[darrellmaurina]

@ DoughtyOne: By the way, since you brought up that you’re Seventh Day Adventist, I want to take a moment to thank you for your church’s long history of defending biblical teaching on creation and for helping set some of the legal precedents in court that make it somewhat easier for those of us who have biblical convictions on Lord’s Day or Sabbath observance to fight for our jobs when threatened by employers. It’s a side point, but I ought to thank you for the good work that your church has done in these areas.

It’s been a while, but I think I also remember reading the biography of a Seventh Day Adventist who served as a combat medic and received the Medal of Honor for saving a large number of American soldiers who otherwise would have become victims of the Japanese. I’m somewhat aware of the SDA heritage of alternative service, and from what I know of it, it looks like an honorable tradition that can be respected as an alternative way to show patriotism.

[DoughtyOne]

By the way, since you brought up that you’re Seventh Day Adventist, I want to take a moment to thank you for your church’s long history of defending biblical teaching on creation and for helping set some of the legal precedents in court that make it somewhat easier for those of us who have biblical convictions on Lord’s Day or Sabbath observance to fight for our jobs when threatened by employers.  Well you've touched on some important reasons why I am sympathetic to religious freedom, and the need for government and businesses to make some allowances.  At the same time, as Christians, I believe that we should go out of our of our way to be respectful of the government that provided documents to us that grant us those rights rights.  I don't believe you provoke the government when you don't need to.

Is it the policy of the Mennonite Church to allow evil people to do anything they want to their breathren?  Can an evil man force himself on a Mennonite woman without her objection?  Is the husband supposed to stand by as his child or his wife is abused by an evil person?  Is the Mennonite man supposed to stop at some point, if the evil person puts up too much of a fight, and an "it's him/or me" situation develops?  To allow this would be pure evil.  To watch your loved ones be abused or fatally wounded without resisting would make the person refraining from takeing action, to be nothing less than an accomplice during the fact.  That's how I see it when raised to a national level.  None the less, I do support people refraining from taking up arms.

It’s a side point, but I ought to thank you for the good work that your church has done in these areas.  Well, I'm not so sure it's a side point, because defending church/patron's rights is fundamental.  It's not of my doing, but I do appreciate the acknowledgement of something good the church has done.

It’s been a while, but I think I also remember reading the biography of a Seventh Day Adventist who served as a combat medic and received the Medal of Honor for saving a large number of American soldiers who otherwise would have become victims of the Japanese.  He was Private Desmond T. Doss.  His heroics and citation can be found by clicking on the left, and more resources can be found here.    I’m somewhat aware of the SDA heritage of alternative service, and from what I know of it, it looks like an honorable tradition that can be respected as an alternative way to show patriotism.  I agree, and again I appreiciate you bringing this aspect of my church's teachings and public service to light.  Like other churches, possibly yours too, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has a strong drive to provide community aide through it's Dorcus Society, and even disaster and international aide through ADRA.  The global outreach for our denomination is quite impressive considering the meager size of the total global congregation.  ADRA operates in over 100 nations.  Last year it disbursed over $120 million dollars worth of aid and assistance.  At least I believe that's the figure I read over there.  There are 16.7 million SDAs.  There are 232 nations and areas recognized by the U.N., and the SDA church operates in 206 of them.