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For the first time in my experience we had a time of silence last Sunday to remember those who 'laid down their lives for our freedom' in the past two World Wars in our MB church. This was stated as not to support a just war theory but rather to honour those who were willing to give up their lives for the sake of others. In a previous Baptist church I attended they would read a list of those who died and were in some way connected to the church.

This 'remembering' to honour last Sunday took me by surprise and I wondered if any other Anabaptist church represented here has ever had a moment of silence as occurs in many non-Anabaptist churches around Remembrance Day ?

Remembering those who were willing to give their life, but we're more willing to take another's life.

Known as Veterans Day in the US, but I like the name Remembrance Day better. Remembering is important.

In church, Remembrance Day could appropriately be observed by honoring those who were willing to give up their lives for something greater than the freedom of a nation. This might be a good place to start.

Being ex-military myself...

I would leave any church that did this and claimed to stand for non-resistance.

You cannot honor the military victories and losses without taking part in them.

Remembering those who were willing to give their life, but we're more willing to take another's life.

Lets join in honoring Christ rather than this. After all.. what do we go to church for?

I would have been more comfortable and supportive of having a time of remembrance in remembering all the killing that went on when we do not love one another in this world. Considering the sad stats on the millions who died in previous world wars and offering prayer to soon see the Kingdom of God come in fullness here on earth. I'm going to send an email to our teaching pastor and see if I understood why he thought it right to honour those who took lives while they gave up their lives for a cause. Looks like no one else in Anabaptism does something like this. I appreciate your thoughts.

I would not likely be part of a church that held such a service. I am surprised that an Anabaptist church would do that.

mike wrote:I would not likely be part of a church that held such a service. I am surprised that an Anabaptist church would do that.

I agree with you.

I certainly understand the sentiment of wanting to honor (presumaby) brave men who (presumably) fought honorably for their homes and neighbors and families. But they did not serve God nor His Kingdom. I’m the end, those who died in noble combat died in vain.

But at the same time I would admonish our young people to be as willing and as brave as these warriors, to give their all, even their mortal lives, not in the killing of their enemies for the sake of their nation, but in the loving of their enemies for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Well I guess I'm more tolerant than others on leaving a church over honouring those who laid down their lives for others.

Although there is tension when we don't chose to use violence ourselves I do respect those who I believe were serving God in pushing back the powers of evil working through a dictator and those he brain washed to kill others. I would also honour a policeman who killed and was killed to protect the lives of others.

So, I'm Ok with this kind of remembering as I now view it.

I have difficulty knowing how to look at this whole area. I know that I stand for non-resistance - that I could never endorse sending our young men to war or to work as police officers. And yet I want to respect (from a distance, I suppose) those who do serve unselfishly in those capacities. We do need police services - we do pray for them and thank God for the peace we can experience because of people who do work to keep us safe. Some would say as quoted elsewhere "what if - sometimes we die."

This is a practice I've never seen in a church.