January 22

No exceptions or special circumstances can justify the murder of a living person. Murder is the most vulgar violation of the Law of God as it is expressed in all religious teachings and in all people’s conscience.

Military service makes people corrupt, because the military, in time of peace, abides in complete idleness; they lack any useful labor, they are freed of the obligations of such work. Instead, they create notions of honor of regiment, or of banner, or the complete subjugation of one person by another.

When civilians get into these circumstances, they become ashamed of such a way of life. The military, on the contrary, are proud of it and boast this way of life, especially during periods of war. They say: "We are ready to risk our lives at war, and, therefore such a careless joyful life is necessary for us, and we have the right to lead it."

The same divine beginning lives in all people, and no single person or gathering of people has the right to destroy this connection between the divine beginning of a human body, that is, to take a human life.