that opponent to protect the one being attacked. I would not, however, want my attacker to receive more brutal force than is necessary to prevent him/her from the original attack. I find that an appropriate use of force is only acceptable when defending those who are defenseless. I think this is ideally the role of the police force and a positive goal of the U.S military. I do agree with the use of the police force only because it is accountable to a larger entity. Historically, in dealing with international conflict, the military has lacked in accountability with little regard for international interests or responsibilities. The very premise of the military, not just the U.S military, but also all militaries, is to attempt peace through violence. However, because of the massive scale of war, the end result is typically that another party of the “defenseless” is severely injured or killed. Justification for the use of force is effective only as much as the result - injury or death - is acceptable to one’s human conscience. I am not the judge of any other human conscience, I can only speak for my own: To me, any amount of force that results in the death or serious injury of another human being is absolutely unacceptable.
(6) Demonstration of Consistency and Depth: This process that simply started with questioning my role as a “Christian soldier” during my last semester of College turned out to be quite a bit more than I expected. I wanted to know more about the current situation in Iraq because I wanted to understand how I could contribute a year of voluntary deployment to helping the Iraqi civilians and live as a witness of hope among fellow soldiers. My servant’s heart that desired to help people in need cried, “I want to go over there and help fix the mess!” The shocking reality was the realization that I am the mess. I represent everything the military stands for when I wear the uniform. I represent not only our declared “War on Terrorism”, but also all of the wars in the history of humanity fought in the name of religion. Once I started addressing some of these convictions, my lifestyle at Johnson Bible College dramatically changed. I lost most of my friendships due to misunderstandings in the person I was becoming. To my friends at Johnson, I was the girl who wanted to save the world by doing relief work in the Middle East and gung-ho about the Army. That was the established identity I had for the past 4 years at school. It was very hard for my friends to accept the changes that were occurring in me.
This was a turning point for me at Johnson: I used to be seen as “someone who would do great things for the Kingdom”, but once I started disagreeing with everyone I became “too radical” and “theologically confused.” My attitude was horrible. I adopted a rebellious spirit because I was sick of being in a bubble completely ignorant to a world of emerging pain. It was not just the military that I struggled with- I was angry with the entire focus of my educational plan for the past 4 years: I knew more about the hermeneutical contextualization of the Bible than the global war on poverty; I knew more about unreached people groups (where there are no churches) than large-scale people groups that are suffering; I knew how to translate the entire epistle of 1 John from the original Greek language, but I couldn’t prove my love for God in the midst of broken relationships. It pains me now that I know more about the care and use of the M16A2 firing rifle than the innocent Iraqi civilians who have lost loved ones due to our fear of “weapons of mass destruction.”
(7) Demonstration of Lifestyle Change: I moved to Camden immediately following my graduation at Johnson Bible College. For the past four years, I studied and trained to live in a third-world country across the ocean. Now, because of the recent development and change in my beliefs, I want to first simply live as a person of faith in my own backyard. I have intentionally moved to Camden to live in community with other like-minded believers. My new group of friends and I live in what is called an “intentional faith community.” We share our resources, income, debts, time, relationships, pain, and lives with each other. I have been learning so much about the toll my life has on others, especially the stamp I leave upon the environment. I have adopted vegetarian habits and try to only eat meat when I know its source. Because I believe that my life is accountable to a larger entity (God), I now see how my very lifestyle affects other people's interests. The lifestyle of being a Vegetarian is simply a way of conserving resources. The majority of the U.S clean water supply is used to hydrate cattle and farm animals that we consume, and a large portion of the third world is dying of dehydration. I rarely shop for clothes anymore, and just three weeks ago I pulled two large trash bag’s worth of clothing that had a strange origin on the tag. I used to drive a Jeep Wrangler, but decided last month that I needed to sell it because of the waste of gas money, the toll that gas plays on the environment, and the aggressive mode I adopt every time I get behind the wheel. I left my Jeep in Columbus, OH, and now bike and take the Greyhound bus for long distance trips. I have even become more aware of my coffee selection. I will only drink coffee if it is fair-trade, as opposed to the 3-4 café mochas I used to gulp down every drill weekend from Starbucks. In the near future I would like to go to the West Bank with a Christian Peacemaker Team. I represented their organization at a music festival in early July. This organization is dedicated to making peace in war-zones. They currently do not have teams in Iraq because of the war, but as soon as the opportunity opens up, I plan on going to Iraq to help the people who have lost so much.
(1) Specific Statement: I am requesting discharge and classification as a conscientious objector 1-0.
