Soldiers and Pacifists

The tragedies on 9/11/01 has clearly given the U.S and also the world a dilemma that challenges our social and moral thinking. As in all tragedies whether they impact only a single individual or they are world-wide in scope they bring to us a challenge to which the spiritual world looks to us and asks, "What are you going to do ?" That is , what are we going to do individually and collectively ? Individually, everyone's answer should be in accord with one's own personal life-destiny. The choice in how one reacts in one's thinking, feeling, speech and deed should be congruent with the path of destiny that one has taken in this lifetime. The right life-destiny decision of action of a soldier is not going to be the same as the right life-destiny decision of action of a pacifist. The world at this point in time of world evolution needs both the soldier and the pacifist. However, the soldier should not insist on the pacifist to take up arms and the pacifist should not insist that the soldier should lay down his/her arms.

Both sides are needed in this world. Both sides should be heard. One side should not insist that the other conform to what is their own personal life-destiny. For example, I should never insist that someone take up the same path of life as my own. The individual 'WILL' of the other should always be respected. Hopefully, the voice of the pacifist influences us such that our world challenges do not escalate into excessive militarism while in turn the soldier should be respected for standing in the defense of those who are attacked by aggressors.

Rick Distasi