Huw Raphael is at it again and there is a good discussion on the Chruch and war. I am getting ready to go out of town for a few days so I don't have time to continue my own reflections on this issue.
However, there was mention of whether or not there is a difficulty of being not only a soldier but a servant of the state and a Christian. I was doing some reading today and I remembered that Constantine (the one who supposedly got us all into this mess of Christian soldiers and just wars and empire) was baptized just before his death, and that at least according to the church history texts this was not an uncommon thing for some in the ancient church to do. Then I seemed to have this recolection that those who chose not to be baptized until close ot thier deaths, though having Chistian faith, were those who were of the class to serve as ministers of the state/empire. So, maybe there was a percieved contradiction between being baptized and serving the state? Its just a thought and I may be misremebering my history.
One priest I know used to refer to the Catechumen Constantine.
ReplyDeleteLarry, I think that you have it right. Before Rome was "made Christian" it was assumed that one could not be baptized and serve the state. The issue was one of idolatry. There was too much emperor worship wrapped up in day to day beurocracy. And, perhaps by extrapolation, this is why the government became Christian...that was simply how they functioned.
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