(2) Nature of Beliefs: I believe that the whole world belongs to God. Every creature is a product of his creation, and therefore possesses intrinsic value beyond human understanding. Because I uphold the worth of humanity, as God’s “good” creation, I value all life. Life is God’s gift to every human being; I do not believe it is the right of any man or woman to take that life from another human being. I believe God is the only true judge of good and evil- it is not a responsibility that falls on humanity. Therefore, I do not believe it is the right of any man or woman, based upon the judgment of the measure of evil in another human being, to determine the final course of action for that human being’s life. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and my belief in him binds me to model my life after the life he lived on this earth. Jesus said “if someone slaps you on the cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well.” Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus said “no greater love is this, then if you would lay down your life for another.” I believe that if you truly love someone, you will be willing to promote that individual’s best interest at the risk of self-sacrifice. My faith in God compels me to lay down my weapon as an act of protection for those who cannot defend themselves.
(3) Development of Beliefs: I joined the U.S Army at 18 years old because my belief in God has always lead me to do something for the greater cause of humanity. I dedicated my life to helping people in need through voluntary military service, and anticipated overseas deployments in which I could experience new cultures and languages.
Basic Training was complete culture shock- nothing less than I expected it to be. The U.S began the occupation of Iraq while I was in my third week of training. The Drill Sergeants would scream, “We’re training you to kill those damn towel heads.” I believed in God’s love for the so-called “enemy” we were training to kill. Despite the comments offensiveness, my beliefs never crystallized about becoming or being a CO. I did not even know what a CO was; I was focused on finishing the initial training and getting to my permanent duty station.
After Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, I went to Johnson Bible College where I majored in Bible, theology, and missions. The military, during my years in college, became a great source of personal pride. My college and church were very supportive of the military and the war in Iraq. I was approached by two Command Sergeant Majors and two Officers to consider getting a direct commission as a chaplain because of my religious studies. I turned the offer down on all occasions because I felt that my vocation lied elsewhere than long term with the military, although I quickly advanced within the ranks of my unit because of my meritorious service. At this point I did not see my service to country conflicting with my religious beliefs. I continued to offer support to soldiers by coordinating chapel services with the student preaching majors from my college on drill weekends. I enjoyed the Warrior Task Training with my unit every year because it was bold and adventurous compared to the laborious office work that plagued my section every month. To me, the training was like a game of laser tag or paintball.
The turning point came earlier this year at my unit’s Warrior Task Training at Fort McClellan, AL from May 14th to 18th. I could no longer keep my composure when I started to realize that the targets we are training to fire at represent actual fathers, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, best friends, human beings. I escaped the reality of what we were training for by “having fun” to numb the pain. On two of the evenings that week I went out and drank exceedingly over the limit of what I can handle. My CSM was very disappointed in the display of my character not only as an NCO, but also as a person of faith. We talked about it, but I was not honest with him about the motivations for my wild behavior- how could I be honest with him if I was not even honest with myself or God? I came home cold and bitter, until I heard a sermon preached by a visiting priest at Sacred Heart, the Catholic Church I attend in Camden, NJ. He spoke about love casting out fear, violence, and war. I finally broke down into tears and a trusted friend revealed to me a truth they had been holding onto for a month. My friend said, “You always told me that you could stay in the military as a person of faith because it did not affect you, but the truth is that it does affect you, it has changed you.” It was this WTT training in May 2007 that crystallized my beliefs of being a CO.
(4) When These Beliefs Become Incompatible with Combatant Service and Why: My beliefs did not become incompatible with Combatant Service until recently. I went to a conference in January 2007 to network with relief organizations I wanted to work for after my time of service ended in the military. I was watching an informational video of a particular organization’s field teams in Iraq, when I had a rather embarrassing PTSD moment that interrupted their presentation. I cried out, “how can anyone like me help these people, I am a trained killer!” I left the conference believing I would be a lifetime slave to the military industrial complex, and vowed to volunteer for immediate deployment to Iraq.
The very first drill weekend after that conference, January 6-7, 2007, I marched into my CSM’s office and told him of my desire to deploy to Iraq. I said I’d like to possibly switch into Civil Affairs or look into becoming an Arabic linguist. He immediately took me to the 489th Civil Affairs unit that was drilling next door so they could provide me with accurate information about the MOS. I expected Civil Affairs to be the humanitarian aid side of the military. I was, however, surprised to find out that it wasn’t simply just meeting people’s needs; it was about working with the local Iraqi people to comply with the “Commanders intent.” Out my love and concern for the people, I could endanger the lives of fellow soldiers. I started having nightmares about disobeying the orders of my superiors and approaching civilians- women in need and children that cried to be held.
