Question about the military?

Brothers and sisters what do you say to a christian who wants to join the Navy?

I would say, "Go with God."

Thank you sister.

"Would you be fighting for just causes?" If so, I think you should go for it. If not, abstain.

Thanks Krispy, is just that the bible mentions that we should not stop to congregate with the bretheren. That't what has me a bit indecicive.

Hey Jim,
I don't think we have any rights to end someone else's life. A christian should not go to war to kill people, he should go to war to save them. Than't how I see it. God bless

I don't think you should go into the Navy. Join the MARINES!

I don't believe your heart for going in is to 'murder' or 'kill'. It's a job!

It's just like being a cop, or a homeowner defending his family/property.

Being a military brat, I would give you some warning about the influence it has on a believer. I know a brother who was really shaken by his 4 years with the marines and questioned a lot of things. Not that there is anything wrong with questioning, but it had a tremendous impact on his life by what he saw and was around.

I also know that a lot of service men and women are not saved and, as you've mentioned, the absence of Christian fellowship could take a toll on a person.

I would say this is something that requires much prayer and counsel by those who are close to you. Remember you do not sin in doing so (ie: not obeying your parents, etc). As Whitestone said, "Go with God".

As an aside, I have a great respect for all those who serve our country. I am a patriot, and am disheartened that I will never be able to serve our country in uniform. At least I get to serve in God's army!

whatever God tells you to do, do it. as for my opinion, i'm hit right off with two things: one, you become their property when you join, quite literally (i have been in the military before, and have brethren in the military, so that is how i know this). are you willing to place yourself under the authority of a government that you may or may not agree with their principles? are you willing to be their property? a military job can mean your superiors assigning you to do things that may or may not be of godly motives. they can assign you to do things that may or may not be against God's Word. are you willing to do those things?

now: God may call you into that to preach His gospel to the troops. who knows? but in your excitement, remember that the recruiters have a quota to meet and might give you the big picutre, and might not.

***note: i'm definitely not trashing the military, i have a huge respect for them. they are wonderful, hardworking people willing to defend a country and they really do want to protect, help, etc. so please don't see what i wrote as bashing, it is totally not. i'm just saying consider the whole picture. there is a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that only someone who has a working knowledge of the inside can know. and yes, my knowledge is limited. ****

but most important is to consider, and obey, the Word and clear direction of the Lord. i say if you're not 100% sure He is calling you to it, don't go for it. and if you do go for it, use that as a conduit to bring His truth to everyone you meet in there.

may He be glorified in all you do!

Thanks a lot my brothers in christ. I just wanted to know what other belivers thought about joining the military life. Im about to graduate from collage as a Registered Nurse and find myself not knowing what God's will is for me after I graduate. I want to be in the place where God could use me the most, according to his purpose for my life. Well, Im gonna have to wait until I hear his voice assuring me of what he wants me to do.
I was also thinking about joining the United Nations as a Volunteer Nurse, or something of that sort.

here is an excerpt worthy for consideration:

[i]Jesus Christ forbids me to resist evil doers by taking "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, blood for blood, and life for life." My government requires the very reverse, and depends, for its own self-preservation, on the halter, the musket and the sword, seasonably employed against its domestic and foreign enemies, Accordingly the land is well furnished with gibbets, prisons, arsenals, train-bands, soldiers and ships of war. In the maintenance and use of this expensive life-destroying apparatus, we can exemplify the virtues of forgiving our injurers, loving our enemies, blessing them that curse us, and doing good to those that hate us. For this reason, we have regular Christian Chaplains to pray for us, and call down the smiles of God on our holy murders. Thus Christ and Belial are brought into perfect concord.

I see it all; and yet I insist that I am as good a Christian as ever. I fellowship all; I vote on; I help govern on; I profess on; and I glory in being at once a devoted Christian, and a no less devoted adherent to the existing government. I will not give in to those miserable Non-Resistant notions. I will not throw away my political influence, and leave unprincipled men to carry on government alone. I am determined to lend them what little respectability I have, to keep them in countenance till they see fit to reform.

