The Toll of the War in Iraq

Now, I am going to write about something, I believe very strongly about and as a result there will be some of you that will get mad at me. I already know this has been a long standing argument within the organized church. There shouldn't be, if people will take God's Word over man's word and leave it at that, there would be none. As I had written in an earlier article man has a propensity to take the Commandments (The Word of God) and make it of no effect because of the traditions of men. The tradition, I want to speak about is the one developed by Augustine, who was one of the early church Fathers, who came up with the idea of a "JUST WAR". The just war theory also has a long history. Whilst parts of the Bible hint at ethical behaviour in war and concepts of just cause, the most systematic exposition is given by Saint Thomas Aquinas. In the "Summa Theologicae" Aquinas presents the general outline of what becomes the just war theory. He discusses not only the justification of war, but also the kinds of activity that are permissible in war. Aquinas's thoughts become the model for later Scholastics and Jurists to expand.

Early Christians did not believe men, but believed God and abstained from war and in most cases military service altogether. Once Constantine conquered the empire and esablished a church-state and Augustine who developed the idea even more of a physical "City of God" and spread the idea of a Christian nation and fighting for it, I want to say in my opinion all else went "to hell in a handbasket", in relation to Christian men and women loving their enemies. We suddenly took on the ways of the world.
A very dark history of the organized church proves that. Though Martin Luther wanted the church or common people to have the freedom to read and study God's word even he did not allow for true freedom in Christ, as he and Calvin persecuted and were responsible for the deaths of many Ana-Baptist, because they were scriptural and preferred "sitter's rights" and believed in "non-resistance". The AnaBaptist believed in the Kingdom of God only, not the kingdom of men, and they wanted to see an end to the priest-pastor in the church and return to the "priesthood of all believers" (a plurality of pastors-elders), where each man had a right to speak in assembly, as lead by the Holy Spirit and others would judge what was said. This would have eliminated the "one man" show and today we might be practicing in the assembly according to the tradition of the Apostles and the early church and Christ very own teaching. Once again, the traditions of men superceded the Word of God and those who really were closer to the teachings of Christ and church practice were sacrificed and killed for a structure of power over others. The Baptist organization as known today gave into this structure of power, even those that once beleived in "sitter's rights" have given into a structure of power over others in their assemblies and in their organization and structure. The churches of the German Brethern and the remaining AnaBaptist - the Mennontites have turned to the traditions of men in this one area as well. Power over others continues to be one of the greatest failures of the church today. It hasn't changed since the early church writer and "so called early church father" Origen set this all in motion with his raising the Bishop to the level of equality with Christ himself.
Jesus did not teach power over others, but power under. Some say Christ was not a non-resistor. Well, let's look at one of the strongest scriptures of His established new covenant with men.
Open your Bible to Matthew 5:38, and let's get rid of the idea of justifying war altogether and any concept that just because Israel did so under the Old covenant and a theocracy, that justifies us under the new relationship with God our Father which happens to be not a physical theocracy as Israel had but we are under a spiritual one, with Christ as our Head.
Here Jesus speaks very precisely, "You have heard that it was said, Eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth." NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY AND DON"T CHANGE WHAT HE SAYS HERE. "But I tell you." (Now remember this is God come down to men in the flesh) "Do not resist an evil person."
Let's be clear about that, DO NOT RESIST.
Now for me a biblical student, I don't have to do a lot of digging to understand His words, plain and simple. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Doesn't that just burn you up, that Jesus would actually tell us, to allow someone to hit us physically, yet we aren't to strike back but give them the other cheek to strike. I don't know about you, but in my flesh, I say, hit them back.
If we as Christians, have the living resurrected Christ living in us, this is just what should not result, striking back at our enemies. Our lives should be exemplary of that same life that he had while here on earth. So we excuse it with it, well "I'm not Jesus". Well, let's take a moment with me and go over to I John 2:6 - "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did".
Now Israel was under the iron hand of Rome. Jesus ended up under Pilate a ruler of Rome. All of Isreal was disappointed that he wasn't the military Messiah they were looking for and even today they do not accept Christ as Messiah because of who he is the Prince of Peace. Just as he said to Pilate, John 18:36 - "My kingdom is not of this world. if it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." We as believers have this same Kingdom, not a different one then he had.
The United States of America may be where we exist physically, but the Kingdom of God is the only one we have allegiance to, and thus His Kingdom, doesn't seek revenge, nor does it war with others over real estate, oil or any other ideal. To do so, makes us no better than the Muslims who believe in their kingdom. I highly recommend a great book written by a great Christian entitled. "The Myth of a Christian Nation", by Gregory A. Boyd, who handles the question of non-resistance for the beleiver in a tremendous way taking us through scripture and a greater understanding of verses like Romans 13:1-7.
I don't have the time or space to do it here.
What brought me once more to writing on this subject is the most recent news.
"Nearly 800 Iraq contractors killed."
Now. let's count up, some say it was 2,200 or a little more that got killed in the World Trade Center attack, collapse and destruction.
