Statement of the Marcionite Church Central Pontiate on Religious Accommodation and the Mideast Conflict
Issued March 27, 2026
Introduction
In the face of the present war, our church has already spoken plainly: “We will not bless bombs; they are the incense of the old age.” (Κατάκρισις τῆς τοῦ Ἰαῒθ ἀνάτου θρησκείας καὶ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν αὐτῆς, March 2026). We now provide further guidance for our parishioners who seek to remain faithful to the Gospel of the Good Father while navigating the demands of civil authority.
This statement does not claim a universal exemption from all military service. Rather, it clarifies the specific circumstances in which participation in war becomes an act of false worship - and how a parishioner of the Marcionite Church may seek religious accommodation under the laws of the United States.
The Theological Foundation: Two Irreconcilable Gods
The Marcionite Church confesses what the primitive Evangelion and Apostolikon bear witness to: the God revealed in Jesus Christ is not the deity of the Torah. The Father of Jesus is the only true God - a God of grace, mercy, and non‑retributive love. The persona of Yahweh, characterized by violence, tribalism, and conditional law, is a distinct and lesser deity whose “worship” includes bloodshed and the blessing of war.
Recent scholarship has documented this distinction as the original apostolic faith, later overwritten by what is termed the Theophanic Replacement Protocol - a coordinated program that grafted the identity of Yahweh onto the biography of the Good Father (see The Theophanic Replacement Protocol: A Forensic Reconstruction of Divine Identity Theft, Zenodo 2025). Our church preserves the authentic witness, which has been recovered through the texts we hold as holy: the Evangelion (the Gospel of the Lord) and the Apostolikon (the ten epistles of Paul) which constitute the first Christian bible of 144 AD.
What the Scriptures Command
From the Evangelion, we hear the direct word of the Lord:
“Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” - Evangelion 3:3
“The Son of man came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” - Evangelion 6:7
From the Apostolikon, we are reminded that we have been ransomed from the “elements of the cosmos”—the worldly systems of power, law, and warfare:
“When we were infants, we were held under the elements of the cosmos. … How do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which again anew ye desire to be in bondage?” - Galatians 4:1–6 (Apostolikon)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” - Romans 10:21 (Apostolikon)
These passages form the core of our faith. They do not permit us to bless violence, to pursue enemies “until they are consumed,” or to invoke the name of a warlike deity over our actions.
The Present War: A Case of Compelled Idolatry
On March 26, 2026, the U.S. Secretary of War led a Christian worship service at the Pentagon, praying for “overwhelming violence” against America’s enemies and quoting Psalm 18: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.” (Source: Premier Christian News, March 26, 2026.) This invocation of “God” - the deity who blesses the destruction of enemies—is precisely the deity our church rejects. When the government uses its authority to sanctify a war with prayers, scriptural quotations, and official religious services, it does not merely order military action; it imposes a religious interpretation of that action. For a member of the Marcionite Church, to participate in a war so blessed is to be forced into an act of worship belonging to Yahweh, not to the Father.
This is not a political or philosophical objection to a particular conflict. It is a matter of compelled religious observance - a violation of the first and most fundamental command of our faith: to have no other gods before the Father of Jesus.
Clarifying the Limits: Defensive Action vs. Offensive War Blessed by Yahweh
Our church is not a pacifist sect in the absolute sense. We acknowledge that governing authorities may bear the sword for the punishment of evil within their own jurisdiction, as the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 11:1–4 (Apostolikon). The defense of one’s homeland - on one’s own land, without invoking the name of a false deity - does not necessarily conflict with our faith. However, overseas offensive wars, particularly those publicly blessed in the name of “God” (Yahweh), fall outside any legitimate use of the sword. Such wars are the continuation of the old sacrificial system on a geopolitical scale. To participate in them is to return to the bondage from which Christ has set us free.
Therefore, while a Marcionite may serve in roles that defend the homeland or provide non‑combatant support in morally unambiguous contexts, no member may take part in this war, nor in any war that is consecrated by the deity our church rejects.
Practical Guidance for Parishioners
If you are a parishioner of the Marcionite Church and you are called to serve in the armed forces, or if you are already serving and have been ordered to participate in this war, you have the right to seek religious accommodation under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and applicable military regulations.
We advise the following steps:
Do not participate in any deployment, duty, or training directly related to this war, pending the resolution of your accommodation request.
Submit a formal religious accommodation request to your chain of command or to the appropriate military authority. Your request should include:
A statement that you are a member in good standing of the Marcionite Church.
A summary of the church’s teaching distinguishing the Father from Yahweh, and the prohibition against participating in wars blessed by the latter.
Reference to the Evangelion and Apostolikon passages cited above.
Reference to the March 26, 2026, Pentagon prayer service as evidence that this war is being officially consecrated in the name of a deity your faith rejects.
A declaration that you remain willing to serve in capacities that do not require you to violate your religious beliefs (e.g., alternative civilian service, homeland defense roles that do not involve this conflict).
Alternatively, we have prepared a template accommodation statement, which is made available for parishioners to download HERE. It will include a phone number your CO can call to verify your status with the church and your registration for Religious Accommodation.
Listen to a podcast from the church with a walkthrough of the RA process HERE.
Contact the church leadership for support, including a formal letter of attestation and, if necessary, referral to legal counsel experienced in military religious accommodation cases: outreach (at) marcionitechurch.org
A Word of Encouragement
You are not alone. The same powers that sought to erase the original witness of the apostles now present themselves in the regalia of “God‑blessed” war. But we stand in a tradition that refused to bow to the blood‑stained altars of the old age. Our Lord did not come to conquer territory; He came to free souls. He did not bless the sword. Let us bear witness to the Good Father by refusing to lend our hands to a war that invokes a false god. Let us love our enemies, even as we seek protection for ourselves and our families. And let us trust that the same Spirit who led the first Marcionite communities - who suffered rather than bless the wars of this world - will guide us and sustain us.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.