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"KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — To the U.S. Army soldiers and Marines serving here, some things seem so obviously true that they are beyond debate. Among those perceived truths: The restrictive rules of engagement that they have to fight under have made serving in combat far more dangerous for them, while allowing the

Taliban to return to a position of strength...

...Spc. Matthew “Silver” Fuhrken, 25, from Watertown, N.Y. 'I’m sick of people trying to cover up what’s really going on over here.

They won’t let us do our job. I don’t care if they try to kick me out for what I’m saying — war is war and this is no war. I don’t know what this is...'" Full text: Troops chafe at restrictive rules of engagement, talks with Taliban by Sara A. Carter. The Washington Examiner. Ge 3:15; 2Co 2:11; Eph 6:12; Jas 4:7; 1 Pe 5:8; Re 12:17; Ro 7:23; 1 Co 9:25-27; 2 Co 12:7; Ga 5:17; 1 Pe 2:11; Jn 16:33; 1 Jn 5:4,5

Response to comment [from a Christian] : "We have already seen on at least several occasions that the troops have massacred civilians. There are video tapes. This is just so offensive that even after all of that, one of these imperialist war criminals would have the callousness to complain about not being free to shoot enough people. Frankly it is disgusting.

War and occupation is a crime and the Afghan people have every right to determine their own future, free of US influence. Our country has been meddling in their affairs for at least 20 or 30 years. Enough is enough! We do not need 800 military bases all around the world. We do not need to be spending a plurality of our budget on war and occupation.

Soldiers like this one are the absolute scum of the Earth. The only good soldiers are the ones who speak out against the war and stand up to their criminal officers."

"Our soldiers go to war to terrorize civilians, to pacify, and demoralize the population."

You thought they were there the chat? They are there to kill the enemy.

I must have missed something--these people had decided to live

peacefully with their neighbors?

We didn't get the

memo?

Response to comment [from an atheist]: "SD appears to be advocating extermination, but also appears to lack the courage to put it into exactly those words..."

I agree with Ronald Reagan: "We win, they lose."

"By killing "man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. Nice."

It seems you have a sense of what is right and what is wrong. Do you believe in moral absolutes? Who is nicer--you or God?

Response to comment [from a "Christian"]: "Easy to say when YOU are safely here in the states and won't live the rest of YOUR life having nightmares about the horrors of war, serpent

Response to comment [from an agnostic]: [Do you believe in moral absolutes?] "If morality is absolute there's no absolute way (as far as I can see) of measuring it..."

"I therefore accept that in your opinion, America committing genocide would be a good thing."

America should stop committing genocide at home. I would not recommend going to war under our present :Nineveh: evil leadership.

Response to comment [from an atheist]: "Oh, come on, PB. Don't you know that every Muslim is inherently dangerous? Even the little baby ones are biding their time, waiting for you to drop your guard..."

Response to comment [from a "Christian"]: "[War] Children are never "the enemy".

Children who die before the age of accountability go to heaven (Luke 12:47, 48, Rom. 2:12–16, 1 Cor. 8:1–13). You believe it's better to grow up, learn to hate God (not unlike yourself [Jude 18]) and go to hell?

Response to comment [from an atheist]: "So you'd prefer that the children of unbelievers be killed..."

"...(thus sending them automatically to heaven, as they have not yet reached the Age of Accountability?) after they're born?"

"But to kill the child of an unbeliever before that child reaches the Age of Accountability™ isn't murder, is it?"

"Then God can do the life-taking himself instead of delegating that job to human agents."

God is the giver of life. He can rightfully take life. When he destroys the wicked, he is just in doing so (1 Sam 15:3).

Response to comment [from other]: "So why make the argument that it would be better for these children to die rather than live and 'likely end up hating God'?"

God saves people from believing families and non-believing families. Each must come to Christ on his/her own (Ac 17:27,2 Sam. 12:1–15). The Amalekites opposed Israel (Ex 17:8). They would have done great damage in the future.

"That's as pathetic a justification for killing and it reveals your double standards..."

Response to comment [from other]: [Murder is forbidden (Ex 20:13; De 5:17)./God giver life, taker of life] "Why have you just duplicated your own post?"

Response to comment [from other]: "Oh. Well in that case who are you to decide that these kids would be better off dying before "accountability" then SD?"

"...[Y]ou think it's justifiable to kill innocent children based on what they might do at a later date as adults?"

Are you asking if I disagree with God's decision to destroy the Amalekites? 1 Sa 15:4-8. No. Are you speaking of war today?

"If murder is forbidden then killing children based on what they 'may' do in future or for their own supposed well being for the same is equal to that. You have the gall to say that PB supports abortion (which he doesn't) and is a child killer (which he isn't) when the only person who is "justifying" it here is you."

