In recent years I have come to value our military more and more as time goes by. As a JW, I was trained to view those in military service as murderers; or misguided fools. They are anything but that. They are true heroes that help bring order to society. True, standing armies have not always been on the right side of history, but when they represent a population that values freedom, they are more often than not. Even their very existence encourages people to behave themselves.
I have often thought it strange how the first non-Jew to become a Christian was an active duty Roman army officer - Cornelius. Why I never bothered to question the WT demonization of the military in spite of this fact is beyond me.
Christians were found all over the early Christian world. One legion in particular is fascinating since they were all Christians and were all martyred simply for not denouncing their faith in Jesus. They did not even put up a fight when sentenced. Amazing.
The Roman Theban Legion
- All 6600 Martyred for Jesus in 286 A.D.
Even John the Baptist didn't ask the soldiers of his time to quit their service. He simple told them to abandon deception and do their jobs honestly:
Luke 3:14 (NKJV)
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
So Cheers to all those in the military that perform their duties. All of them give some, some of them give all.
Where would we be without them?