The issue of Christians joining the armed forces is an interesting one. Denominations such as the Brethren, Quakers and Mennonites historically advocated pacifism; actively encouraging members away from armed service. However, those Christians that actively espouse pacifism seem to be in the minority. Whilst there are pacifistic elements across the Christian churches most denominations have never officially advocated pacifism usually adopting a deliberately ambiguous position making it a matter for personal conscience. Unless one has a strong ideological opposition to all war or attends one of the historic 'peace churches', it seems common for this issue to be overlooked. As such, this post will seek to deal with the question of whether it is legitimate for Christians to join the armed forces.
We must firstly recognise that God himself is not a pacifist. Indeed, throughout the Old Testament there are numerous examples of the Lord telling his people to go to war. Whilst the reasons for this are many and varied we cannot escape the simple fact that God did indeed instruct his people to engage in military actions. This means, first and foremost, that God does not avoid war at all costs. Whilst there may be caveats and requirements placed upon any decision to engage the armed forces, the point nevertheless stands. God does, occasionally, sanction military action and service.
Some seek to argue that the sixth commandment prohibits serving in the armed forces. Certain versions of the Bible translate Exodus 20:13 as 'You shall not kill' whereas others translate this commandment as 'You shall not murder.' Those who seek to use this passage to argue that military service is sinful tend towards the former translation. However, this reading causes a number of difficulties. Firstly, the commandment does not stipulate who, or what, should not be killed and this understanding of the passage must lead to the view that it is wrong to kill anything including plants and animals. This then contradicts the laws requiring animal sacrifices. Secondly, this reading suggests that God, in instructing his people to mobilise militarily, led his people into sin. This is clearly contrary to the teaching of James 1:12-18. Thirdly, it leads to the view that God contradicted himself by instituting a death penalty for certain crimes under the law. As such, the translation 'You shall not kill' is fraught with difficulties. The translation 'you shall not murder' is more satisfactory as it makes clear that it is the unlawful killing of another person that is forbidden. Consequently, the sixth commandment does not make war or military service incompatible with obedience to God.
Some argue military service is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught that we should not repay evil with evil, to love our enemies and to give freely to those who hate us. It is argued that all violence is evil and shows a lack of love for those it is brought against. Therefore, it is argued, Jesus' teachings clearly direct us away from the armed forces as the military, by definition, engage in such evil activities. The problem with this view is that it is based on a particular interpretation of war, namely that it is always evil, and applies this predisposed view to Jesus' teachings. If war is always evil then, according to these teachings, joining the armed forces is clearly unacceptable. However, is war always evil? We know that God instructed his people to go to war and if such actions are always evil God led his people into sin. Moreover, Revelation speaks of those in Heaven engaging in a war against Satan. If warfare is always evil those warring against Satan are sinning. As such, we must conclude that war is not always evil. Given this, military service does not necessarily run contrary to the teachings of Jesus. If war is not intrinsically evil then to engage an enemy in war does not necessarily constitute repaying evil with evil. Similarly, if war is not evil it is not necessarily unloving to defend oneself against one's enemies.
It is also possible to cite New Testament examples of Christians serving in the armed forces. We read of the centurion in Matt 8:5-13 of whom Jesus said 'with no one in Israel have I found such faith (Matt 8:10, ESV).' Whilst this passage does not by necessity show the centurion to have saving faith, most commentators appear to agree that Jesus' words are indicative of this. We do not read of this centurion being told to leave his post nor does Jesus suggest his occupation is in some way sinful. We must therefore conclude that this is an example of a saved man who continued to serve in the armed forces. We also read in Acts 10 of the centurion called Cornelius 'who feared God with all his household (Acts 10:2, ESV).' Again, we are not told that Cornelius left his position therefore he too represents a Christian involved in military service. There are no examples of servicemen in the New Testament being told to leave their positions on becoming Christians therefore we can conclude that such roles are not prohibited.
With all that in mind, there is no biblical warrant to argue that Christian involvement in the armed forces is sinful or wrong. However, there are some legitimate extra-biblical arguments that should cause us to think carefully about such service. For example, whilst war is clearly not always evil we cannot be certain that our service will always be part of good and just causes. We have a secular government who decide these matters on their own wisdom and understanding. As Christians, we cannot be certain that we will not be asked to fight for causes we believe to be wrong and sinful. We may be asked to serve in a conflict that we perceive to be unjust, self-serving and immoral. Can we, in good conscience, join the armed forces knowing that we may be put in this position? There is no correct answer but this is something we must seriously weigh up in our own minds.
It is also worth considering how strongly we believe our witness can stand when constantly surrounded by unbelievers. Such immersion in this environment is different to any other job. In other occupations, one can come home every day and meet with other believers in church at least once a week. However, in the armed forces one is surrounded by non-Christians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no guarantee that there will be other believers to meet with. This is not to suggest that it is somehow sinful or wrong to join the armed forces but is something that any Christian looking at enrolling should seriously consider.
