If the soldiers were/are Christian, would they be engaged in any of the wars, occupations, or other non humanitarian activities of the past few decades? I don’t ask this to be inflammatory. You are welcome to spew anger if it helps you in some way. But I’m sincerely curious how a Catholic person in the US military views service to the USA in a manner consistent with serving God. Military activities over the course of my lifetime have not been righteuous or just wars for the most part so I am curious for those struggling with these issues if you could voice them here.

Hmmmmmmm…....well, Christianity is a fighting religion and evil must be resisted and destroyed.  Pacifism is evil because it allows evildoers to persist in committing evil.
We have a duty to turn the other cheek, as Our Divine Master adjures us to do…......BUT WE DO NOT AND CANNOT TURN THE OTHER CHEEK OF THOSE FOR WHOM WE HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT!

Clearly, we would want to fight battles only for the highest ideals and sadly we must follow other, weaker men.  Whether or not a man or woman can do that is an individual’s decision.  The principle to fight evil remains!

Pacifism is an honorable option for a Christian—but it is an option. One thinks of Jesus’ healing the centurion’s servant is Mathew and Luke. Also Peter’s encounter with the centurion in Acts; that centurion and his household were the first gentile converts. Both of these incidents would have been logical places for injunctions for pacifism, but they do not occur. And there are others in the New Testament besides these. Also, of course, the Church has maintained a doctrine of just war since the middle ages. I have not heard the Pope or any bishop claim that these wars are unjust—I am speaking, as I suppose Porteios to be, of the Afghan and Iraq conflicts. I admit, it’s a close call on Iraq because the cause of the war turned out to be bogus.

Proteios,

Sorry bud (or budette), the Taliban allowed their country to be the base of operations for Osama bin Laden’s attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  They killed 3,000 of our citizens.  According to the principles of just war, we were absolutely justified in going into Afghanistan to seek retribution.

Even after 10 years?  You can’t fault the Marines, sailors and soldiers for questionable policy or lack of strategic intent.

Of course, our military does much more than fight wars.  The humanitarian aid we provide throughout the world as a result of our forward deployed carrier groups and Marine Expeditionary Units is profound, and unparralleled.  Then there is anti-piracy that the Navy and Marine Corps are involved in.  Embassy duty.  Embassy/citizen evacuations (Lebanon 2006, 15k US citizens evacuated for the sake of their safety).

The Catholic Church has long warned that an invasion of Iraq could in no way qualify as a just war. With the occupation of Afghanistan, this is equally questionable, at least after 2002. Since the US armed forces are mercenaries rather than draftees, they must without doubt deal with personal guilt for murder, torture, rape and pillage. Why the Catholic Church would want to bring them spiritual consolation instead of reminding them to repent and leave an evil job is beyond me.

First, JP II definitely called the Iraq war unjust, and called for an end to it.  Second, just war theory is in place because yes there is evil in the world—however, it is not an invitation to fight, it is a LAST resort when all other methods have been tried (which includes pacifist work….pacifist does not equal do nothing, it is an active form of non-violent action…..try reading up on some work from Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and many, many others, in the past and now, working peacefully in countries and making long-term peace…there are also many research institutes that work in this field, like the Kroc institute in Indiana).  The Iraq war and the Afghanistan war, unfortunately, are NOT just wars (for those who oppose, you should read the USCCB publication The Challenge of Peace, as well as some political non-fiction written by soldiers and officers alike, as well as professors and activists).

That being said, I personally know some military men and women who joined the army for several reasons, but not for the reason to kill or to, necessarily ‘fight’—they desire to lead others safely in and out of the zones they are sent to.  Because remember—they are sent, they don’t choose to start a war, the politicians do.  Military personnel must follow the orders they are given.

Doesn’t this compromise their conscience?  In some cases, I’ve seen, yes.  That’s why we have to be so careful in going into these wars, because not all military people want to “get the bad guys”....a lot of them have great talent in protecting others, and want to do so through the Army, Navy, etc.

I think if we all looked closely at our talents and followed them, we would have a number of citizens in the military protecting others in wars (short term), as well as a number in pacifist groups working and living with communities to build peace (long term).  Peace does not come over night with bombs and guns, we have to work with all God’s children to get it right. 

EVERYONE has the responsibility to pray for peace, because it starts in our hearts! There is no easy answer regarding war—it is an evil to be avoided unless there is no other option, that people are in danger for their lives.  As Catholics we need to work for peace in every way we can—an end to war, abortion, the death penalty, unjust wages and laws, and to be good stewards of the environment.  I know a number of soldiers that have the very issue you are speaking of proteios; know that they are doing it because they feel called to it, but at the same time have difficulty with it.  There is no easy answer!

PS - to “the informer” post above, unfortunately your argument does not hold much water for its lack of logic…sorry!
- to Mazzara, read up on ‘jus in belo’.....ends don’t justify means my friend; we are not called to avenge our brethren, no matter how horrible…we will never have peace if we just “kill the other guy” because we are sad/angry…yes we have to protect the innocent, but that doesn’t mean anything goes in war or that we are free to “kill back” because “they got us first”.  Humanitarian aid is good and just, but there are many holes in military spending, including lazy contractors who don’t really do their job and take in so much of taxpayers money .  And, not all humanitarian aid helps…my husband can tell you about tons of empty buildings in Afghanistan meant to be hospitals and schools that just end up being urinated upon.  That’s why we have to be so careful in going into a war, because the cost is so great: Americans dead, Afghans (or whoever immigrates to that country) dead, contractors, money poorly spent, wives left widows, children with behavioral problems b/c of so many deployments, and on and on and on.  It impacts everyone, not just the warzone.

All need to study the concept of the “unjust aggressor.” They are fighting battles on two fronts too! In the USA, the present leadeship is promoting culture that is not only heinous to serious* Christians, but also to serious* Hebrews and Muslims as well as others of good will.[*Serious- who honor, respect and obey the Commandments] The military has been ordered to assimulate these false values as “normal.” Please support programs such as the MP3 player to help “Christian soldiers” so their values stay Christian. They not only serve in battle zones, but now in a hostile anti-Christian workplace.

Catholicus said: “Since the US armed forces are mercenaries rather than draftees, they must without doubt deal with personal guilt for murder, torture, rape and pillage.”  Wow, judge much?  Since when are our warriors considered mercenaries? They volunteer to defend their country and not all of them go to war zones, as aptly illustrated by Joseph Mazzara’s comment above. And if they do go to a war zone, they do their duty and honor their country by serving to the best of their abilities.  Sure there are bad apples among them and that goes for all of us in civilian life as well.  Our country was founded on the principles of duty and honor to ones country.  Who are we as Christians to sit in judgment of the choices made by others?  What kind of Christian would we be to deny solace and spiritual consolation for someone who is willing to risk their life to defend the freedoms that so many of us take for granted?  Freedoms guaranteed by the sacrifices of our warriors.  War is ugly and I know plenty of warriors who would much rather never go to war; yet they do because they feel a call to defend those who can’t defend themselves.  Hmm…sound like anyone a Christian might be familiar with???