By James M. Kushiner -
November 11 was Veterans Day in the United States. Its origins lie in the ending of hostilities of World War I on November 11, 1918, agreed by all parties to go into effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
On November 11 there are four soldier-saints commemorated in the Western and Eastern calendars! In both East and West, Mennas of Egypt (d. 300) and Martin of Tours (d. 397) are commemorated. Also, in the Western calendar Mercurius(d. 250, pictured) is commemorated (Nov. 24 in the East), while in the Eastern churches we find Victor, martyred at Damascus (d. 160).
Martin left the army and became bishop of Tours and died peacefully. The others three died as martyrs. St. Mennas (Menas) was supposedly buried at El Alamein, Egypt (origin of the name?). Also, curiously, November 11, 1942, saw the victory of Allied forces over Hitler at El Alamein. Churchill said of its importance in the war: "It may almost be said, 'Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.'"(This posting at Ancient Faith is a reasonable assessment of an alleged miracle during the battle at El Alamein.)
Soldiers are deeply woven into the history of the early Church. One of the most famous examples was a general and eventually emperor: Constantine, who is credited with ending the Age of the Martyrs and providing religious freedom for Christians.
Speaking of Constantine and religious freedom, a curious piece from Mercatornet in Australia by Blaise Joseph compares him to the new American president-elect in the case of freedom:
Conservatives do not lack will, good arguments, or articulate defenders; what they lack is the freedom to speak bluntly about social issues without being shouted down by the vindictive hordes of secular progressivism for "offending" particular groups of people. Donald Trump is the only person who can give us that freedom.
Well, calling Trump a Constantine may be an exercise in imaginative prophecy. But, yes, the public square has been off-limits to certain Christian viewpoints. For example, notes Joseph:
Stating that children should ideally have a mother and father because on average they will do best in that environment (as supported overwhelmingly by the relevant social science) renders you "homophobic" (even though the statement has nothing to do homosexuality) and a "hater of single mothers";
There are many more examples he gives.
The point is that making perfectly reasonable statements causes so much outrage that conservatives either give up or end up losing credibility and becoming impotent in influencing public opinion. Arguments are not considered on their merits but rather assessed based on the extent to which they offend particular groups of people…… America doesn't need a president to make arguments for us. America just needs a president to give us the freedom to make our arguments without fear of being shouted down by the politically correct brigade.
I think it a fair point: open debate about certain moral issues is hard to come by. Pro-life views are disqualified and dismissed in the public square (and on many campuses) for being based on mere private religious beliefs.
Ryan T. Anderson at Public Discourse thus calls upon President-elect Trump, not as an imperial savior, but as a duly-elected president to do the consitutional thing, that is, protect and restore religious freedom, not mere "freedom of worship" as Hillary Clinton described it in her concession speech. Instead,
…what the American founders protected was the right of all to live out their faith every day of the week in public and in private, provided they peacefully respect the rights of others.
While no one here faces execution for his religious views, as did our soldier-martyrs, some Christians have been fined, censored, and legally and economically pressured to violate their religious beliefs. Should that continue, there could be jail time and worse. Or might there be an armistice, now at the 11th hour, so to speak?
It's been a long culture war here; freedom may be its pivot point much as the Battle of El-Alamein was in World War II. Who knows? For there will be a culture war until the Lord returns. Sts. Martin, Menas, Mercurius, and Victor all knew that. Like them, we have to live the truth, humbly, and boldly grasp the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Eph. 6:17) and let it do its work, which is the Lord's.
