Posted by lex, on November 21, 2007
I hardly know what to think about this:
British military chaplains in Afghanistan are urging an historic change in the rules to allow them to carry weapons when out on patrol alongside troops fighting the Taliban, because of the risk of capture.
For the first time in any theatre of conflict chaplains are no longer considered to be protected by the rules of war, because of the propaganda Taliban extremists would gain from showing “trophy” footage of a captive Christian priest.
By long tradition, clergy serving in Britain’s armed forces have not carried weapons in war-zones, but now some Royal Navy Commando chaplains want to be allowed to carry a side-arm, stating that as a last resort they would rather take their own life than fall into the hands of the Taliban.
It certainly says something about the nature of the enemy that we face that a priest – who after all, as vested members of the C of E almost certainly believes self-murder to be an unpardonable sin – would consider taking his own life rather than submit to capture.
Fully realizing that back in my own pistol packin’ days, if I ever ended up with dust on my boots on the wrong side of the line, I intended to count the rounds as they left the muzzle and think long and hard on where the last one would be aimed.
But still. Geez.
