Blurring church and state boundaries
by Donald D. Kaufman, Newton, Kan.
None of us is exempt from acculturation. Ron Hunsicker aptly observes, “We continue to languish in a culture that has blurred the boundaries between church and state” (Readers Say, July 22). The result: Even Mennonite youth are not able to resist the military recruiters’ dubious promises. It is good to see that congregations are alerting parents of high school youth to opt out of these high- pressure consultations.
Reading The Deserter’s Tale (Grove Press, 2007) by Joshua Key (as told to Lawrence Hill) would assist all of us in getting a clear, unvarnished picture of what happens to a soldier’s humanity when he is required to obey the killing orders of his commanders. The consequences are awesome. After seven months in Iraq, Joshua discovers that his conscience will no longer allow him to continue a life of crime. Key’s story is compelling. He “followed the voice of his conscience and chose desertion rather than complicity” (Cine-Tele-Revue, France).
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