The military question, and Westboro
Comment from a military Mom:
I am a born again christian and I have had words with some of the Westboro Baptist Church people personally. Is it right that they tell me to my face that my son and I are going to burn in hell because he is a Marine? No it's not. You might want to rethink your stance on them. They are vile people.
My answer:
We are so used to being a ‘Christian’ nation, Wanda. But sadly there are so few fire and brimstone preachers around, so little talk in the churches about what God hates. (which can mean 2 things in the Bible - 'less love' or 'feel you want to destroy'. The first is a softer meaning than we are used to) Are we a nation that truly fears God? With such a President in office? With 3,600 abortions a day in the US? With openly gay leaders across our country in all areas of life, even in the church?
Do we hear about what saddens God, angers him? And along with that we think there is some kind of greasy grace. Once saved always saved, even if we do not then actually follow Christ as Lord, or worse, turn ourselves to wicked ways with no repentance. Or we think that we will be saved because we are not 'so' bad. Do we actually believe there is a hell? If we did, we might be doing more ourselves to try to get people’s attention about the matter. And attacking people less who are doing something to warn those who might not be saved.
I honor you for your sacrifice and I am thankful for your son's service to our country. Obviously you and your son are not going to burn in hell because you are a military family. At least not only because of that. Since you know the Bible, you know many shocking things were said and written and not fully explained right away. You have to dig around and take the whole Bible into consideration. We have a small understanding of a large God.
I have also met the Westboro people and do not think they are vile. They are very focused, not ‘religious’ and politically incorrect. We at DWOC are also pretty wild - many say very wild - hateful, evil, dangerous, not Christian, a cult, sick, bigots, intolerant ...and much more. Dismissed so that our message can be pushed away and disregarded. We can be seen as dirt and thrown out.
My point is, what are they getting at? They don't say that only to military people. They say it to everyone about everything when they can find any connection to God's displeasure. You and your son will certainly not be saved just because you are military. You know that too - it is only by grace through Jesus, repentance and forgiveness. But do we do much repenting?
The military is necessary, just as war was necessary in the Bible at times, even commanded by God - to rid some evil, to advance his Kingdom. Yet he said to David when he wanted to build the temple that he could not because he had lived a warrior's life. There are other references in the Bible to violence of any kind being against plan, or his best plan for us. War is not glorified in the Bible, is it? On the other hand, God is called a Warrior, and goes to war in the spirit realm. Maybe violence and bloodshed, even in a just war or in self defense, is something we should all be repenting for more often. Wouldn’t hurt, would it? Or are we a bit like the Islamic jihadists who glorify war to such an extent that they think that is their guaranteed ticket to heaven?
