Being a Christian and a Soldier is Hard

Scott_Fraser · #1 16-01-2007, 09:04 PM

Hi folks.
I was wanting your opinion on this. I lost my faith in god after serving in Bosnia, I thought if there was a god would he allow these horrors to happen.
I don't know if you, Anthony and Desert Dweller would agree on this. But being a soldier and a christian does not mix. Not in our line of work. I've used my weapon on many occaisions especially in Gulf War 1.
I used to be a regular church goer. But not now, I haven't been inside a church for 12 years.
I don't condone people who do go, as I would never ram my reasons down their throats. Each to their own as I say.
Thanks for listening to me.
Scott

cookie · #2 16-01-2007, 09:56 PM

i'm sorry, scott that you had a bad experience, that is when your faith can be the most help. i don't believe in ramming things down people's throats, either. that doesn't accomplish anything. it has to be a personal thing between you and God. if you want to know if He's real--ask Him. i used to question how God could let things in my early childhood happen--but i know it's part of this human condition of sin, and satan has freedom to roam here on this earth , now, but not forever. yes, God could wipe it out--and He's going to , but til then, that's part of life here. not trying to talk anyone into anything--just my 2 cents.
cathy

Scott_Fraser · #3 16-01-2007, 10:15 PM

Thanks Cathy.
I Will remember that, but like I said, seeing so many horrors in Bosnia made me think. I'm just a normal British Soldier, I was trained to fight in Battle, not witness Genocide, that was the job of the SS. I'm still very sceptical about my faith, but maybe in time that will change.
Cheers
Scott

veiled · #4 16-01-2007, 10:48 PM

Scott, I believe it is very normal for one who is a Christian to lose faith or have it well rattled during this phase. This phase being the beginning and during so much pain and seeing so much. Personally, I have put my cross up on the wall to remind me, put my bibles back out, and wearing my cross again. I have not in ohh... 16 years? So this is a new phase for me. Still have not returned to church, but I have my own chats with the big guy... I think he understands ;)

But you will find different opinions here for sure as not everyone is Christian in their beliefs and faiths.

Scott_Fraser · #5 17-01-2007, 01:16 AM

Hi Veiled
Thanks for your advice.
Yes I agree, I've lots of friends who are muslim or jewish, my best mate up in Glasgow was Jewish and we had great laughs.
But as I said, it will Take a lot of time. I'm a member of The Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), since I was 18. But my faith has gone at the moment. I do prey to the big guy and ask him why did he let this happen. To his people.
Cheers
Scott

No-Twitch-Tabitha · #6 17-01-2007, 08:14 AM

Actually, I was talking to someone about this very thing the other day.

I wonder, Scott, what made you go into the armed services, and how would you say your faith was at that time?

I wonder about people who say they are faithful/spiritual/religious who go into the armed services. I wonder how they reconcile their beliefs with what they have to do as soldiers.

anthony · #7 17-01-2007, 08:24 AM

Well, I am not Christian to start with, nor am I a religious type of person. Never have been, never will be. That doesn't mean I don't have certain beliefs, it simply means I don't believe the nonsense that gets pulled over the eyes of the world by people such as the Catholic church and other organisation.

mouse · #8 17-01-2007, 12:43 PM

Hi Scott,
I have asked myself many times how can there be a God after witnessing the things that I see at work on a daily basis, life, death ,pain and suffering are all so very common, I have been angry at God for letting certain people die when we save others but I have come to the conclusion that things happen for a reason, we dont have to like the outcome nor do we need to understand it, I often question my faith but on the other hand sometimes I feel that God is the only one who would, could understand what I have seen and gone through, and I feel that I can talk to God with out interuptions, just my opinion But I know how hard it is to believ that God would let some of the things that happen occure we are not meant to understand I guess

reallydown · #9 17-01-2007, 06:09 PM

Hi Scott,

I'm not very religious...but have often wondered how people can call themselves true believers (any religion) and then go out and kill people...to me those people not true believers as no religion, in and of itself, promotes the kinds of awful things that human beings do to each other...i'd say that fanatics of all kinds often misinterpret or deliberately misrepresent (i can't think of a better term right now) certain aspects of religion in oreder to try to justify what they're doing etc...Perhaps sometimes some religious texts are taken too literally...I don't know what I was really trying to say...I knid of lost my train of thought...I odn't knwo if any o f thi s is ehlpful at all...

Scott_Fraser · #10 17-01-2007, 09:16 PM

Hi Tabitha.
I joined the army as previous members of my family had served in the army and it is a family tradition. As for my beliefs before I joined, I was a regular church goer, and the local minister gave me lots of praise, as I was serving Queen and Country. And he gave me his blessing as well.
As to your other question, how do I reconcile my beliefs with the job that I did. I suppose you could say, that fighting for Queen and Country does reconcile me with the Lord, as I believed then that I was doing the right thing.
Cheers
Scott