Response to comment [from other]: "Where is this 'age of accountability' doctrine SD?"

People are accountable to God based on their maturity of judgment (1 Cor. 8:1–13).

Response to comment [from a Christian]: "...[T]he point being argued is your contention that children in the Middle East where these US stuck their unwelcome noses are better off being killed early than sent to 'hell' because they reached the 'age of accountability', which contention you made after openly advocating genocide against Afghans."

Yes, It's as I've always said: "You must kill zem all, before it's too late." ~ Dr. Freud to Data, Phantasms (Star Trek: The Next Generation).

God commissioned Saul to destroy them (1Sa 15:1-3) but he didn't put on his listening ears (1 Sa 15:9-26; 28:18). Was God wrong? Do you believe they were innocent? Weren't you trying on the pious bit :o recently?

""...Saul's hand that did the killing, not God's. Interesting how that always seems to work out..."

Why is that interesting?

"I don't have a pious cell in my body. I used pharmakia to purge them all, and I have them preserved in a jar of formaldehyde on my mantelpiece, right next to the jar containing my heart."

Response to comment [from other]: "So, based on the fact that Paul says a person who thinks it's a sin to eat food sacrificed to idols in fact sins if he eats such food, even though such action is not inherently sinful, you conclude that anyone who dies before reaching a Biblically unspecified age is automatically spared from 'eternity in hell' and goes straight to heaven because he is not accountable for his sins?

That is a big leap, SD."

Agreed, that would be a big leap. 1 Cor. 8:1–13 speaks of maturity of judgment in general.

Response to comment [from other]: "...all the victims of hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were disobeying God?"

Tower of Siloam: "Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Lk 13:4-5.

Response to comment [from a Christian]: [Age of accountability] "Do you at least agree with everything on the page you sent me to as an answer to my question?"

I think the article is ok in general. Do you have a problem with any specific portion of it?

The early church believed that babies went straight to heaven. This "age of accountability" may be younger than we would tend to think.

¹⁹ 19 The meanings of terms in 67.152-67.158 could almost be treated equally well in Domain 23 Physiological Processes and States, since these could be regarded as simply derivatives of physiological states. However, the focus of meaning in the respective contexts seems to be more upon a particular period of time rather than upon a physiological state or condition.

Louw, Johannes P. ; Nida, Eugene Albert: Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains. electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. New York : United Bible societies, 1996, c1989, S. 1:648

J. Vernon McGee believed that his daughter would be the same age she was when she died. He thought he would continue to raise her in heaven. Praise God they are reunited now.

Response to comment [from a Christian]: "I just thought it would be good to point out that the 'age of accountability' is only needed if one wishes to justify the monstrous doctrine of 'hell'."

If God is not just, he is not good (Matt. 25:41).

"Timothy knew the Scriptures from childhood. This does not constitute support for the 'age of accountability' doctrine."

Nevertheless, it's interesting.

"Well, hooray for J. Vernon McGee..."

Yes, hooray for him (Matt. 25:21, 23).

"...But absent Scripture support, your case remains unmade."

I recommend his book on this topic. It's more in depth and scriptural.

"If there is an 'age of accountability', why is this age never given in Scripture?"

An age is not given.

"If there is an 'age of accountability', what is it?"

Scripture does not say. God judges a person based on the light given him (Rom. 2:17–29). Do infants go to hell. I do not think so.

"When a person reaches the age of accountability, if he dies in that instant, does he go to hell..."

A person goes to heaven or hell based on a right relationship with Jesus.

"...or does he have to sin after reaching the age of accountability in order to become hell-bound?"

God knows a person's heart. The idea is--today is the day of salvation, now is the appointed time (2 Cor 6:2). Eternal salvation is here and now.

Response to comment [from an atheist]: "You don't think so. In other words, it is your opinion."

Yes, this is my opinion based on my knowledge and understanding of God: Let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jer 9:24).

"This brings up the possibility that your "knowledge and understanding" may be incomplete or completely erroneous."

If my knowledge or understanding departs from the word of God it is wrong (James 1:18, 1 Pet. 4:11, 2 Tim. 3:16, 1 Thess. 2:13, Ps. 119:160, Ps. 19:7, Heb. 4:12, Prov. 30:5). Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's Quick Reference Topical Bible Index. Nashville, Tenn. : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995 (Nelson's Quick Reference), S. 550

We understand the word of God by: the spirit’s illumination (1 Cor. 2:10–14), searching the scriptures (John 5:39), reasoning (Acts 17:2), comparing to other scriptures (2 Pet. 1:20, 21), human help (Acts 17:10–12). Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's Quick Reference Topical Bible Index. Nashville, Tenn. : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995 (Nelson's Quick Reference), S. 550