All of the mental confusion from Basic Training that I had forgotten came rushing back. I still wanted to deploy, but not without understanding what I was deploying into. I decided to commit the last semester of my senior year at Johnson to studying war, not only the current events occurring in Iraq, but God’s view on war and the application it had to me. I wanted to know how a person of faith could serve as a soldier. I sought out answers from professors and friends at school- and under their advice read several books on the Christian Just War Theory. After much debate and estrangement with the principals taught at my College, I realized I was on my own in my beliefs. Nothing in mind justifies taking human life, and there is an abundance of injustice for Iraqi civilians in this war our Government is waging. I was beginning to question my existence in the military- searching deep into the motivations for why I joined in the first place. I still wanted to stay with the military, to honor my commitment and not give in to the abandonment of something because is challenging to my belief system. I do think, however, that once the very institution I am a part of is contradictory to my personal identity as a person of faith, it is not just my choice to leave that entity. It is a command to obey all that God asks me to be, or not to be.
I now realize that my role in the military contributes to the greater mission and purpose of the Army. I may not be on the front lines, even though there are no front lines, but my mission as the S-1 NCO contributes to the cycle of violence that I strongly oppose. Today's Army trains every male and female to kill, following the motto, "everyone is an infantryman first." Because I do not believe in taking another human beings life, I, in no way, can remain true to my beliefs by being a part of this training that is geared towards ending human life.
(5) Acceptable Uses of Force: I am not a Pacifist, because I believe that making peace involves action. It is unfortunate that we live in a fallen world; evil does exist, and will continue to exist despite all of our efforts at making peace. I wish I lived in a world where I could walk home after dark and not have to be escorted by males- I’m currently living in Camden, NJ, the 4th most violent city in the United States. In Camden, I am not invisible to the eyes of the males with harassing stares and obvious motives. It is difficult to release the bitter hatred that built up in my heart as men in Cairo, Egypt verbally assaulted me. I wish that I could have done more to address the sexual comments made about myself and other females by males in the Army- even from our own unit.
If someone on the street attacked me, I would use every measure of self-defense, or expect someone from my accompanying party to protect me in a way that does not severely harm the attacker. Yes, it does take force to physically remove an opponent, just as it would take as much force to directly place one-self in front of that opponent to protect the one being attacked. I would not, however, want my attacker to receive more brutal force than is necessary to prevent him/her from the original attack. I find that an appropriate use of force is only acceptable when defending those who are defenseless. I think this is ideally the role of the police force and a positive goal of the U.S military. I do agree with the use of the police force only because it is accountable to a larger entity. Historically, in dealing with international conflict, the military has lacked in accountability with little regard for international interests or responsibilities. The very premise of the military, not just the U.S military, but also all militaries, is to attempt peace through violence. However, because of the massive scale of war, the end result is typically that another party of the “defenseless” is severely injured or killed. Justification for the use of force is effective only as much as the result - injury or death - is acceptable to one’s human conscience. I am not the judge of any other human conscience, I can only speak for my own: To me, any amount of force that results in the death or serious injury of another human being is absolutely unacceptable.
(6) Demonstration of Consistency and Depth: This process that simply started with questioning my role as a “Christian soldier” during my last semester of College turned out to be quite a bit more than I expected. I wanted to know more about the current situation in Iraq because I wanted to understand how I could contribute a year of voluntary deployment to helping the Iraqi civilians and live as a witness of hope among fellow soldiers. My servant’s heart that desired to help people in need cried, “I want to go over there and help fix the mess!” The shocking reality was the realization that I am the mess. I represent everything the military stands for when I wear the uniform. I represent not only our declared “War on Terrorism”, but also all of the wars in the history of humanity fought in the name of religion. Once I started addressing some of these convictions, my lifestyle at Johnson Bible College dramatically changed. I lost most of my friendships due to misunderstandings in the person I was becoming. To my friends at Johnson, I was the girl who wanted to save the world by doing relief work in the Middle East and gung-ho about the Army. That was the established identity I had for the past 4 years at school. It was very hard for my friends to accept the changes that were occurring in me.
