Yesterday, two generals made a proposal that women should also be drafted along with men. This follows the December mandate by Defense Secretary Ash Carter that women be integrated into all combat arms roles across the military.
At that time, I wrote extensively that Carter’s and the Obama administration’s policy was foolish and misguided for a number of reasons. The most important of these is the reality that Scripture unfolds and even celebrates the unique differences between men and women (Genesis 2; 1 Peter 3:1-7). On the basis of this biblical foundation, it seems appropriate to add a few thoughts about yesterday’s proposal.
1) The idea of women being conscripted to serve in our armed forces in a time of national emergency is a travesty.
It is one thing for a woman who desires to serve in a non-combat role to volunteer. It is another to conscript women into the military, especially now that this administration’s agenda is to push women into combat units. Such a policy pays no heed to neutral data, which show that women do not perform as well as men in combat tests, much less the biblical principle that women should be protected and cared for by men (See 1 Peter 3:7). The very idea of forcing women, against their will, to take up arms is a travesty and a disservice to women in America.
2) Christians should make it known that they will not allow their daughters to sign up for the draft.
Christian fathers have an obligation to protect and lead their households well under God (Ephesians 5:21-33). Part of the obligation of male headship is protecting daughters spiritually and physically. In this case, it is the duty of Christians, especially men, to oppose this policy and certainly not allow their daughters to sign up for the draft. They should act on their religious convictions both privately and publicly. Fathers should make it known that they will not allow their daughters to sign up for draft.
3) Legislators, with these same Christian convictions, should move to strike down this policy.
Legislators and government leaders should oppose this policy on two grounds: 1) Those who would not want their own daughters drafted should move against a policy which would draft young American women. This is simply loving our daughters and our neighbor’s daughter well. 2) Moreover, it is the duty of Christian legislators to honor good and to punish evil (Rom 13:3). Since integrating women into combat roles and instituting a draft for women would fundamentally weaken America’s combat effectiveness, Christian leaders should speak out and vote against these policies.
4) Christian women, who oppose taking up arms in the armed forces, based on conscience or religion, should seek religious exemptions.
Like Quakers, who consciously object to military service based on pacifist grounds, Christian women can seek religious exemptions from the draft on religious grounds, since taking up arms in combat would violate principles of biblical womanhood. Even if they were being asked to serve only in non-combat roles such as the medical corps, or the JAG corps, or other administrative jobs, it should still be the woman’s choice and prerogative to put herself in harm’s way by serving in those positions. Since the government’s agenda is to integrate women fully into combat units, Christian women should not hesitate to seek religious exemptions from the draft.
5) This is a political move by Marine Commandant General Neller to oppose the Obama administration’s feminist policies.
I base this hunch on the fact that it was the Marine Corps who adamantly opposed the Obama Administration’s desire to integrate Marine Corps combat units. Even after conducting extensive tests, which showed that women were not as capable in combat roles as men, the Obama Administration mandated that the Marine Corps integrate women into combat roles anyway against their wishes.
This administration also forced the Marine Corps to integrate all Marine recruit training, a policy which will inevitably lower training standards, and a policy I know the Marine Corps is against.
Having served as a Series Commander at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, I also think that the new training policies will create myriad problems related to invasions of privacy, sexual misconduct, and sexual abuse. Moreover, Secretary Ash blundered by demanding the Marine Corps submit a plan for integration in a matter of a few weeks. Such a demand is impossible to fulfill considering it takes months to simply plan out the training schedule for a year at the Marine recruit depots, much less implement a plan to overhaul barracks, training facilities, and the entire schedule to adjust for integrated units.
Marine Corps leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They are being driven by a feminist-minded administration, which is essentially demanding that they diminish the combat-effectiveness of their units for the sake of political correctness. Marine Corps leaders have now had enough. This action is them pushing back.
6) Christians, again, have an opportunity to present the beauty of the Christian worldview.
The Christian worldview offers something so much better than gender-neutral experiments. The church constituted in the name of a self-sacrificial savior calls men to lay down their lives for women and children. We men gladly put ourselves on the line because we are following our head, the Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificially laid down his life for his people (Ephesians 5:25-26). Without hesitation, we are ready to protect women and children at the expense of our own lives. This is a weighty responsibility, but even if no one else joins us in owning it, we will bear it gladly.
As Christian men and women explain the good and beautiful differences between men and women, we will be able to point to the true meaning of our sexuality. We will have opportunities to explain the equal dignity of all men and women as bearers of the image of God. Most importantly we will have opportunities to explain the meaning of the precious blood of Jesus Christ who sacrificially gave his life for his people. We at CBMW oppose this policy not primarily because of ethical protest. We oppose it out of love for women.
——————–
Image: Fallen heroes remembered by DVIDSHUB on 5/28/2012, accessed on Flickr and licensed under Creative Commons
You, too, can help support the ministry of CBMW. We are a non-profit organization that is fully-funded by individual gifts and ministry partnerships. Your contribution will go directly toward the production of more gospel-centered, church-equipping resources.
Menu
