Okay. Perhaps I should be accommodating. Perhaps it is good to have people out there that hold the line and maintain dream goals. We certainly expect our clergy to maintain the hard line against moral relativism, even when parishioners complain. I like that, even if I have a disagreement here and there.

But in a broken world, you need fellow Catholics on the inside of broken organizations, fomenting change from within. There are military nut jobs in the military — go figure — that need to be kept in check, who need to be told to put their gun down, to abort a bombing run, to make better strategic decisions. You need these people there right now, every day.

Also, no disrespect meant on proposing a “military view.” I would never want to shut down the conversation, nor proclaim to have any more truth than you. What happened that caused you to stop giving people the benefit of the doubt? Just curious.

Thanks!

Ah yes, because the fact that you are in the military simply shuts down all conversation because — a-ha! — we now have “the truth.” If you haven’t noticed, I’m beyond giving “military people” the benefit of the doubt.

Don’t use an article like this to alienate men and women in the military. A lot of us try to be good Christians too. You want us to be in the military, trust me.

No, I don’t want you, Cliff, in the military. I don’t want anyone in the military.

A story like this one is gross, but otherwise not telling.

First of all, the torture of a child is gross. I don’t think, however, that this should spawn some judgement of the average military person when you’re talking about 1.5 million people who are serving on active duty. It is careless to stereotype such a diverse organization. Lock the man up, just like we do to thousands of non-military moms and dads who torture their kids. Now, if there are trends that suggest that child abuse is on the rise in military families, then the military indeed has a responsibility to do something about it. Remember, the military has tried hard to overcome issues of racial inequality, women’s rights, and even today, the rights of homosexuals.

Second, the use of waterboarding on a person is torture. I will do it to you and you will honestly think that you are going to die — even if I tell you in advance that I’m doing it to you for experimental purposes. It is amazing what happens to the mind when it is over stressed, even under laboratory conditions. So let us stop dancing around the terminology.

Third, talk of telling young men and woman to abandon the military because killing is involved is pointless. What we need are strong Catholic men and women IN the military to ensure that stupidity is kept in check. We need compassionate people ON THE INSIDE. Furthermore, you have to ensure your elected officials are kept in check, because THEY are the ones that send young Catholic men and woman to war.

Don’t use an article like this to alienate men and women in the military. A lot of us try to be good Christians too. You want us to be in the military, trust me.

Where I have seen this covered in the media, it’s been unequivocally called “torture,” even by publications that insist on referring to the practice as “enhanced interrogation” when used on “enemy combatants.”

I can’t tell what kind of statement this is. Exactly where are “we” today?

If Christianity had been discouraging war for the past 2000 years, the world would be a very different place.

I can’t tell what kind of statement this is either. Would the world be in a better place or a shittier place if Christianity (I take you to mean Xtianity as a whole since large portions of Xtianity HAVE been discouraging war since the time of Christ) always discouraged war, in your enlightened opinion?

Why just Christians? It is largely Christianity that got us to where we are today. If Christianity had been discouraging war for the past 2000 years, the world would be a very different place. A lot of wars were fought in the name of Christianity itself, or fought between different Christian denominations.

Of course the military will not be abolished anytime soon so long as american culture remains the perversity that it is.

There were armies and wars long before America was established, and there are many wars going on today that have nothing to do with America, Iraq, or Iran.

Well, fine, but he said much more than that, didn’t he?

But they are certainly bad enough to suggest that Christians should not join. Of course the military will not be abolished anytime soon so long as american culture remains the perversity that it is.

I don’t think they are bad enough to advocate abolishing the military.

Isn’t this called poisoning the well? If I don’t agree with you, then I am not sensitive to the abuse of children.

Anyway, of course there are systemic problems in the military — why else would we have suicides, PTSD, and homeless veterans, among other problems.