On This Memorial Day*Are both of these men going to hell?
Some of the evil fairy dust that The Cavemen won't allow to be spread around the Lair is the soft-headed insistence that the war in Iraq is "evil and sinful" according to Catholic teaching.
Yeah, yeah... we all know Pope Benedict's personal opinion on the war. And Bl. Pope Pius XII never publicly supported the Allied side during WWII, either. But back to the question at hand.
For the sake of discussion... let's say that the Appeasement At Any Cost crowd is right. What IF the war is evil and sinful? If that's the case, then the hundreds of thousands of Catholics who're serving right now are in a state of mortal sin. And that goes for the hundreds of Catholic Chaplains as well. And that also applies to the Archbishop of the Military Services, USA, His Excellency Archbishop Edwin O’Brien. Are they ALL going to hell?
If the above is true, then The Holy Father himself must be going to hell for allowing all these hundreds of thousands of Yank, Brit, Aussie and Canuck Catholics to actively participate in this evil and sinful war... right? After all, The Holy Father would be guilty of the Sin of Omission for doing nothing to these hundreds of thousands of "sinners".
And the Cut & Run bunch can't claimed that anyone is forced to go fight this war. After all, everyone's a volunteer. And seeing that this is the most educated military in the history of the United States, no one can claimed they were duped into joining. All these Catholic boys simply MUST be evil and sinful if we are to believe the vomitous filth that spews forth from the vile Defeatocrats.
And don't believe the appeaseristas when they say "we are against the war, but support the troops". They're trying to have it both ways. Or as we use to say in my Beloved Corps, they're talkin' outta their mouth and ass at the same time.
*U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kenneth Nielson, a Catholic chaplain with the 1st Force Service Support Group (one of my old units) as he gives Last Rites to a Marine in Iraq who was shot across the face. I'd hate to think that the good Father and the shot-up Marine are hell bound. What do you think?
Non-hacking, never served a single day (and more importantly, refuse to ever serve) Evil Fairies need not respond. After all; hell hath no fury like a non-combatant.
posted by Kevin Whiteman at
5:26 PM
9 Comments:
One of the things the peaceniks never understand is our Marines, sailors, soldiers, and airmen don't volunteer for war. They volunteer to join the armed forces in order to serve their country regardless of what secondary or ulterior motives they may have (find employment, earn money for college, learn a trade, a chance to travel, etc., etc.) Granted, there may be some who, having been trained for combat, relish the opportunity to test themselves under fire, but the vast majority of our servicemen hate war because they know they are the ones who are going to pay with their lives. They join to serve and if their country orders them to war, they go.
There's a great line about war in the old Jimmy Stewart movie "Shenendoah":
"The politicians talk of the need for it, the old men talk of the glory of it, the boys...the boys just want to come home."
God bless every one of them.
I'm unfortunately a handicapped (4F) non-hacker who does not pack the gear to serve in your beloved corps, but I won't believe for a second that these men are hellbound simply for being in the military during this war.
I think the merits of the conflict can be debated by reasonable people ("defeat at any cost" peaceniks excluded), but no way does serving and lawfully and honorably performing their duty send them to hell.
I would say if the war isn't a "just" one, those who chose to start it are the ones with the problem, not the fighters.
I'm sorry to say it, but it's true: no one who doesn't desire victory can honestly claim to "support the troops".
I don't want to hear from any politician that he "supports the troops" who doesn't have a plan to help them win.
Here's something for the peace creeps to consider:
Romans 13:3-4:
Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer.
Psalm 18:31-34
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? -- the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe.
He made my feet like hinds' feet, and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
They might also want to consider that every one of the four chaplains who won the Congressional Medal of Honor from World War II to Vietnam were Catholic priests.
P.S. I hate to call Caval Infallibility into question, but: Pope Pius XII has, alas, not yet been beatified. As a matter of fact, just this month, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints just voted to recommend that he be declared Venerable. So, for the present, I think he's still a Servant of God.
I tend to think this is a "hot button" issue with you, eh!
Also, I am stating my two cents w/ the knowledge you have the NOR linked on your sidebar.
I think the NOR makes a good argument for the immorality of the current war, but if I did happen to agree with that conclusion, I would never say that every single Catholic who is in the military is going to hell. IMO, anyone who says that is seriously going beyond the boundaries of judgment b/c they would be assuming that every single Catholic in the military meets the requirements that would make such participation in war a mortal sin.
If the war is immoral, there is no way that a Catholic chaplain is formally cooperating in evil by giving Last Rites. How uncaring and unfatherly and unpastoral would it be for a priest to neglect the soul of dying man b/c that priest reasoned a war to be immoral. That's completely illogical and if anyone told me that a military chaplain is in mortal sin due to being active in this war, I'd definately argue otherwise.
I just watched "Flags of Our Fathers," and recall an early line about war that people don't have a clue what war is unless they've been there. Another line at the end of the movie was about dying for friends and fighting for their country. Anyway, pardon my vagueness in poorly paraphrasing those quotes, but your post reminded me of those movie lines and that I can neither speak accurately about war nor can I make judgments of the men who serve. I think of my husband who was a marine and I listen to him in an attempt to understand.
Popo,
Being handicapped doesn't qualify one as a non-hacker.
Trying to claim that because you "come from a military family" means you are somehow a veteran (like a deleted evil fairy is trying), DOES qualify one as a non-hacker.
You're good to go.
_____________________________
Sarah and Popo,
The point I'm trying to get at here is that if someone WILLINGLY participates in a "sinful" activity, doesn't that make them sinful as well? If so, then all those who are willingly participating in this "evil and sinful" war are going to hell. Right?
VSC, I understand what you're saying, that's why I *attempted* to explain myself. I'll try again ;)
Since the morality of war has been left up to being a matter a prudence, then a chaplain would be willingly participating in evil if that chaplain reasons the war to be evil yet continues to minister to troops. Right? Would he not be giving the impression of "supporting" something he considers to be evil?
The same would apply to all others participating in a war: they need to know/reason that war is immoral before they commit a sin by participating in it.
For something that is across the board immoral e.g. invalid marriage, then participating in the wedding, giving gifts, attending, etc would all be formally cooperating in evil by giving the impression of encouraging fornication.
With the justness of war, things are not always so black and white which is why those who think it's immoral should not participate. However, for the war opposers, they'd really need to stop paying taxes to be fully non-cooperative.
"And don't believe the appeaseristas when they say 'we are against the war, but support the troops'. "
Haha! Love this! This is the same logic as the "I oppose abortion, but am pro-choice" mantra!
It's possible I'm a rambling jumble of incoherence and my logic is off; I'm sleep deprived by wee ones and stressed-out by relocating.
Regadless, hope you had a happy memorial day!
Sarah,
My mistake. I misunderstood your first post (I only had one cup of coffee under my belt!).
But the points you raised are excellent!
Well said, FAB.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home