(Posted C.C. Walsh HHP / NHC)
The commander of US forces in Europe during World War II, Five-Star General Dwight David Eisenhower, was elected President in 1952. “Ike” was troubled and alarmed by the changing relationship between government, military, and the private sector. In his January 17, 1961, farewell address, he warned of the rise of “a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions, where none had existed before”:
We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
President Eisenhower listed several specific areas of danger:
Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades . . .
The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. (Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, January 17, 1961).
This is tragic, as an idealistic young person who wants to serve his country without knowledge of the social and political realities behind political and military policy may find himself directly participating in naked evil. A soldier may have to take a stand that will risk his career or life. According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, the centurion who was held responsible to execute James had himself executed at the same time. On many occasions, a Christian soldier may be in a unique position to dispense justice, protect the innocent, and bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ. At the same time, however, he will be subjected to greater pressures to conform to evil, submit to unjust authority, and remain silent to avoid punishment, court martial, or death.
If nations didn’t protect themselves with military force, nothing would limit the power of predatory states. On the other hand, there is a fine line between protection and exploitation, between a nation protecting its citizens against predatory states or becoming a predator itself. Given today’s political realities, a citizen today can’t simply assume that his government’s wars are worthy of unquestioning support. A young person should never consider enlistment in the military merely another option for employment. It is a commitment with profound spiritual consequences, and if done for the wrong reasons could have devastating consequences.
Perhaps this is why the New Testament endorses the responsibility of government to resist and punish evildoers (Romans 13:1-6 ). Any view we take concerning the use of force to resist evil must have a deep and comprehensive view of the reality of evil in this world. It would be comforting if we could find refuge in a principle like “it is absolutely wrong to kill” or “it is absolutely right to kill in self-defense.” But the reality of this fallen world makes such certainty impossible.
While many wars have been immoral (just as many police actions and acts of personal aggression are immoral), it is not possible to demonstrate that all acts of war are immoral.
Most wars are an abomination in the eyes of God, and, regrettably, a compromised Christendom has identified itself with some of them. However, under certain circumstances, there seems no alternative than protecting the innocent against evil.
One of the most serious mistakes that Christians can make is to believe that participation in a just war is grounds to ignore Jesus’ command for them to love their enemies (Matthew 5:43-47 ). Wartime propaganda always tries to arouse hatred towards the enemy by portraying them as unqualified evil. Largely due to the lingering effects of wartime propaganda, the Germans in the Second World War are still considered exemplary of absolute military evil. Although many Americans still have some memory of the Great Depression, few are aware of the fragile and dangerous political state of Europe during the 1920s and 30s. Many patriotic Germans were concerned and frightened by the imminent threat of Stalin’s gigantic Communist army massing along Western Europe’s borders.1 Even after the beginning of the Second World War, many German solders, like General Rommel, either risked their lives or gave them up in resistance to immoral orders and a failed attempt to overthrow Hitler. Through the course of history, leaders come to mind who astonish us with their idealism and courage, but trouble us nonetheless because of the ambiguities of the struggles in which they were engaged: Charlemagne, Luther, Calvin, Cromwell, Toussaint Louverture, Wellington, Bolivar, Washington, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and many others.
Christian ideals must be applied to the real circumstances of life. Because we live in a fallen world, life’s circumstances are seldom as clear-cut as we would like them to be. Accordingly, we need to be responsible citizens of our world, ready to use any avenues available to us to seek justice and true honor.
"Christians must be wary of propaganda for war. Every war, like every act of personal self-defense, must be evaluated according to the golden rule and principles of justice."
The commander of US forces in Europe during World War II, Five-Star General Dwight David Eisenhower, was elected President in 1952. “Ike” was troubled and alarmed by the changing relationship between government, military, and the private sector. In his January 17, 1961, farewell address, he warned of the rise of “a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions, where none had existed before”:
We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
President Eisenhower listed several specific areas of danger:
Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades . . .
The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. (Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, January 17, 1961).
This is tragic, as an idealistic young person who wants to serve his country without knowledge of the social and political realities behind political and military policy may find himself directly participating in naked evil. A soldier may have to take a stand that will risk his career or life. According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, the centurion who was held responsible to execute James had himself executed at the same time. On many occasions, a Christian soldier may be in a unique position to dispense justice, protect the innocent, and bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ. At the same time, however, he will be subjected to greater pressures to conform to evil, submit to unjust authority, and remain silent to avoid punishment, court martial, or death.
If nations didn’t protect themselves with military force, nothing would limit the power of predatory states. On the other hand, there is a fine line between protection and exploitation, between a nation protecting its citizens against predatory states or becoming a predator itself. Given today’s political realities, a citizen today can’t simply assume that his government’s wars are worthy of unquestioning support. A young person should never consider enlistment in the military merely another option for employment. It is a commitment with profound spiritual consequences, and if done for the wrong reasons could have devastating consequences.
Perhaps this is why the New Testament endorses the responsibility of government to resist and punish evildoers (Romans 13:1-6 ). Any view we take concerning the use of force to resist evil must have a deep and comprehensive view of the reality of evil in this world. It would be comforting if we could find refuge in a principle like “it is absolutely wrong to kill” or “it is absolutely right to kill in self-defense.” But the reality of this fallen world makes such certainty impossible.
While many wars have been immoral (just as many police actions and acts of personal aggression are immoral), it is not possible to demonstrate that all acts of war are immoral.
Most wars are an abomination in the eyes of God, and, regrettably, a compromised Christendom has identified itself with some of them. However, under certain circumstances, there seems no alternative than protecting the innocent against evil.
One of the most serious mistakes that Christians can make is to believe that participation in a just war is grounds to ignore Jesus’ command for them to love their enemies (Matthew 5:43-47 ). Wartime propaganda always tries to arouse hatred towards the enemy by portraying them as unqualified evil. Largely due to the lingering effects of wartime propaganda, the Germans in the Second World War are still considered exemplary of absolute military evil. Although many Americans still have some memory of the Great Depression, few are aware of the fragile and dangerous political state of Europe during the 1920s and 30s. Many patriotic Germans were concerned and frightened by the imminent threat of Stalin’s gigantic Communist army massing along Western Europe’s borders.1 Even after the beginning of the Second World War, many German solders, like General Rommel, either risked their lives or gave them up in resistance to immoral orders and a failed attempt to overthrow Hitler. Through the course of history, leaders come to mind who astonish us with their idealism and courage, but trouble us nonetheless because of the ambiguities of the struggles in which they were engaged: Charlemagne, Luther, Calvin, Cromwell, Toussaint Louverture, Wellington, Bolivar, Washington, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and many others.
Christian ideals must be applied to the real circumstances of life. Because we live in a fallen world, life’s circumstances are seldom as clear-cut as we would like them to be. Accordingly, we need to be responsible citizens of our world, ready to use any avenues available to us to seek justice and true honor.
"Christians must be wary of propaganda for war. Every war, like every act of personal self-defense, must be evaluated according to the golden rule and principles of justice."