Hell in the Army

While nothing can compare to the horrific nature of an everlasting Hell, there are certain events and crimes that remind us just how sinful humanity can be apart from Christ. If you study God's word on a consistent basis, crimes that shock the average person shouldn't surprise the follower of Christ. Our world is fallen, dark, violent, vile, and ruled by Satan. But it's amazing how many Christians forget this. If you have ever stepped out of your comfort zone by traveling to a foreign country for a mission trip, grew up in a ghetto, been deployed to a war zone, or simply watch the news, you understand the vile nature of sinful man. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy of what would happen in the last days. Paul wrote that "people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents (if they are in the minority to have two parents these days), ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanders, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:2-5). Then Paul instructs him to avoid these people (except for evangelistic purposes)! In our world today so-called Christians don't avoid these people, they embrace them as friends and even engage in slander, cursing, blaspheming, loving themselves and pursuing personal pleasures with these individuals.

Within the Army ranks, child abuse, child murder, and child rape have increased 40% since 2009 according to the Army Times. In fact 118 children have been murdered by Army Soldiers in this time. The Army has a power point presentation for every subject under the sun, but nothing is provided about being a parent. Being a parent is the most important job a person will ever have, yet most never seek knowledge or training, nor follow biblical guidelines of having children within the covenant relationship of marriage, causing infinite problems for our culture, our economy, and for our government. According to the Army Times, the Army enrolled 75,197 soldiers on waivers, more than half of them related to illegal conduct in civilian life. Of those, 34,338 soldiers who were allowed into the ranks in spite of records that included felony arrests and convictions, serious misdemeanor violations, and some with sex crimes against a minor. Talk about a challenge for leadership!
Here are some of the child abuse crimes that have occurred in the Army in the last few years:

*The rape and murder of a 23 month old boy (Soldier was the boyfriend of the child’s mom and has been awarded multiple military awards)

*8 year old boy will be fed through a feeding tube the rest of his life after being beaten by his mom’s live in boyfriend because the boy accidentally deleted his XBOX Grand Theft Auto profile. (Soldier has been awarded multiple military awards)

*The rape and murder of a 5 month old girl, he also molested a 7 year old boy and several other children while serving at Fort Hood (He was previous convicted sex offender before enlisting in the Army)

*5 year old girl beaten to death for wetting on herself. The little girl’s room was splattered with blood from being beat with a belt by her father.

 
The only solution for this kind of depravity and vile behavior is Jesus Christ. Paul said people would be “brutal” in the last days. This was occurring in Paul’s time and it occurs in our culture today. The mission remains the same, bring heaven to earth by proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ to the whole world. There is no other alternative!