The Constitution says - "Congress shall have power to declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal," &c. I agree to this. I endorse it. I swear to help carry it through. I vote for men to hold office, who are sworn to support all this. What then, am I less a Christian? Is not war a Christian service? Is it not perfectly Christian to murder hundreds of thousands of fellow human beings; to ravish defenseless females, sack and burn cities, and enact all the other cruelties of war? Out upon these new-fangled scruples! This is the very way to forgive injuries, and love our enemies! If we only do it all in true love, nothing can be more Christian than wholesale murder! [/i]

adin balou

Hi hmmhmm...

The Constitution says - "Congress shall have power to declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal," &c. I agree to this. I endorse it. I swear to help carry it through. I vote for men to hold office, who are sworn to support all this. What then, am I less a Christian? Is not war a Christian service? Is it not perfectly Christian to murder hundreds of thousands of fellow human beings; to ravish defenseless females, sack and burn cities, and enact all the other cruelties of war? Out upon these new-fangled scruples! This is the very way to forgive injuries, and love our enemies! If we only do it all in true love, nothing can be more Christian than wholesale murder!

adin balou

I completely disagree with Ballou's opinions about required pacifism...and many of his Universal Universalist doctrinal views too.

Like someone stated earlier, service in the military is more equivacal to service in the police. It isn't a desire to physically kill...but a desire to physically protect. During times of peace, it is easy to criticize those who serve in the military. But when it is your family, your children, your community, your country or even your RACE (or faith) that are under attack, we often change our perspective just a bit. We should all be willing to die for our faith. We should all be willing to suffer for Christ.

However, I find it interesting that many believers in nations that persecute believers are often the ones who want Christians to become involved in the process of government. If you have ever read many of the writings of Richard Wurmbrand, he was a strong advocate for believers to influence the governments of this world. While some might see this as "bowing their knees to Baal," many of us see it as "shining a light as a city on a hill." Daniel, the three Hebrew children, Esther and even Paul were examples of believers who influenced secular governments by their faith.

That said: I would definitely pray before joining any branch of the military. It isn't because of any spiritual or Scriptural prohibition of such service...but because you should allow the Lord to direct your steps.

:-)

KrispyKrittr wrote:
There are no atheists in foxholes.

Krispy

No, they're in defense industry boardrooms making the big bucks while Marines slog through mud and blood and bullets for $15,600 a year. Please read "War is a Racket" by Gen. Smedley Butler. [url=http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm]http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm[/url]

hmmhmm,

Your quote from Adin Balou reminds me of Mark Twain's "War Prayer."

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

its a complex subject, we see in scripture things indicating a christian can serve in the military, but for myself i am convinced one should not seek such things, if one find themselves in the military when saved i think they should seek to get out of it. And i think so because my conviction is the sum of the teachings of Jesus and the new testament is hard to live after in a war if serving in the military. But these are things God must show us personally.

I just have a problem with how we can love someone while we are putting a bullet in them at the same time.

And about influence the gouvernment i think we have a prime example of david, it dident take one great organisation or a rally or getting involved in politics ect ect, it took one man who sought God and we read God was with david and put the pieces in place and God made daniel the man he became and put him in that position, and the three friends of his also, imagine, four young men burning for God changed a whole nation and in the end it resulted in returning to israel...

:-)

we need such young men!

i love you chris, but i disagree on much with you concerning government and a christians involvement and some other things.

but as you say, God has to direct our steps, and i hope we are willing to go, even when we perhaps dont hold such a belief, example into army or out of it. I am sure God could lead a man into the army, many souls there could need a witness, i am also sure he could lead someone out due to what takes place in a war is not suitable for a christian to partake in. My own conviction..

and i do not believe in pacifism, i think that is very unscripted, i believe in warfare, but not with fleshly weapons, we christians have the most important battle and war of all times and ages, and we fight it in our closets on our knees.

God bless you all and as Paul greets people [i]peace[/i]