General Pace's Moral Compass - Missing in Action!

General Peter Pace, like his commander-in-chief, is leading us toward a slippery slope. Among other misnomers, the General’s assertion that the U.S. military ought not to “say,” by its policies that it “condones” immoral behavior flies in the face of the military’s new recruitment standards. The General’s moral compass seems to lack a “true” North.

MSNBC reports that upwards of 13,000 first-time Army recruits were accepted under waivers for various medical, moral or criminal problems. Thirty-eight percent of the waivers granted were for medical problems.

It’s interesting that General Pace is concerned about unit cohesion and combat readiness issues when it comes to including professed homosexuals in the ranks, but is not concerned to field units which include those arrested for misdemeanors. As a combat veteran, I do not recall feeling threatened by those colleagues who identified themselves as homosexual, even when their identity became clear, seductively. I do remember, though, feeling threatened on more than one occasion by some fellow-combatants whose criminal histories were less than stellar.

Of special concern, here, is the General’s assertion that the beliefs he expressed to the editorial board of The Chicago Tribune were personal, not reflective of U.S. military policy. Rather, his beliefs are informed by his faith in God, as a Roman Catholic.

Brought up in the Roman church, I recall that much of what our civil society calls illegal, that for which one might face arrest and conviction on a misdemeanor charge, is also immoral and, also likely, sinful. Moreover, in some Roman quarters, knowingly placing another in harm’s way, by an unrepentant sinner, is also immoral and, quite likely, sinful.

General Pace’s selective moral enforcement is more than baffling and beyond troubling. It’s scary.

Does the General consult with the Roman U.S. Military Vicariate before recommending promotions of military personnel who are divorced and remarried? Does it matter, for the sake of promotion and command, that divorced and remarried personnel are themselves Roman Catholic or not?

Can a divorced and remarried commander-in-chief, or one convicted of a misdemeanor, according to the General’s moral compass, issue the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs lawful orders. Could a Mormon, someone who clearly affiliates with a non-Christian sect, command General Pace’s decision-making? How are the General’s personal beliefs impacting orders to military commanders and chaplains? These seem, rather, to be all over the map!

I must have missed the General's interpretaiton of the Roman Church's take on the just war theory. Martin Luther had much to say about the possibility of a “soldier’s being saved.” He also taught much about the Two Kingdoms (left and right hand of God). All that’s much too complex for this piece.

The General, like all of us who profess faith in the God of Jesus Christ, are called to bring life and faith together. We live in the world, allegedly, not of the world. We occupy roles. Sometimes the roles shape us. Sometimes we shape the roles.

Living into our baptismal roles, and living out of the promises to us God offers to the baptized, is a tall order. Sometimes our religious affiliations and denominations help us make that happen. Other times they’re not much help at all.

As we approach the time of year when Christians recall God’s most incredible “for us” at Calvary, it’s helpful for all of us, in general, to remember Jesus’ words at that Sermon on the Plain, found in Luke 6: 35-36 "I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. 37-38 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." (The Message)

As a wise Roman priest once asked my fretting Lutheran pastor’s heart, “Do you know anyone for whom the blood of Jesus was not shed?” That moral compass has always guided me true.