In summary, we cannot conclude biblically that it is wrong or sinful for Christians to join the armed forces. Indeed, we have some examples in scripture of believers serving in the armed forces and taking part in military action. We have no examples in scripture of Christians being told to leave their post once they have become believers or any direct statements that such service is sinful. Enrolling in the armed forces is therefore legitimate for the Christian. However, one should seriously consider the issue of having to serve in conflicts that are, in one's own view, unjust and unacceptable. Also, one should consider the extent to which one can maintain a sound witness in such an environment. Nevertheless, these are matters for consideration and are not issues that proscribe the Christian from armed service.
Thursday 22 July 2010
Thursday 1 July 2010
An experience of depression
A while ago I was asked to write an article on living with depression for a Christian magazine. They decided not to run the article (understandably as people on their holidays are unlikely to want to read such things) so I thought I would publish it here instead. I don't expect this to be of particular help to people but simply share it as an example of my own experience.
We often hear people talk about ‘depression’: Their job depresses them; their friend tells them a story that makes them a bit depressed; or even, boring food for dinner on a regular basis is ‘so depressing’. Perhaps even we have referred to ourselves as ‘depressed’ when really what we mean is that we feel a bit sad. In real terms, however, depression (by which I mean real, clinical depression) is something so invidious and all-pervading that to be ‘a bit sad’ would come as relief to those who suffer it.
I had recently gotten married, moved to a new area of the country and started a new job as a teacher in a secondary school. My wife and I quickly settled and became involved in a local church. Before long, I found myself regularly working 7:00am – midnight without breaks. It became apparent there was a problem when I began waking up at 4:00am every morning (with no prospect of returning to sleep), my usually healthy appetite decreased considerably and I began to act with increasing anxiousness towards events that would have otherwise passed me by unnoticed. At first, we simply assumed this was the onset of stress and, as time went by and coping mechanisms kicked in, these symptoms would pass. Far from passing, however, I soon stopped sleeping altogether, my appetite failed completely and anxiousness gave way to panic attack.
It is a strange feeling when you are forced to see a doctor but you don’t understand why you are there. I knew my symptoms were real but I thought them far too insignificant for the doctor, expecting him to send me away with a flea in my ear. Instead, in December 2008, I was diagnosed with ‘clinical depression’. I continued in my work for some time after this diagnosis but as I tried to ‘keep calm and carry on’ my symptoms worsened further. I found myself in floods of tears over nothing, would shake uncontrollably with anxiety and saw insurmountable problems everywhere I turned. I felt worthless, useless and ashamed finding no point in anything. I became desperately suicidal to the point of making two attempts on my own life.
I couldn’t concentrate on any conversation, I couldn’t read, I couldn’t follow television programmes, I couldn’t sit still but I still couldn’t achieve anything either. Many well-meaning folk tried to help but, in reality, only made problems worse. I would often have panic attacks at the thought of seeing anybody struggling to see my parents and, on occasions, even my wife. Many told me of their struggles with depression in an attempt to share in my suffering but, almost to a tee, their experiences were far removed from mine and they simply did not seem to understand the real problem. Worse than this, however, all the medical professionals seemed to make the problem worse too. When the drugs I was prescribed didn’t work the doctors couldn’t understand why and when ‘talking therapies’ were ineffective it seemed I was blamed for their failure. I increasingly felt that nothing could help me.
Eventually, some drugs were found that did produce some results. Whilst they by no means solved the problem they did indeed lift my mood a little and provided at least a glimmer of hope that things wouldn’t remain forever as they were. I also found a counsellor who helped in an altogether more beneficial way than others. Moreover, my wife and I moved to a different area of the country where one of the Elders in the church we attended happened to be a psychiatric consultant. He agreed to see me privately, in his own time, and slowly things began to improve for me. I still suffer some of the effects of depression and remain on medication. Nevertheless, I have continued to improve and what was a faint glimmer of hope gradually became a realistic prospect such that I am now able to function on a relatively normal level.
If anyone is familiar with depression they will be aware of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The principle behind CBT is to track negative thought patterns and to counter-balance them, not with platitudes that have no meaning in reality, but with statements of truth which we can test our often factually incorrect thoughts against. If we believe the Bible to be true, where better to seek the statements of fact necessary to offset our erroneous thoughts? It was a help to me when I was shown factual statements from the Bible that showed my thoughts about myself to be untrue. This provided me with a solid basis of truth against which I could weigh up my incorrect thoughts. I would be lying if I said this made me feel better but it certainly made me think better and stopped me from acting on my false thoughts.
I am not trying to offer trite truisms to what is a serious and most difficult to understand problem. Job never discovered the reason for his suffering and many who experience depression may not find reasons why they suffer either. Nevertheless, the apostle Paul writes ‘all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).’ Whilst we may never fully understand why the Lord allows us to suffer we can know that, if we love Him, it will work ultimately for our good. Whilst such truths may feel so distant we can know that they nevertheless remain true.
