TO THE EDITOR:
King David came many years after Moses and the Ten Commandments, about 1020-1300 B.C. God’s people had the sixth commandment: “Thou shall not kill,” as well as others when David went to War. I call it a just War. Do I understand correctly that Mr. Scibilia-Carver’s position, in his letter last week, is that David’s action in that War was wrong — a sin?
The reader’s letter combines a number of complex issues: refusing the Eucharist, abortion and War. Certainly, I agree with those who find the refusal of the Eucharist — for any reason — a terrible thing. But abortion and war are two extremely different things. Abortion is wrong and selfish; it robs an innocent being of life. War can be wrong — but a reader of our Bible knows: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” [New King James Version]. Those who go to war to save lives — are heroes & heroines.
Why then does he write: “Nine Catholic soldiers from Rhode Island are listed as casualties of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan according to: www.thecatholiccostofwar.org.” I have no knowledge of the individual stories of the nine — but to even suggest they should be thrown in with people who knowingly choose abortion is disrespectful, a horror.
When the Church does away with “Christian” in the “Just War” theory, I think I know what happens. The land of the free and the home of the brave vanishes, and evil will reign.
Thank God for warriors!
Brian Gardner, Jamestown
