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Change of Allegiance  /  A Change of Allegiance: Questions and Answers – Part 1  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 5
On selling to the military (raw materials for weapons vs. a mini barn for storage), Dean argued early Christians deliberately avoided supporting the “war machine,” especially profiting from it; how would an early Christian likely reason about indirect participation, and what modern business decisions expose how easily we separate “neutral commerce” from moral complicity?
Another way to ask: How do you think an early Christian would think about helping the military indirectly, even through business? What business choices today show how easy it is to call something “neutral” when it still supports harm?

Direct Answer Based on Dean’s teaching, an early Christian (and Anabaptist tradition he appeals to) would likely avoid even indirect support that strengthens the “war machine,” especially if it involves making profit from it, because the goal is to not assist warfare at all. Modern business choices—like hauling military equipment or selling “general use” items to military—expose how quickly we label things “neutral” even when we know who they serve.

Support from Transcript:

  • The question contrasts “raw material…used for making weapons” with selling “a mini barn…for general storage.”
  • Tony shares a trucking example: he hauled what he believed was “military equipment” and later wondered if he was “assisting this…war machine.”
  • Dean states: Christians have “deliberately tried to avoid supporting the war machine in any way, particularly making profit from it.”
  • Dean’s personal application: “it would be my personal practice to not sell to the military to support that war machine.”
  • He says there are “very nice examples through church history” of people refusing such participation.
Discussion Follow-ups What are our “mini barn” equivalents—services that seem ordinary but clearly aid violence? Are there profits we accept that would disappear if we took this principle seriously?

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