Robert Poort
1:50 am on January 4, 2010 Permalink
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In response to:
I can easily conclude: Jesus was not a soldier. On the contrary, I believe that anyone who wears the uniform of a soldier today and still confesses to have Jesus as a role model is mocking the God of peace.
Why does The Salvation Army use military structure and uniforms? (Q & A from their web site)
The Salvation Army’s military style is rooted in the militaristic spirit prevalent in the mid-1800s, when William and Catherine Booth founded the organization. This organizational style has proven effective in making the Army a highly disciplined and mobile organization, able to respond quickly and efficiently to human need whenever and wherever it arises.
The uniform also finds its roots in the culture of its founding and continues to serve as a witness to the Salvationist’s commitment to serving God and man. Today, The Salvation Army’s uniform is recognized as a symbol of commitment and a sign of availability and accessibility in times of need or crisis. Salvation Army officers always wear the uniform when they are on duty in the corps, the office or the community.
My personal thoughts:
I guess that “rooted in the militaristic spirit” haunts us all in our faith traditions one way or the other.
The uniform as “a symbol of commitment and a sign of availability and accessibility” seems fine with me, just like other manifestations of uniformity in dress in other faith traditions. As far as the Salvation Army’s “ranks” are concerned: many churches have a distinct hierarchy. The question arises however in which way we manifest ourselves as nonviolent faiths.
from the Salvation Army’s Articles of Faith:
5. We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocence, but by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall, all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
11. We believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked.
Terminology like “The wrath of God” and “endless punishment of the wicked” perhaps suggest that not just unifomity but also theology can be “rooted in the militaristic spirit”.
I certainly don’t want to pick on the Salvation Army, but with her deliberate choice for a militaristic format she exposes the contradictions in much of our often violent christian faith. And yes, of course within our own faith tradition there’s plenty of cultural violence as well.
This was an excellent example of “cultural violence” within a christian faith/denomination, where militarism is used to ‘organize’ the children of men in the work of God. Although I am not in favor of “militaristic spirits” because I think they distract us from our real task, I think it is still helpful to maintain the idea of the “war in heaven” in mormonism, as this is a central tenet of our faith – but that our task is to interpret it nonviolently (peaceful attitudes).
Gordon B. Hinckley once said: “That war [in heaven], so bitter, so intense, has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion, between the followers of Christ and those who have denied Him. His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict. They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth. They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in every kind of evil practice to thwart the work of Christ”.
What I like about this quote is the description of the violent nature of the plan of the adversary as the Devil and “his followers” try to undermine the work of Christ and of his peaceable followers – i.e. the work of building peace/Zion. Although I am not in favor of reinforcing a violent aspect of our mormon culture, I still find it helpful to think that the adversary is engaged in fighting a war, while we are engaged in building peace! The serpents versus the doves.
It would indeed be a deceitful lie to say that followers of Christ are engaged in a war – violently. Never has it been God’s purpose to either cause death nor misery. He wept over his spirit children who fell from Grace and/or Heaven – or who departed from the way of peace. As the Creator, I think he has always been engaged in “soul-building”, even though he does not interfere necessarily with the consequences of evil/violent thoughts, words and deeds. As followers of the Prince of Peace (as opposed to the Prince of this world, John 14:3), we must choose to cast off the natural man, the enemy of what is good. The popular misunderstanding that “violence is in human nature” must be rejected however. The potential for violence, like love, is in human nature; but circumstances condition the realization of that potential. Casting off the natural man is becoming as God-Jesus: nonviolent. I personally think that this is one of the few things where we can actually attain perfection in this life. And if I am right on that one, “Celestial Kingdom: here we come!”
wherefore, I would speak unto you that are the peaceable followers of christ…
Robert Poort are discussing. 
Robert Poort 1:50 am on January 4, 2010 Permalink |
In response to:
I can easily conclude: Jesus was not a soldier. On the contrary, I believe that anyone who wears the uniform of a soldier today and still confesses to have Jesus as a role model is mocking the God of peace.
Why does The Salvation Army use military structure and uniforms? (Q & A from their web site)
The Salvation Army’s military style is rooted in the militaristic spirit prevalent in the mid-1800s, when William and Catherine Booth founded the organization. This organizational style has proven effective in making the Army a highly disciplined and mobile organization, able to respond quickly and efficiently to human need whenever and wherever it arises.
The uniform also finds its roots in the culture of its founding and continues to serve as a witness to the Salvationist’s commitment to serving God and man. Today, The Salvation Army’s uniform is recognized as a symbol of commitment and a sign of availability and accessibility in times of need or crisis. Salvation Army officers always wear the uniform when they are on duty in the corps, the office or the community.
My personal thoughts:
I guess that “rooted in the militaristic spirit” haunts us all in our faith traditions one way or the other.
The uniform as “a symbol of commitment and a sign of availability and accessibility” seems fine with me, just like other manifestations of uniformity in dress in other faith traditions. As far as the Salvation Army’s “ranks” are concerned: many churches have a distinct hierarchy. The question arises however in which way we manifest ourselves as nonviolent faiths.
from the Salvation Army’s Articles of Faith:
5. We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocence, but by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall, all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
11. We believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked.
Terminology like “The wrath of God” and “endless punishment of the wicked” perhaps suggest that not just unifomity but also theology can be “rooted in the militaristic spirit”.
I certainly don’t want to pick on the Salvation Army, but with her deliberate choice for a militaristic format she exposes the contradictions in much of our often violent christian faith. And yes, of course within our own faith tradition there’s plenty of cultural violence as well.
mormongandhi 1:11 pm on January 9, 2010 Permalink |
Robert,
This was an excellent example of “cultural violence” within a christian faith/denomination, where militarism is used to ‘organize’ the children of men in the work of God. Although I am not in favor of “militaristic spirits” because I think they distract us from our real task, I think it is still helpful to maintain the idea of the “war in heaven” in mormonism, as this is a central tenet of our faith – but that our task is to interpret it nonviolently (peaceful attitudes).
Gordon B. Hinckley once said: “That war [in heaven], so bitter, so intense, has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion, between the followers of Christ and those who have denied Him. His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict. They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth. They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in every kind of evil practice to thwart the work of Christ”.
What I like about this quote is the description of the violent nature of the plan of the adversary as the Devil and “his followers” try to undermine the work of Christ and of his peaceable followers – i.e. the work of building peace/Zion. Although I am not in favor of reinforcing a violent aspect of our mormon culture, I still find it helpful to think that the adversary is engaged in fighting a war, while we are engaged in building peace! The serpents versus the doves.
It would indeed be a deceitful lie to say that followers of Christ are engaged in a war – violently. Never has it been God’s purpose to either cause death nor misery. He wept over his spirit children who fell from Grace and/or Heaven – or who departed from the way of peace. As the Creator, I think he has always been engaged in “soul-building”, even though he does not interfere necessarily with the consequences of evil/violent thoughts, words and deeds. As followers of the Prince of Peace (as opposed to the Prince of this world, John 14:3), we must choose to cast off the natural man, the enemy of what is good. The popular misunderstanding that “violence is in human nature” must be rejected however. The potential for violence, like love, is in human nature; but circumstances condition the realization of that potential. Casting off the natural man is becoming as God-Jesus: nonviolent. I personally think that this is one of the few things where we can actually attain perfection in this life. And if I am right on that one, “Celestial Kingdom: here we come!”