Читать книгу Mennonites in the World War - Jonas Smucker Hartzler - Страница 55

The profanity and immorality already noticed are an evidence of the wide-spread disregard for God and His Word. The "trench salvation" often preached from pulpit and press and camp encouraged this trend. According to this unscriptural doctrine the giving up of one's life in the cause of humanity is an act so noble that God will extend to such an one His salvation independent of the kind of life that such an individual may have lived this by men who were professedly set for the defence of the Gospel, and in the face of such plain declarations as, "No man cometh unto the Father except by me." "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," and "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Thus was the doctrine of salvation only by grace through faith, as well as the life of individuals, corrupted through the exigencies of war.

At its best, war is cruel and inhuman, and is constantly becoming more so as the -weapons are becoming more deadly and the whole is done with more precision. At one time it might justly have been called war, but today with the modern equip ment, and the definite calculations it should no more be called war, but scientific butchery.