Most of my friends have been supportive thus far, but one went on a rant about the evils of the U.S. military. She bought up some valid points, but like you mentioned in the essay, you need people both on the inside and the outside to effect change.

The fact that pacifists are members of congregations doesn’t mean that they have the right to take away the obligation of other members to shoulder the burden of the reality as expressed by population pressure. I hope that reasoned and ethical voices will continue to prevent that minority from attempting to dictate an alternative path than reality. Those societies that we find ourselves at war with practice the exclusionary practices that proponents of a peace church prefer even if their stated aims sound different.

I commend you for your service. I hope that in the ongoing recruitment efforts to create additional liberal chaplains, that the recruiters use science to negate the call to fantasy that is partially what I left the conservative theological world. I would prefer that recruiters get the theological schools to admit that war is not something that we will ever eliminate in some fantasy, but rather seek to find that rational minds within the liberal world and faith that will leaven the religious experience for our citizens in military service. Rational thought as a consequence of liberal religious involvement because war is not going to go away, is an important component of a free society that permits liberal religious faith and practice.

The existence of free societies is uncommon on our planet for the majority. since war is an inevitable consequence of existence and the totalitarian percentage of our planet could take over, it is important that we defend our freedoms that include freedom of faith. Support for the troops that provide us with the permission to practice our liberal faith is not an abjuration of responsibility but (I would prefer) the norm.

i am a seminary student at a liberal seminary and have just begun thinking about military chaplaincy. i appreciate this post for the care it takes to address so many concerns brought about by liberal religion to serving in a military capacity.

i have a couple of questions for you about chaplaincy and if you would be willing to email me i would greatly appreciate it. thanks!

I love my pacifist friends, and would never call them sissies… In fact, they often show alot of courage for thier beliefs. Psychologist Thomas Moore shows in his book “King, Warrior, Magician, Lover” how some of the same energy that brings soldiers to the field of battle also brings pacifists to the protest lines.

That being said… I think that UU’ism at its best spans both the far left and the center… and perhaps creeps to the right a bit… not just in politics but also in theology and in religious practice. We need each other, because instead of a creed we have a covenant and a quest. The covenant is beloved community, the quest is for the development, deepening, and interdependence of humankind. If we do not have voices other than our own, then we stand no chance at being successful at either.

And I will say one thing… while I may be more of a centrist in UU’ism, I am a raging liberal in most of the other communities I am in (including the Army Chaplaincy). One of the things I love about my UU congregations is they help me feel that I’m not really the complete radical I seem most of the rest of the time.

One last thought… you might enjoy reading some John Dewey…

Yours in faith,

David

UU are accepting and PRACTICAL. Even hunting can be
justified, if you eat all the meat, you obey the law,
keep deer population in balance with nature, reduce deer ticks
and DEFORESTATION (ecology) and accurately shoot.

Isn’t it ridiculous that UU is painted as completely LIBERAL, a
strange branch of the QUAKERS?