George Bush called for vengeance, no less in the name of the Christian God, and got our blood all stirred up and the next thing you know, we were ready to kill anyone that George could point his finger at and say they were responsible for all this. Well, now we have lost over 3,300 servicemen and 800 contractors serving in Iraq. That brings the toll since 911 to over 5,500 men, or women dead as a result of our want and need for vengeance and blood. I can call it nothing less than that. We can justify it under the idea of fighting for freedom, but don't you realize in the mind of the Muslim, they too worship a "pagan god of war", and beleive they are fighting for freedom as well.
See when like minds have the same purpose and goal of destroying one another with the same justifications, who is right? You want to know the truth, neither one of them. Thus, Paul writes in Romans 12:9-21- Summary: Do not repay ANYONE evil for evil. This includes a terrorist or Muslim or any other people our nation at any one time percieves as an enemy. For those who call themselves, Christians, we are to do just the opposite that the world would do, love our enemy.
See nations will deal with their problems the way men do, in the flesh. Whereas Christians, our sole allegiance is to be to Christ and His Kingdom. Somewhere down the line we have made the traditions of men and Augustine, supercede the Word of God and justified and even supported the ongoing hatred for others. Even the Muslims still refer to us as the Crusaders because of an even darker time in Church history where we killed, maimed and slaughtered millions of Muslims for the sake of the call of the Pope and the known church to gain salvation. Yes, that's right, the Pope made it clear to the Christian Crusaders to die for their cause to obtain Jerusalem under Christian control, that those who died doing so, would be guaranteed salvation and go to heaven. Now America has chosen a new Pope, a mislead President, that even beleives God talks to him directly - super canonically( outside of scriptural verification or justification) and gives Him his justifcation for war.
Hitler, did the same thing, the church at that time, listened to the same rhetoric and as a result thousands and thousands died needlessly while the Christian church of Germany went along with Hitler's ideals and the church stood by supporting it. German Christian men enlisted in Hitler's troops. One man, alone took a stance against Christian Nationalism in his country of Germany, his name was Dietrich Boenhoffer. One of the better recognized Theologians of today. The result he and his family were later killed by Hitler and his troops. Though, some rumor has come forth that he may have plotted to kill Hitler himself, I believe, that he understood and by the way, it was only a rumor that he planned to kill Hitler himself, the difference between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of men. He gave allegiance to God, and taught the Word, and died as a result of it. If you were to die today as a Christian, by the hands of a terrorist, would you be any of the worse because of it. Of course not, if you are truly born again and filled with the Spirit of Christ, you too would be looking beyond the grave to that great day of resurrection, when there shall be no more war, pain, tears or death. Only everlasting peace in Christ our Lord. May we never forget as believers, He is the Prince of Peace, not the prince of war. The toll of war in Iraq will grow as long as Christians support the death and continued destruction of a nation and it's people's will die, our sons will die, our husbands will die, our wife's, daughters and mothers will die all for a cause that has absolutley nothing to do with advancing the Kingdom of God. So, if you don't like what I have written here. Too bad, I love you all the same.
The Toll of the War in Iraq is beyond the number of deaths you hope to avenge at the World Trade Center, and yet, it continues and many who call themselves Christians are supporting it, with the preaching of another gospel, which is no gospel at all. It is a false gospel and one which our Saviour made it very clear, "my kingdom is not of this world". Until the day believers understand this, there will be war always and the false premise that one men made goverment is more righteous than another, and the sad thing Christians will die not for the sake of righteousness but for the sake of a presumed freedom. Only Christ can set a men truly free, not any nation. Christ said ALL NATIONS WILL BE judged. This includes Israel, the United States, no exceptions. There is no such thing as a "Christian Nation". There are only Christians that live in a nation. We are not part to this kingdom, we only live in it and are to pray for it, but we are not to be of the world, only in it, so that we might live out, Christ in us, which is the hope of glory! We are to be it's salt, it's light, but as it goes so often we have allowed ourselves to be many things else, we only promote the confusion so that everything righteous becomes nothing but gray areas of what individual belief and men's traditions define rather than what our Lord had to say about it all. The world cannot not see anything different about a believer than they can find in corporate board rooms where people take sides and fight for control to have power over others.
The institutional church has taken on these same tactics often and the church doesn't become a sanctuary from the world, it becomes just like them.
Where's the difference? There is none! We should find rest from our flesh when we come together as an assembly. There should be peace, love and righteousness.
I pray that we can only come to terms with Augustine's ideas, and throw them out for the lies they are. There is no "just war" for Christians. Until the day Christ returns and the sons of God are revealed and then we will have a Theocracy again, should we as believers realize the wars of men are not our affairs. There will be that day where He calls the shots not men. The wicked and the evil and the nations of this world will face judgement. God help us to know the truth and set us free from hatred, and vengeful thinking and allow us to have "the mind of Christ", who loved his enemies to the bitter end at the cross and said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". "Who died for us while we were yet his enemies."
The toll of the war in Iraq, is death and more death. Do we really care about life or not? Stand up and let your voice be heard. Let your stand for pro-life be real. Pro Lifer's do not kill others period, unlike some of the mislead individuals in the movement to stop abortion. We are to change the world by being the very opposite of what this world is. Jesus first, above all else. Let me close with these words from James 4:1-10 from the American Standard Version.

Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not:ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain:ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.
4 Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.
5 Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.


Dr. J.

PTSD and The Returning Soldier

I want to write here about something I know a little something about, PTSD, otherwise known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is not psychobabble, it is a very real condition that affects 5.2 million Americans! What is it?: Here is some information by the American Medical Association.

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is a real illness. People may get PTSD after living through a disturbing or frightening experience. It can be treated with medicine and therapy.You can get PTSD after you have been:
Raped or sexually abused
Hit or harmed by someone in your family
A victim of a violent crime
In an airplane or car crash
In a hurricane, tornado, or fire
In a war,
In an event where you thought you might be killed, or
After you have seen any of these events.

If you have PTSD, you often have nightmares or scary thoughts about the experience you went through. You try to stay away from anything that reminds you of your experience.
You may feel angry and unable to trust or care about other people. You may always be on the lookout for danger. You can feel very upset when something happens suddenly or without warning.

This Disorder will affect almost every American soldier, your son, your daughter on return from Iraq. Regardless, of what you believe or think about this war, it doesn't matter, but it does matter to your children. I know, I suffer from PTSD. Mine is very complicated, it is the result of years as a Firefighter and a Medic and then the horrible car crash I was in.and other incidents in my life. The most important one to trigger it was a car crash where I was driving, that ended with the death of my dear wife of 27 years.

