RUTHFULLY YOURS

John Bernard

I just returned, with my family, from the Second Military Expeditionary Brigade’s Memorial service honoring those who fell in the past year. Those honored included my son, Josh.

As is always the case, the United States Marine Corps showed incredible compassion, grace and heart. Truly, only Warriors can feel that level of compassion on such a grand scale because only Warriors put so much on the line for their Oath and for their Brothers. Theirs is not a life of luxury, self-ingratiation, seduction of power or arrogance of spirit. Theirs is a Spartan existence and a life bearing the great cost of loss and personal suffering. They pay dearly and, in many ways, so that others might live.

Those 90 men honored on Friday served with courage, dignity and personal honor. They did not go to Afghanistan to hold a sword at the throats of the people and force-convert them to another religion. They did not go there to tell them of Peter’s White Sheet Vision (Acts 10:9-19) and to force Muslims to eat pork. They went in obedience to the calling placed on their lives and in obedience to orders from above. None of this is at issue.

The manner in which they were used, however, and the strategy and ROE under which they performed is what is in question. I have never shied away from what I believe to be the underlying reasons for what I feel is a failed strategy, and you can read such thoughts throughout the history of my writings. If you have misunderstood my intent or my heart in this matter, read, again, the opening comments that are listed at the top of my blog for all to see. All else in this country at this point in time pales in contrast and in level of importance.

We have men and women in harm’s way and our Politicians and the vast majority of the Media apparently do not care and know nothing about the elements of this age-long battle. These are the same people who have ascribed to the sitting CIC’s idea that only people who do not go to college and are therefore unworthy, join the Service. A sign of the times.

I am frequently questioned about my stand on the value of human life. These questions are born out of some interesting sense of moral indignation by the inquisitor who has not apparently studied both sides of the question, ever served, ever had anyone in harm’s way nor has any other ‘horse in the race’. Their sense of fair play and right and wrong is exclusively individual and without any of that troublesome prompting from God; ‘But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.’ 1 Cor 2:14.

I am a Christian and have never, nor will ever, apologize for that. I will always feel compelled to answer questions when pressured by a knee-jerk response to an apparently ‘Biblical Truth’ when it is appropriate and this is one of those times. Any suggestion that God does not care for, or hold Warriors in high esteem, doesn’t know the Bible. Anyone who thinks that government “service” is unbiblical, has never read Romans 13. Anyone who uses a biblical expression or biblical commentary to justify skewing a heart-felt concern for one’s country and Warriors, first and above that of others in the world, probably needs to re-think who he truly is. As follows:

ragnhild71 said…

“Hold on, is this site actually claiming that American lives are more worth others? So the rest of the world is populated by what? How ignorant of me to believe that all Human Beings were created equal…

“Actually I hope you aren’t suggesting I should hold American Warriors lives in lower esteem than anyone else in the world because that is what is presently happening. If you are not an American, I do not expect you to hold American Warriors lives even equal to that of anyone else; the world has made that clear but as an American Warrior, an American citizen and one who has sworn the Oath, I can promise you that for me, all life on the earth comes in second to our Warriors. I recognize that ‘all men are created equal’ and can show you many places in the Bible where God says as much; but he also says that they are equal to choose while here on earth. I find it curious that those who do not believe in the truth of the Bible are always ready to quote it. The Bible is clear that even the Devil and his Demons know the Bible (God’s word) and they ‘tremble’, (James 2:19). Most of the people who use the Bible against our arguments use it in this perverse way. You use it, but don’t believe it and refuse to accept the God who ‘wrote it’. Then you are prepared to see our Warriors murdered by those whose lives you find ‘equal’ to our Warriors, using the Bible or Biblical commentary to make your case; curious.

“The standard you are demanding by your comment is one way; You want to spare the lives of those whose religion requires murder but are incensed that I would say that our Warriors lives are more valuable than those murderers and those who support them financially, in spirit, through cowardice, intrigue, treachery and, oh yes, adherence to taqiyya.

“These have used their religion, the words of the ‘Prophet’, the Koran and the consensus of the Islamic Scholars, to propagate by killing those who don’t agree, after offering them an opportunity to submit to Allah and the Prophet, of course. As Americans, we believe in live and let live. If others see it differently, they will find that the majority of us as Americans, won’t comply. If you are asking me if we as Americans have an innate responsibility to die for other peoples of the world – both those who like us and those who would rather see us dead, the answer is no. If you are asking me, if given the option, I would rather someone else die instead of our Warriors, the answer is decidedly yes. I am not looking for any death; this was not a war of our choosing but is just one more battle in a war that is 1400 years long. Stop engaging in Jihad, stop teaching Allah prefers death for the infidel and stop sending your children to commit suicide/murder and this conversation will be over.

“If the killing is to stop, those who perpetrated the first blow will have to agree to stop as well as those who give them aid, comfort and who agree with them ideologically. Short of that, this war will continue for another 1400 years and yes, I then choose the lives of my fellow Warriors and Countrymen above all on the earth – equal or otherwise.”

Semper Fidelis.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor John Bernard is a retired Marine First Sergeant who writes on Counter Insurgency Doctrine, Islam, Rules of Engagement and Middle Eastern culture, in his blog; Let Them Fight or Bring Them Home