Questions

In spiritual and not pragmatic terms, why is it more morally acceptable for American soldiers to anonymously kill dozens of civilians by dropping bombs on them than it is to kill them face to face with bullets? Is it not murder in both cases?

Where has it ever been said or written, in “spiritual terms,” that it is morally acceptable to kill anonymously from a great distance rather than face-to-face? Neither is morally acceptable. Killing is killing and, as such, is a sin. When an individual has committed such a sin, it must be confessed before God and penance must be extracted. For some, the torment of having killed someone becomes a penance of personal agony for their entire life.

The history of humanity reveals how effective we have devised ways of killing each other. Probably pure face-to-face combat was experienced in pre-historic times, where cavemen clubbed themselves to death. As soon as one of them invented a spear and figured out it could be thrown, face-to-face combat became the “last resort.” It’s much more preferable to dispatch someone from a distance. Ergo, arrows, catapults, spear throwers, cannons, bullets, etc. minimize the feelings of human responsibility for death.

Modern weaponry is so advanced in this regard that they more and more resemble a video game. In fact, new video games that kill dozens of individuals in more ways than can be counted can’t help but desensitize our emotions about taking another person’s life.

As I wrote in a previous answer to a question pre-9/11: “How are we to reconcile this (serving in the military and warfare) with our present life as Orthodox Christians living in the United States of America in the year 2000? There is no mandatory military service, neither does the “draft” exist anymore. Service in our armed forces is voluntary. And, when it is conducted within peaceful times, primarily providing a peaceful defense for our nation and its citizens, there is little moral dilemma for the Orthodox.

“But the fact remains that there may come a time of conflict. We may be called upon to defend our nation and its interests. In the case of a “shooting war,” every Orthodox soldier will fact the situation alone. The ethics of his faith will be in tension with his “oath to duty and to country.” He will be faced with “kill or be killed.” And, having made the decision, he will be in prayer with his Lord seeking wisdom, guidance, and forgiveness for the actions that he must do.

“Should the Orthodox soldier’s convictions against taking another person’s life be strong enough, there has always been the opportunity within the United States military for service in a non-combatant role. Many soldiers or sailors who have professed a “pacifist” position have served with distinction as medics or hospital corpsmen.”

Part 2:

In response to this question last week I wrote: “Killing is killing and, as such, is a sin.” Then I spoke in general regarding the dilemma of being a Christian soldier living in a fallen world and having to deal with “duty to country” and our Christian morality.

Having said that, sometimes there are challenges to world peace, equality and social justice, all of which are Christian principles, which are not purely “political” or “national” but truly “evil.” Such instances have occurred in the past seventy years. World War II found the “free” world Allies fighting against the Axis of fascism. Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan slaughtered millions of people in their desire for world domination. This “evil” was defeated for the betterment of world humanity. Next was the “Cold War” which some have called World War III. From the end of WWII in 1945 until the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the western “free”world stood solidly against the tyranny of “communism” which slaughtered and imprisoned millions while tirelessly persecuting the Holy Orthodox Church.

We now find ourselves in the beginning of what is probably World War IV, the war against radical Islam, which has as its goal world domination and turning back the clock to the sixteenth century. Don’t be misled. You have only to speak to any Orthodox Christian who has lived in Islamic societies to understand that this radicalism is real. It does not fight traditionally with an army that wears uniforms. It hides within the general populace wearing ordinary clothes as it bombs ordinary citizens, Jewish, Christian and Muslim alike. It cuts off the heads of its victims, butchering and desecrating the bodies of anyone who is an enemy of “Allah.” When confronted by troops it doesn’t stand to fight face to face, but runs and hides in the midst of women and children, so that they will be endangered. They have no relationship with the ethics and principles of Christianity where all men and women are to be equal and treated with respect.

Our American society, as imperfect as it is, still stands for the respect, equality and freedom of all peoples to live in this world. These principles have been formed and molded by Christianity. We have every right to defend ourselves when attacked, and when these principles are threatened, we have the duty to fight against the “evil” that would destroy all that we value.