Soldier Granted Discharge for Being...
a conscientious objector? WTH? The Army needs this guy to reimburse OUR tax dollars for his education, etc.!
C&P:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier who said his Christian beliefs compelled him to love his enemies, not kill them, has been granted conscientious objector status and honorably discharged, a civil liberties group said on Tuesday.
Capt. Peter Brown -- who served in Iraq for more than a year and was a graduate of the elite U.S. military academy West Point -- said in a statement issued by the New York Civil Liberties Union that he was relieved the Army had recognized his beliefs made it impossible for him to serve.
"In following Jesus' example, I could not have fired my weapon at another human being, even if he were shooting at me," said Brown, who plans to continue seminary classes he began by correspondence while in Iraq.
While in Iraq, Brown processed insurgents and detainees, the NYCLU said.
Brown said he had no conflict between his faith and military service until after he graduated from West Point in 2004 and began to study scripture and his belief.
During his Iraq deployment he applied for discharge as a conscientious objector but the request was denied, the NYCLU said. In July 2007 the NYCLU and the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., to order the honorable discharge.
"Before the court acted, the Army reconsidered the issue, this time granting Brown's request," said the NYCLU, adding it would now withdraw the lawsuit.
The U.S. Army was not immediately available for comment.
C&P:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier who said his Christian beliefs compelled him to love his enemies, not kill them, has been granted conscientious objector status and honorably discharged, a civil liberties group said on Tuesday.
Capt. Peter Brown -- who served in Iraq for more than a year and was a graduate of the elite U.S. military academy West Point -- said in a statement issued by the New York Civil Liberties Union that he was relieved the Army had recognized his beliefs made it impossible for him to serve.
"In following Jesus' example, I could not have fired my weapon at another human being, even if he were shooting at me," said Brown, who plans to continue seminary classes he began by correspondence while in Iraq.
While in Iraq, Brown processed insurgents and detainees, the NYCLU said.
Brown said he had no conflict between his faith and military service until after he graduated from West Point in 2004 and began to study scripture and his belief.
During his Iraq deployment he applied for discharge as a conscientious objector but the request was denied, the NYCLU said. In July 2007 the NYCLU and the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., to order the honorable discharge.
"Before the court acted, the Army reconsidered the issue, this time granting Brown's request," said the NYCLU, adding it would now withdraw the lawsuit.
The U.S. Army was not immediately available for comment.
0
-
quote:Brown said he had no conflict between his faith and military service until after he graduated from West Point in 2004 and began to study scripture and his belief.
How convenient.0 -
what he pulled is not scriptual.
hes just plain afraid.
loser.0 -
Good family friend of mine went to Vietnam as a conscientious objector. Served his time honorably as an unarmed Navy medic in the frontlines. 0 -
Seems to me he should have been given a "General Discharge" and not a
"honorable discharge". This may preclude any g.I. Bill rights. After 6 months this General Discharge may be appealed but very few are upgraded
to a Honorable Discharge.0 -
I wonder if he ever heard of Sergeant York. Sgt, York was an objector who captured a platoon of Germans by himself. He killed at least 10 of them in battle after he was an objector. 0 -
I would have him serve the remainder of his commitment in the chaplain corps, not let him skate out on the education costs that WE paid for.
Earl0 -
"The U.S. Army was not immediately available for comment."
Yeah...they're busy killing ragheads.
That has to be one of my top ten funny things ever written.
Doug0 -
This bugs the heck out of me. Christianity does NOT mean pacifism. Did Jesus ask the money-changers to "Pretty please, kindly leave the Temple?" What about Luke 22, v. 36 to 38? This drivel goes back to the translation "Thou Shalt Not Kill," which was a King James screw-up in the 1630s. The correct translation from the Hebrew is "Thou Shalt Not Murder," which is how later translations render it.
I am sick and tired of hearing my Lord and Savior portrayed as a hippie pacifist! Arrgh!! Conscientious objector my foot!!0 -
quote:A U.S. soldier who said his Christian beliefs compelled him to love his enemies, not kill them
and they bought it?, i guess he wouldn't have made a good nights templar0 -
Hell if he loves his enemies so much..
Stripe him of his US citizenship and let him live with them..0 -
People change. The sevice does not hand out CO discharges without a lot of investigation. He could have just served his time in the rear and avoided a lot of grief. I can respect a man for folowing his beliefs. 0 -
I have no problem with conscientious objectors who fulfill their duty requirements in some fashion that will not force them to take another human life. I myself have no moral qualms about taking human life in the process of fighting a war, or defending myself, my family, or a person in mortal danger. Whether I would be able to do so is another question, the answer to which I have, happily, not had to find out. I still don't think it's my place to argue or condemn another's religious beliefs (the sort of beliefs that permit acts of terrorism fall into an entirely different category -- this soldier isn't asking sympathy or special consideration after having committed a crime). However....
A person takes an oath and signs a contract in joining the armed services. There are ways of fulfilling one's sworn and legal duty, while in uniform, that don't involve killing. Chaplain, corpsman, a post removed from any combat zone.... I would feel an obligation to do that which I had pledged to do, in some manner that permitted me to act within my conscience, if my conscience made it impossible for me to take a human life.
I agree with the statement Joe Drees made, that the Army doesn't simply discharge a person in whom they've invested time and money, without what they deem suitable cause. I would withhold judgement on this issue until all the facts are known -- which will most likely be never.0 -
Some of you are very generous with US Treasury money.
To get into West Point you need a Congressmen to appoint you......you know what you are getting into.
To turn your back on your country after what they gave you...a Comission and Education....the mans a traitor and selfish. He ain't there for himself...he's there for us.
Send him a bill for $500,000. Nothing in life is free.0 -
The Army simply wants this issue done with. Can't fault them for that. However...
Is there more to this? If not, then a precedent has been set. Again, if there's not more to this, we'll see more of this.
A precedent-setting case, it is. Leaves the Army wide open to claims by others like him. Not good. Joe0 -
quote:Originally posted by peon
During his Iraq deployment he applied for discharge as a conscientious objector but the request was denied, the NYCLU said.
Now THAT'S the part I find suspicious.
I blame society, and our antiquated, obsolete beliefs about cowardice being a "bad" thing, for his bug out delay in status change. If only the Army was a more warm and fuzzy place, hugs all around could make guys like this feel more at home, and we could all feel better about ourselves, which is of course the most important thing for a nation's military.
But yeah, make him serve out his time as a Chaplain or cleaning latrines or sumthin.0 -
I bet he'll really love his enemies when they're cutting his family's heads off. 0 -
Mandatory transfer to the Peace Corps for his remaining time. 0 -
Naw this is just a cover story, soon he will be infiltrating anti-war organizations[;)] 0 -
He was undoubtedly such a lousy officer that they are glad to be rid of him. The delay was to stop other cowards from doing the same thing[:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!] 
0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
19 comments