The truth is, God is always right, especially when it comes to war. Jesus, taught us to love our enemies. Whenever a soldier man or woman kills or maims or injures another human being, regardless of what he is taught in the military, regardless of what he believes his justification is, deeper in his psyche, something will happen. This shock to the human mind will be there as an enduring memory. A very bad memory.
These are just a few of the symptoms you can expect your loved one to have when they do return from Iraq.
This is a small list compiled of the symptoms and treatments for Veterans. I drew this from the web site Viet Nam Vets against the War in Iraq. These are men who returned to find their lives in shambles and many ended up on the streets of America, homeless and messed up, drug users and alcoholics and wondering with no direction to go, until they found help.

And the good soldier John or the good troop Jane, who under fire never once thought of your civil rights, your silly flag, your doofus politics. Good Johnny or Jane, I say, feel and act a tad differently when the locked down feelings, bottled up memories, instinctive behaviors of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder fervently, unexpectedly kick in.
The symptoms of PTSD, in plain bloody English, are as follows:

• Flashbacks: seeing and feeling a combat event as if it were happening right now.
• Hyper Vigilance: being always on guard, always looking for where the next shot, next grenade, next rocket, ambush or IED will come next.
• Survivor Guilt: feeling bad, feeling real bad for having survived, where others in the platoon or squad didn't.
• Moral Guilt: wrestling with actions one did or did not take on.
• Startle Reflex: dropping, flinching, turning fast at a sudden noise or unexpected touch.
• Suicidal Ideation: thinking of killing oneself.
• Homicidal ideation: thinking of killing people. Friends or complete strangers.
• Homicidal Rage: anger way out of proportion to an everyday event. It comes quick, down and dirty.
• Sadness, depression, anxiety, crying spells: Staring into space, saying nothing.
• Nightmares: violent dreams related to combat. Sometimes it's the same dream. Some vets make strange noises. Thrash in bed. Wake up scared, or sweaty.
• Ritual Behavior: at night checking the lights, locking the doors, maybe keeping a weapon at hand.
• Alienation: a vet feels as if no one understands him, doesn't fit in, feels as if he or she should have never returned
• Panic Attack: for a short time the combat vet becomes suddenly and intensely afraid. He or she sweats, breathes hard. has a pounding heart, might get dizzy, choke
• Social isolation: staying alone for long periods of time. Or in public saying very little. To the point of being noticeably very quiet
• Drug and alcohol abuse: whatever works to dull the pain glowing inside one's head
•Fear of emotional intimacy: combats often won't let anyone get close to them. If someone gets too close. the vet backs off or pushes them away
• Employment: a lot of vets can't keep a job. Every couple of months quit or get fired
• Psychic Numbing: not have the ability to feel emotions. Vets talk about feeling hollow, blank, empty.
• Denial: Problems'! What problem? I don't have a problem.
•High Risk Behavior: doing daredevil stuff to re-live the rush of combat.

These symptoms are normal responses to extraordinary events outside the range of normal human experience. Most civilians are clueless about combat and its aftermath.

Some types of treatment:

• The talking Cure: a vet talks to a therapist who is skilled in treating war stress and is not a paid bullshitter.
• Group therapy: seven to ten vets meet once a week for an hour or two. A good group leader is essential. That person knows when to talk, when to listen, how to keep the vets focused. Otherwise, group therapy can get lame fast
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): a form of hypnosis in which the vet is fully awake.
• Exercise. Meditation. Meds. A friend who will just listen. An artistic endeavor.
and
*Faith in God.

One other thing. This is real important: a lot of Vets fear talking about war. They fear losing control. Breaking down. Crying. My advice to those who have seen combat; face yourself. Chances are good you will learn to live less in the past, more in the present, but you will never be the same. WW II. Korea, Panama. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central America, wherever you were. Whatever you did in war will always be with you. Always.

