Back in May, when my blog was fairly new to this host site, I posted this question regarding the responsibility of those men and women serving in the Armed Forces.  I did so in hopes to engage some folks in dialog on this topic, but didn’t get much feedback on the post.  I’d like to reconsider this question, in light of the current political debates on the war and see if we can’t get some discussion going.  The question is regarding the soldier’s responsibility before God when considering the oath he has sworn.

The soldier’s oath of enlistment is as follows,

“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

First, this is clearly an oath before God and therefore cannot be broken.

Second, the oath requires the swearer to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.  While the oath requires the soldier to obey the orders of the President and the officers over him, these become domestic enemies when they rebel against God and violate the same Constitution they, too, have sworn to uphold and defend.

Ecc 5:4-5 NIV When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.  It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

The question then becomes, if they are to uphold and defend the Constitution but are then ordered to violate it, should they obey said orders?  Should the oath-taker obey the order to deploy and fight in an unconstitutional war, or should they refuse to obey this unlawful order that they might bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States?  Is this making a vow and not fulfilling it?  Moreover, would you be able to make the same decision if you were wearing their boots?