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Docta Ignorantia LXXXV The Relationship Between Clergy And Soldiers 1- As a Brigadier mentioned to me, clergy and military are related: if he had not gone military, he would have gone clergy. At WP, you would find that pratically all Cadets and virtually all officers are more or less religious deliberately. As the old saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes. Also, prayer and religious language is openly used at WP, ACLU notwithstanding. Same at all the military academies. Tax payer money directly supports numerous chapels as well as a chaplain corps in each service branch. I have often amused myself as to what would happen if ACLU confronted the academies and the services for separation issues. 2- Clergy and warrior are related but not the same. It is immoral for clergy to be combatants on a field of battle. They must not fight. But warrior is a calling intrinsic to the moral structure of the universe -- to protect from bad people, of whom there are some -- and that calling is supported by all theological and moral systems ever devised for the uplift of mankind, including Jain. Which raises the question of war and religion, war and pacifism. There are no religious wars. Never have been, never will be. Wars which appear to be religious are for other reasons and religion is called in cynically to support. Religion supports war in specific cases for specific reasons and within specific parameters -- which are long known and spelt out -- but never for religious reasons. The reasons for war are always the same and involve one or more of three factors: wealth, dominion and/or women. Religion is never a factor in war because religion never has to be fought for -- because it is never threatened. Religion is supports war within specific parameters but is never an object or a motive for war. When religous people conduct war, it is always for the same reason, to protect the weak, the abused, those who are getting trounced on account of motives involving wealth, dominion or women. Religious people never fight for religion because there's never a need to do so. Religion is entirely pacifistic, just as people expect it to be.
Adwaitha Hermitage
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