PTSD will not only affect your son or daughter, husband or wife but it will at times devastate them. You must be prepared to handle this, you need to research it now, so you can help them through.

I have been on medication for almost 5 years now that has helped some, I sleep better, I eat better and the flashbacks to the things that have affected me aren't as bad, but at anytime, something can trigger it. PTSD, has cost me jobs, difficulties in my marriage and in my family life, it has affected my behavior. My PTSD came as a result of seeing too much death, injury and stupidity of humans, murder, fights, and more. Much of this came in the late 80's and early 90's due to my 3.5 years of being a FireFighter/Medic and in my 20 years as a Private Investigator, I saw it all.
I have seen people, opened up like animals while doing part of my duty as a Medic in assisting the Pathologist with autopsies at the local hospital. This was part of our duties, when we weren't on a call. I have seen bodies, fried by fire, maimed and killed by others, children dead and more. The thing that topped it all off was the attempted rescue of my wife's own life while she lay in my arms beside me in our car and I gave her mouth to mouth, praying and hoping for her to live. She didn't. The memory of that incident has never faded. The whole accident often will attack my dreams and my daytime thoughts. The memory of others who have suffered similar losses in car accidents, mountain climbing and flying and more will always be there. Death, is something we must all live with, as someday we will die as well.
The hardest part for your returning Vets, will be that they were often responsible directly for the death of another human being. This is reality.
I wasn't responsible for the incidents I was involved in, but all the same, there is something in the human soul that loves life and clings to life and doesn't want to take life. That I believe is the creation we were made to be. We were made in the likeness of our Creator who called each of us to not kill others. Jesus clairifed this. It isn't left to argument. Love thine enemy, take no vengeance. These words are hard for Americans. They for too long have had war glorified in television and movies. They have not lived it.
Regardless of the Religionist and the Old Testament incidents. One, must realize, that in the end, death will be swallowed up and it will never exist again. This is God's purpose- life.
The thought of those dying around you, by you or near you, is not an experience every American has experienced. Thank God, this is so. September 9, 2001 was really the first experience for American "civilians"to have dealing with senseless violence and death. This is commonplace stuff in war torn countries, they live it out, they live through 911's everyday.
We can't even imagine what it is like, Iraqi's do, Palestianians do, Israeli's do and many other people in this world torn by war and greed. They watch their family members die in their arms.
Women, children and men. It doesn't matter, until you have been there and experienced the reality which goes far beyond the edited media you get on television news in America or in the war movies you watch.
It is as the voice of Marlon Brando in his part in as the renegade General in the movie "Apocalypse" said over and over at the end of the scene, "the horror of it all, the horror, the horror. "
You can't even begin to know what really goes on in the mind of a returning veteran who has actually been engaged in war, killing and seeing the death of fellow soldiers. He will pretend, often using profanity, as if it was no big deal. It's all a lie, he or she is afraid to cry. Let them cry, let them spill out their guts. This can be the beginning of healing.

God, deliver us from any more foolish wars for the sake of men's greed and need to influence power over others.
God keep you safe from ever having to experience what millions of police officers, firefighters, medics, soldiers and other health workers across the world deal with everyday in their duties. Find someone to talk to.
I can tell you, there is One who not only forgives, but comforts and that is your heavenly Father. He can teach you how to start letting go.
My PTSD grows less and less, but all the same, I still need medication to help me. Don't fear admitting, it hurts, it is terrible or whatever it takes to begin the healing process.
I'm still healing and probably will for a very long, long time. The good thing, is I know that my future is held by my Father in heaven and there is coming a day, when death will be swallowed up in victory. The fear is subsiding, the hope is returning.
I only can hope and pray for those that chose to put themselves in such a position as our soldiers to do the bidding of politicians, who will return with PTSD. God help them and their familes to understand. If you haven't lived it, you can't imagine, "the horror."

Dr. J.