This was a turning point for me at Johnson: I used to be seen as “someone who would do great things for the Kingdom”, but once I started disagreeing with everyone I became “too radical” and “theologically confused.” My attitude was horrible. I adopted a rebellious spirit because I was sick of being in a bubble completely ignorant to a world of emerging pain. It was not just the military that I struggled with- I was angry with the entire focus of my educational plan for the past 4 years: I knew more about the hermeneutical contextualization of the Bible than the global war on poverty; I knew more about unreached people groups (where there are no churches) than large-scale people groups that are suffering; I knew how to translate the entire epistle of 1 John from the original Greek language, but I couldn’t prove my love for God in the midst of broken relationships. It pains me now that I know more about the care and use of the M16A2 firing rifle than the innocent Iraqi civilians who have lost loved ones due to our fear of “weapons of mass destruction.”
(7) Demonstration of Lifestyle Change: I moved to Camden immediately following my graduation at Johnson Bible College. For the past four years, I studied and trained to live in a third-world country across the ocean. Now, because of the recent development and change in my beliefs, I want to first simply live as a person of faith in my own backyard. I have intentionally moved to Camden to live in community with other like-minded believers. My new group of friends and I live in what is called an “intentional faith community.” We share our resources, income, debts, time, relationships, pain, and lives with each other. I have been learning so much about the toll my life has on others, especially the stamp I leave upon the environment. I have adopted vegetarian habits and try to only eat meat when I know its source. Because I believe that my life is accountable to a larger entity (God), I now see how my very lifestyle affects other people's interests. The lifestyle of being a Vegetarian is simply a way of conserving resources. The majority of the U.S clean water supply is used to hydrate cattle and farm animals that we consume, and a large portion of the third world is dying of dehydration. I rarely shop for clothes anymore, and just three weeks ago I pulled two large trash bag’s worth of clothing that had a strange origin on the tag. I used to drive a Jeep Wrangler, but decided last month that I needed to sell it because of the waste of gas money, the toll that gas plays on the environment, and the aggressive mode I adopt every time I get behind the wheel. I left my Jeep in Columbus, OH, and now bike and take the Greyhound bus for long distance trips. I have even become more aware of my coffee selection. I will only drink coffee if it is fair-trade, as opposed to the 3-4 café mochas I used to gulp down every drill weekend from Starbucks. In the near future I would like to go to the West Bank with a Christian Peacemaker Team. I represented their organization at a music festival in early July. This organization is dedicated to making peace in war-zones. They currently do not have teams in Iraq because of the war, but as soon as the opportunity opens up, I plan on going to Iraq to help the people who have lost so much.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
CO process, phase 1
Hey all, I really need to get an update out, and start a small discussion. As most of you probably know thanks to the networking genius of facebook, I’m ENGAGED! Holy crap….I said when I was very young that I’d get married @ 23, that’s so strange in a new age “the secret” kind of way. I’ve met my match, and knew he was just that very early on. Finally- someone who smells worse than I, someone who gets turned on when I fart in his face….oh the love. We plan on marrying on the North Shore in Hawaii on November 11, Veteran’s Day! It will be a very simple ceremony, the exact opposite of what I expected I always wanted in my wedding.
Well, I’d love to update but there will be more time for that later. I’ve got bigger fish to fry at the public “church pitch-in.” Recently, I have decided to apply for official status as a Contentious Objector in the military. I realize now, after 4 years at Bible College, that my faith in God forbids me to kill people, or in my case, train to kill people. I am still wrestling with the issue of whether or not I want to request for complete separation, or remain in the military as a “noncombatant.” Technically, I am in a noncombatant position now as an Admin/Support person. The conflict I am facing is training each year with the rifle, and having to use that weapon should I get deployed to Iraq.
I would be curious to hear from my friends in the Bible College/Scholarly network on this issue of militarism. I already feel strongly that there is no such thing as a “just war.” What I’m struggling with now I think relates just as much to a Christian who finds themselves working for a business whose values conflict with everything the Bible stands for. Can you be part of a system yet spiritually remain pure from what that system stands for?
Well, I’d love to update but there will be more time for that later. I’ve got bigger fish to fry at the public “church pitch-in.” Recently, I have decided to apply for official status as a Contentious Objector in the military. I realize now, after 4 years at Bible College, that my faith in God forbids me to kill people, or in my case, train to kill people. I am still wrestling with the issue of whether or not I want to request for complete separation, or remain in the military as a “noncombatant.” Technically, I am in a noncombatant position now as an Admin/Support person. The conflict I am facing is training each year with the rifle, and having to use that weapon should I get deployed to Iraq.
I would be curious to hear from my friends in the Bible College/Scholarly network on this issue of militarism. I already feel strongly that there is no such thing as a “just war.” What I’m struggling with now I think relates just as much to a Christian who finds themselves working for a business whose values conflict with everything the Bible stands for. Can you be part of a system yet spiritually remain pure from what that system stands for?
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