I understand that many who read this will have had entirely different experiences and I hope that this will not be read as the definitive depressive experience. Also, those who are not Christians are bound to feel differently about depression. I certainly do not want to suggest that the answer to this fundamentally medical problem can simply be found by 'turning to Christ' or through merely reading the Bible. Depression is first and foremost a medical issue and I hope that nobody will read this as a crass evangelistic effort. It is certainly not meant in this way - I am only seeking to document my own experience which I fully recognise will be different to the experiences of others.
We often hear people talk about ‘depression’: Their job depresses them; their friend tells them a story that makes them a bit depressed; or even, boring food for dinner on a regular basis is ‘so depressing’. Perhaps even we have referred to ourselves as ‘depressed’ when really what we mean is that we feel a bit sad. In real terms, however, depression (by which I mean real, clinical depression) is something so invidious and all-pervading that to be ‘a bit sad’ would come as relief to those who suffer it.
I had recently gotten married, moved to a new area of the country and started a new job as a teacher in a secondary school. My wife and I quickly settled and became involved in a local church. Before long, I found myself regularly working 7:00am – midnight without breaks. It became apparent there was a problem when I began waking up at 4:00am every morning (with no prospect of returning to sleep), my usually healthy appetite decreased considerably and I began to act with increasing anxiousness towards events that would have otherwise passed me by unnoticed. At first, we simply assumed this was the onset of stress and, as time went by and coping mechanisms kicked in, these symptoms would pass. Far from passing, however, I soon stopped sleeping altogether, my appetite failed completely and anxiousness gave way to panic attack.
It is a strange feeling when you are forced to see a doctor but you don’t understand why you are there. I knew my symptoms were real but I thought them far too insignificant for the doctor, expecting him to send me away with a flea in my ear. Instead, in December 2008, I was diagnosed with ‘clinical depression’. I continued in my work for some time after this diagnosis but as I tried to ‘keep calm and carry on’ my symptoms worsened further. I found myself in floods of tears over nothing, would shake uncontrollably with anxiety and saw insurmountable problems everywhere I turned. I felt worthless, useless and ashamed finding no point in anything. I became desperately suicidal to the point of making two attempts on my own life.
I couldn’t concentrate on any conversation, I couldn’t read, I couldn’t follow television programmes, I couldn’t sit still but I still couldn’t achieve anything either. Many well-meaning folk tried to help but, in reality, only made problems worse. I would often have panic attacks at the thought of seeing anybody struggling to see my parents and, on occasions, even my wife. Many told me of their struggles with depression in an attempt to share in my suffering but, almost to a tee, their experiences were far removed from mine and they simply did not seem to understand the real problem. Worse than this, however, all the medical professionals seemed to make the problem worse too. When the drugs I was prescribed didn’t work the doctors couldn’t understand why and when ‘talking therapies’ were ineffective it seemed I was blamed for their failure. I increasingly felt that nothing could help me.
Eventually, some drugs were found that did produce some results. Whilst they by no means solved the problem they did indeed lift my mood a little and provided at least a glimmer of hope that things wouldn’t remain forever as they were. I also found a counsellor who helped in an altogether more beneficial way than others. Moreover, my wife and I moved to a different area of the country where one of the Elders in the church we attended happened to be a psychiatric consultant. He agreed to see me privately, in his own time, and slowly things began to improve for me. I still suffer some of the effects of depression and remain on medication. Nevertheless, I have continued to improve and what was a faint glimmer of hope gradually became a realistic prospect such that I am now able to function on a relatively normal level.
If anyone is familiar with depression they will be aware of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The principle behind CBT is to track negative thought patterns and to counter-balance them, not with platitudes that have no meaning in reality, but with statements of truth which we can test our often factually incorrect thoughts against. If we believe the Bible to be true, where better to seek the statements of fact necessary to offset our erroneous thoughts? It was a help to me when I was shown factual statements from the Bible that showed my thoughts about myself to be untrue. This provided me with a solid basis of truth against which I could weigh up my incorrect thoughts. I would be lying if I said this made me feel better but it certainly made me think better and stopped me from acting on my false thoughts.
I am not trying to offer trite truisms to what is a serious and most difficult to understand problem. Job never discovered the reason for his suffering and many who experience depression may not find reasons why they suffer either. Nevertheless, the apostle Paul writes ‘all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).’ Whilst we may never fully understand why the Lord allows us to suffer we can know that, if we love Him, it will work ultimately for our good. Whilst such truths may feel so distant we can know that they nevertheless remain true.
I understand that many who read this will have had entirely different experiences and I hope that this will not be read as the definitive depressive experience. Also, those who are not Christians are bound to feel differently about depression. I certainly do not want to suggest that the answer to this fundamentally medical problem can simply be found by 'turning to Christ' or through merely reading the Bible. Depression is first and foremost a medical issue and I hope that nobody will read this as a crass evangelistic effort. It is certainly not meant in this way - I am only seeking to document my own experience which I fully recognise will be different to the experiences of others.
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