Just a Bad Apple?

A U.S. soldier has been charged with “aggravated sexual abuse of a child for allegedly repeatedly raping a young family member and posting sexual photographs of the child online.” The girl was ten years old. He did it for three years. He sometimes allowed a military sergeant and woman to watch via Skype. He has admitted to at least 15 encounters. You can read the sick details here. Oh, but he is just a bad apple. No one else in the military would ever do such a thing. Actually, some have done worse. And then there is the killing of innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan by the thousands. My point is not to charge all or even a majority of military personnel with being child rapists. My point is simply this: Military personnel are not paragons of virtue. They are not above those of us who don’t “serve.” Their values are not better than those of average Americans. Their sins can be just as great as we mere mortals. Their standards are not higher. Military worship, especially like we see among many conservative, evangelical Christians, is idolatry. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (1 John 5:21).

Share

4:03 pm on February 19, 2014