It is hard for me to write about this one. I have listened to a lot of crazy preachers say a lot of crazy, hurtful, damaging things, but I think this might be the worst. Note that the preacher, Kenneth Copeland, was accompanied by the lying, fake historian, David Barton in this as you jump down for details.
I am ordinarily not one to criticize people without military experience for speaking about military issues. It should not be a requirement. My father was in the U. S. Navy and my son is in the navy now. I did not serve in the military. I have spent all of my adult life, thirty-one years now, as a teacher and have heard too many politicians who have never spent a day in front of a classroom declare themselves the education candidate to require myself to be silent about war, despite my lack of direct experience. It does mean I should speak with care, however. I can find no record of Copeland or Barton having been in the military, much less in combat, yet I read this.
On a Veterans Day broadcast program, televangelist Kenneth Copeland and controversial historian David Barton told listeners that soldiers should never experience guilt or post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from military service.
Reading from Numbers 32: 20-22, Copeland said, “So this is a promise — if you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war … you shall return, you’re coming back, and be guiltless before the Lord and before the nation.”
“Any of you suffering from PTSD right now, you listen to me,” Copeland said as Barton affirmed him. ”You get rid of that right now. You don’t take drugs to get rid of it. It doesn’t take psychology. That promise right there will get rid of it.”
Barton added that many biblical warriors “took so many people out in battle,” but did so in the name of God.
“You’re on an elevated platform up here. You’re a hero, you’re put in the faith hall of fame,” Barton said. “… When you do it God’s way, not only are you guiltless for having done that, you’re esteemed.”
Please, God, I hope no veteran or active-duty military personnel heard this vile and hateful speech. Some who read this may be suffering from PTSD or may be close to others who are. This amounts to hate speech directed at those person. On other occasions I have and will challenged the presumption that all wars fought by the United States are approved and sanctioned by God. That horrible assumption is also present in this statement, but responding to that should not overshadow the challenge to this horrible lie about and to PTSD victims.
Sorry, I don't know much else to say.