Jumpstarter 7 of 10

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Question 7

Dean brings up “On Killing” and the idea that many humans resist killing even when forced into battle—how should that observation shape a church’s pastoral care and moral expectations for Christians in military or law-enforcement roles today, especially around repentance, formation, and conscience?

Another way to ask: If many people naturally struggle to kill, even in war, how should a church care for soldiers and police today? What should we expect about their conscience, training as disciples, and need for repentance?

Direct Answer The transcript suggests churches should recognize the moral weight and psychological harm tied to killing, care for conscience seriously, and still form Christians toward nonviolence rather than assuming military participation is spiritually neutral.

Support from Transcript:

Dean cites “On Killing,” describing how training for killing “messes with the military… harms human beings.”
He mentions the Gettysburg detail: rifles with “multiple loads,” suggesting some soldiers went through motions but “didn’t fire,” implying “human beings don’t like killing.”
Earlier they argue soldiers often had limited agency: some were in roles by inheritance and “you didn’t choose to be one.”
Yet the church’s expectation remained: Hippolytus required soldiers seeking baptism to “never… use the sword again.”
They also highlight the possibility of Christian faithfulness inside constraint: Christians in the army prayed rather than fought in the Lightning Brigade account.

Discussion Follow-ups What would it look like to disciple someone’s conscience rather than simply affirm their identity (“soldier,” “officer”)? Where should the church draw clear lines, and where should it patiently walk with someone who is trapped or wounded?

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