Christians Join the Military?
During the recent U.S. Catholic bishops' fall assembly in Baltimore, several bishops and one abbot, decided to skip dinner at the downtown Marriott Waterfront hotel, and walked several blocks to an inner city parish to share a simple meal with about 30 peace activists — myself included.
In the basement of historic St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, during the evening of Nov. 17, Archbishop Joseph Tobin, Bishop John Michael Botean, Bishop Anthony Taylor, Bishop Frank Dewane, Bishop Mark Seitz, Bishop John Stowe, Bishop Richard Pates, Bishop Michael Warfel, Bishop Peter Baldacchino and Abbot Nicholas Zachariadis shared soup and bread together with members of Pax Christi, the Catholic Worker and Sant'Egidio, as we discussed how followers of the nonviolent Jesus should respond to calls to war.
Highlighting the discussion were three speakers who shared with us deeply personal testimonies regarding Christian conscience formation, war and conscientious objection.
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Daniel Baker, explained that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks he believed he had to do something. He came to what he thought was the obvious conclusion: "join the military, fight in war, and kill the enemy."
He joined the U.S. Navy and started to see "from first-hand experience the military outside of the movies." He told us it started to become less clear how killing would really be helping others. "My expectations unraveled fast."
Baker said he began reading the Gospel, and that most of what Jesus taught took him by surprise; his words and actions against violence are "radical and demanding."
And I would add that a serious, honest reading of Jesus' radical and demanding teachings against violence should take all of us by surprise. For Jesus' teachings were, and remain, extremely countercultural.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways" says the Lord (Isaiah 55:8).
During 2006, Baker said while flying over the Persian Gulf in a reconnaissance plane designed to carry bombs and torpedoes, he and his crew members were tracking an Iranian submarine.
After making radio contact, one of the submariners said, "Coalition aircraft, maintain five nautical miles, or we will take defensive action."
But Baker said as his plane continued to make passes over the submarine, the voice of the Iranian submariner was sounding more and more nervous.
Baker reflected, "As I listened to the trembling voice, I began to realize that it was a flesh-and-blood man in the submarine down there. And that blip on our sonar screens represented an entire crew of human beings; they were sons, brothers, husbands.
"Gradually, I became firmer in my conviction against war," said Baker.
With the help of Catholic Peace Fellowship he applied for conscientious objector status. And after seven months he was honorably discharged.
Seminarian Daniel Baker is now on his way to becoming a Catholic priest.
