War and Peace and Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2019 by richp45198

Peace continues to be elusive yet these stories give hope.

About richp45198

I am a clinical psychologist and have an abiding interest in matters spiritual.
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2 Responses to War and Peace and Christmas

  1. SUSAN J BASS says:
    December 23, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    Yes, the man (or woman) on the other side bearing a weapon is also a human being. I knew one Vietnam veteran who was a psychologist and was haunted by the memories of “bombing their villages” knowing that some of them were not even carrying a weapon. At the same time I think it is overly generous to consider all enemy combatants to be children of God. Some of them have clearly defected to the other side. The more concerning point is the one which Viktor Frankl raised, and that is, “No one has the right to do wrong, even if wrong has been done to him”. If we see the enemy as less than ourselves then we can justify anything including torture. It is also true that Frankl would have perished in the concentration camp if not for the US forces who freed him and the other prisoners. My father said that the sight of the American flag would bring tears to his eyes. It has never had that impact on me but then I have never shed my blood for it.

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  2. Michele says:
    December 26, 2019 at 5:10 pm

    Thank you Rich for this beautiful reminder that even as war rages on somewhere, there is a child of God in every person and this gives us hope. Merry Christmas. <3

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