My Conscientious Objection
According to page three of “Warfighting”, the quintessential collection of Marine Corps philosophy, war is defined as, “...a violent clash of interest between or among organized groups characterized by the use of military force”. The Department of War, which was called the Department of Defense when I joined, defines a conscientious objection as “a firm, fixed, and sincere objection to participation in war in any form or the bearing of arms, by reason of religious training and/or belief”. Being in the military has been my dream since I was very young. That wasn’t my first dream however, it was actually my second. My first dream was to be a pastor, until I was hijacked at a vulnerable age by propaganda into believing that my blood, sweat, tears, and life would be better served in taking lives, not helping others. And so, I joined the National Guard at the age of 17, just days after my birthday, as an 11B, infantryman. This enlistment was short-lived, however, because I was removed from service due to my refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The moment I received the information that the then-named Department of Defense was allowing people who had been separated for this reason to rejoin, I immediately began the process of joining the Marine Corps. I even convinced my brother, whom I love more dearly than life, to join with me. We went through Boot Camp at Parris Island, MCT at Camp Geiger, and DLI in California together. I truly believed that the military was the best possible thing for me to do with my life. Even after being kicked out the first time, that didn’t stop me from going back to boot camp, starting from scratch as an E1 all over again, to finish what I’d started. I write this in a foreign country, because I begged my command to send me out so that I could support my brothers and sisters in uniform deployed alongside them. All I’ve ever wanted is to bring honor to myself and my country. That same motivation is what brings me here today, requesting a conscientious objector discharge.
I remember the exact moment I started questioning whether or not it was morally correct for me to be in the military. It happened in a SCIF, while I was at Goodfellow Air Force Base in my initial training pipeline, with a particular piece of information I cannot discuss here. Since that day, I’ve questioned what war really is, and what my place is in it. I sought out the Bible, the ultimate guiding source of wisdom in my life. Contained therein, I found the mistake I’ve made in joining the military. When Jesus came to Earth, his followers expected Him to be an earthly conqueror, tearing down evil kings and governments and establishing peace on earth. But that’s not what Jesus came to do, at least not in our time. He came to serve others and to become a martyr on the cross. His followers were stunned and even tried to fight to save him, as recorded in John 18:11: “Jesus commanded Peter, 'Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” The “cup” that Jesus refers to is the same cup we are called to drink as Christians, as practiced in communion by drinking the ceremonial blood of Jesus. So I am drinking the cup because I am a Christian. This cup calls me to what is said in Romans 12:20-21, “To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Additionally, Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
War is defined in the Bible like this: James 4:1-2, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” How can I murder or take payment from an organization that murders because of reasons my Bible calls sin? Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Prior to my enlistment, I followed the sort of half christianity, half nationalism expressed in films like Full Metal Jacket, recognizing the beauty of the Virgin Mary in one moment, and espousing the most crude and demeaning language about women in the next. It is a contradictory substitute for religion designed for convincing generations of young men to kill for their governments, and I thought I was serving Christ when I joined because my culture said that participating in war was what good Christians do. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” John 18:36. I am not called to participate in war. That is a lie that was told to me, and I’ve woken up. That’s not to say that we exist in a world without war, though, Jesus says in Matthew 24:6, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” But I am commanded in 1st Thessalonians 5:22 to “abstain from every form of evil.” It is clear then that I, as a follower of Christ, am called to abstain from participating in war.
What then, of the use of force? Am I required to stand aside as a mugger stabs my children? On this, the Bible is less clear, although there is still sufficient evidence to suggest that defending oneself and his family is entirely different than waging war. Exodus 22:2-3 says “If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed”. And Jesus said in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them”. This means that the law to defend yourself against aggressors is dependent on the circumstance, and the intention of this law was to caution people from taking life. We should be slow to act with violence in general. The Lord gave the Israelites commands to defend themselves and their homes, even to engage in conquest, on many occasions. However, when Jesus came, He abolished the actual physical geography of the country of Israel in favor of a new kingdom, a kingdom described in Luke 17:20-21 “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Ergo defending a physical space on account of “religion” is folly. If I ever were to use force in defense of myself or others, it would happen after first asking the Lord for the the wisdom of James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” War as described by both the Bible and the Department of War is fundamentally incapable of being impartial and sincere. As such, I will have no place in it.
Since my realization that I am called to abstain from war, I’ve released how deeply entrenched that idea in my life was. I’d grown up watching and playing what I refer to now as “Murder Porn”, the immature, brazen, shoot-em-up war films and video games that feature blind patriotism and conquest, completely ignoring the disgusting, abhorrent consequences of unrestricted violence like the broken homes, starvation, greed, famine, mutilation, suicide, rape, lands made unlivable for millenia, families separated, children crying alone, mothers trying to nurse their children without milk, all the neglect and despair. Even if they made a half-hearted gesture to the horror and cost to the innocent and guilty alike in war, it is quickly discarded for an action scene where the American mows down hordes of evil foreigners with his M60. I have lost my taste for such Murder Porn. It does not make me feel like a man anymore. My life has changed greatly since this revelation. I used to want to make my whole life revolve around the Marine Corps, do 20 years, fight my nation’s wars. Now the uniform I wear means nothing to me, except in honoring those who have died in it. It no longer feeds my heart, it eats instead, and I can’t feed it what it needs anymore. I just have no heart in it. Philippians 2:3 says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.” My journey with the military has been one of indulging myself in pride, national pride, pride in myself above others because I carried the title of Marine. War was, to me, a worthwhile activity in practicing and protecting that pride. But I have accepted a new purpose, a new direction for my life. 1st Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” It is this command I wish to dedicate to myself fully, instead of trying to split my passions between serving both the military and Christ. As Matthew 6:24 says “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”
In conclusion I, Justin Hall, request a discharge from the United States Marine Corps on the grounds of my religion. If my request is denied, I will do my best to honor both my God and the Marine Corps for the remainder of my contract, in keeping with Romans 13:1-5 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.” I will never betray, plot against, or dishonor my country, it is forbidden for me to do so. However, if I am asked to commit an act that directly disregards the commandments of my God, I will refuse, and face the consequences for my actions regardless. I hope that such a situation will not be demanded of me, but just as my ancestors Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I say today what they said in Daniel 3:16-25 “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” I will die standing or live in prison standing before I bow to evil.