November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel
Question on Military Service
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The Question
Dear Sir,
I have a question, perhaps you can venture a response, or pass
this email along to someone who can. Thanks!
I am a Sabbath-keeper, have been my entire life and steadfastly
believe in it (the seventh day) as a day of rest. I am
struggling with a question of interpretation regarding work on
the Sabbath.
I certainly believe that Sabbath keepers should cease working on
the Sabbath; however, there are certain occupations where it
is accepted to work on Sabbath; physicians, nurses, and other
medical careers are an example. As a teacher at a Seventh-day
Adventist boarding academy I am often called upon to supervise
weekend activities on campus, which inevitably include Sabbath.
Here is my dilemma.
In light of the events of Sept. 11, and in the event that our
country goes to war, I would feel compelled to join the
military. At first I thought I would join active (and would
have asked for Sabbath off). Then on thinking it through a
little more I felt that it would be more desirable to keep my
teaching job and considered joining the reserves where I could
be called up if needed. As you probably know, the reserves
train once a month on weekends, which would obviously require
Sabbath work/training. I would apply for a commission as an
intelligence officer nothing remotely close to being within
the current SDA comfort level for acceptable Sabbath work.
Thus my struggle, and the dilemma; Is the
work of a soldier, endeavoring to protect our nation and other
soldiers, as acceptable in God's eyes as that of a physician
on the Sabbath? I am inclined to believe that it is and I have
even found some Biblical evidence of God commanding soldiers to
work on the Sabbath and this evidence implies that soldiers
ALWAYS work on the Sabbath (II Kings 11:5-9). Furthermore, I
have spoken with a pastor, whom I now cannot find any contact
info, who believed that in ancient Judaic law there were two
occupations that were allowed to work on Sabbath: Rabbis and
soldiers.
I am not asking you for an answer, and not
necessarily advice, just looking for someone else's thoughts
on this topic.
I am especially concerned because my
church has a history of raising up soldiers who refused to work
or fight on Sabbath -- a high and noble ideal, but one I'm not
sure I always agree with. While most people fight to get the
Sabbath off and will perhaps lose their job because of refusing
to work on that day, I will perhaps lose my job because I feel
compelled to work on that day.
Thus the second dilemma;
If I am wrong and my interpretation is the product of misguided
logic, my students and the children of my colleagues may
look to my actions and either 1) question them to their parents and be forced to conclude that I am a bad person, or 2)
agree with them and thereby forcing their parents to believe
that I am a bad person.
Any helpful texts, especially
texts, or thoughts, websites, etc., would be very much
appreciated.
Yours,
Name Withheld by Request
Reply
Dear Kris,
It may interest you to know that I am a military man serving in
the United States Navy. As a Seventh-day Adventist Sabbatarian I
am empathetic with the concerns and considerations you make
with regard to "working" on the Sabbath as it relates to
military service. The question is, "Is being a Sabbath-keeping
Christian inconsistent with military service?" Or "Is being a
Sabbath-keeping Christian incompatible with patriotism?" It is a
question that I have not only have to answer for myself, but
also in counseling others like myself who serve in the
military (or other "service" related work).
I have often thought it amusing how after a snowstorm, brethren
in my church would thank God for traveling mercies coming to
church. We don't thank God for the salt truck drivers or the
snow plowers for working on the Sabbath so we can come to church
to keep the Sabbath. We don't thank God for the operators of
water plants or electrical plants who work on the Sabbath so we
can flush the toilet or turn on the lights on the Sabbath. I
have told my shipmates that we have to "fight the ship" on the
Sabbath (i.e. working to keep the ship afloat) or we would
not have a ship to keep the Sabbath on. Of course if we were
halachally orthodox Jews, we might not do any of these things,
but even in the State of Israel where Sabbath observance is the
law of the land, even there they must have water and lights on
the Sabbath. If the state of Israel were to observe "Yom Kippur"
the holiest day of the year according to halachah, there would
likely not be a state of Israel today. Their greatest military
victory was fought on the Day of Atonement. Jewish halachah
allows fighting from a posture of defense or when attacked.
I took an oath to defend the constitution of the United
States. As long as this document serves to protect my religious
rights to worship God according to the dictates of my conscience
I do not see service to my country inconsistent with my
conscientious convictions as a Sabbath-keeper for other
Sabbath-keepers. The day may come when our constitution may not
always serve the interests of such freedoms when this country by
repudiating its constitution will "speak as a dragon." But
until such time I serve God and my country with a clear
conscience.
The Scripture says in Isaiah 58:13 "If thou turn away thy foot
from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and
call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable;
and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding
thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words."
The Jewish midrash explains that "thy pleasure" refers to
working solely for pecuniary interests that relate to business
or working for the sake of profit, or indulging in worldly
recreations and amusements, which may be lawfully indulged on
another day. It further explains that to "call the sabbath a
delight, the holy of God, and honourable" means to take delight
and pleasure in the service of it; in all the duties of
religion, private and public, to be observed on that day. The
U.S Military upholds the religious rights of service members
including Sabbath-keepers (see http://www.doctrine.quantico.usmc.mil/ministry/reflist.htm#A1
and http://www.religioustolerance.org/mili_rel.htm).
God created the world in seven days, but the sun still shines,
the rivers still run, and the heavenly bodies continue in their
motions. In other words God's creation does not stop its
"working" on Sabbath. God also made man and as such working to
serve the needs of mankind as the rest of the creation works to
serve man on the Sabbath must needs be just as much a part the
continuing work of creation. Thus Jesus said in John 5:17 "My
Father worketh hitherto (on the Sabbath), and I work."
Halachally "work" involves "creating."
These are some of the considerations that I take into account
when it comes to what it means to keep the Sabbath. Such
considerations should be carefully weighed before making a
decision to join the military. In the final analysis it all
comes to a matter of conscience and personal conviction.
Unfortunately though, individual conscience and personal
convictions with respect to how one keeps the Sabbath are not
always acceptable to all Sabbath-keepers and to that I say "Who
art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master
he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is
able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4)
Sincerely,
Sidney L. Davis, Jr., president
The Bible Sabbath Association
TSS
November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel
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