Orthodox Reflections

By Nicholas – member of the Western Rite Vicariate, a part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in America

The Iran War may wrap up, or it may escalate to a point that a military draft becomes inevitable. Iran is planning for a long war of attrition. The stated objectives of both sides are so far apart that prospects for successful negotiations seem hopeless at this point. The U.S./Israeli side seems to want the complete destruction of Iran as a viable state. Think Libya, Iraq, and Syria – so busy fighting internally that the only threat posed to others is the constant production of refugees. The Iranians, for their part, seem to want to fully evict the U.S. from the Middle East, while reducing Israel’s military capabilities to a non-threatening level. It is very hard to meet in the middle when both sides are fighting for such existential aims.

So this war could continue quite a while and greatly expand in scope. Given those possibilities, there are signs that the U.S. is at least contemplating a military draft to provide the ground troops necessary to smash Iran. Iran is a huge country of over 93 million, with a massive, mountainous land area. The map below shows how big Iran is compared to the size of the continental United States. That should provide some context as to what the U.S. military will be up against in a ground war. The estimates for achieving complete victory on the ground range as high as 1 million troops. The U.S. currently has only a fraction of that number available.

As of late March 2026, the U.S. is sending a few thousand Marines, special forces, and the 82nd Airborne to the operational theater to join an unknown number of troops already there. This could all be a bluff. It could be an attempt to seize coastal areas to weaken the Iranian government. Whatever it is, once substantial ground forces are committed, then each casualty becomes a new reason why the war cannot be ended without ‘victory.’ Which gets us back to a draft, because it is quite clear that the all-volunteer military is in trouble. Not enough men are signing up for this war, which is why enlistment standards are being lowered. Starting April 20, 2026, the U.S. Army will raise the maximum enlistment age from 34 to 42 years old, and remove the waiver requirement for individuals with a single prior conviction for marijuana possession.

Military leadership does not want geriatric, pothead privates in a war zone. Nor, one should imagine, are geriatric potheads just itching to get into a potential meat grinder. So one should not expect this change to make a huge difference in enlistments. If we get into a serious ground war, the military is going to need young men in prime condition to fight it effectively.

If the Military-Industrial Complex can’t recruit those young men, then they will have to draft them. A move that the government is making easier to implement as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026. The 2026 NDAA mandates that the Selective Service system use data from federal agencies (e.g., Social Security Administration) to automatically register all males aged 18-25 (citizens and immigrants) for the draft. Regardless of whether or not you choose to sign up for Selective Service at 18, Uncle Sam will have you on his list. This even applies to illegal immigrants, so don’t think immigration status will protect you. If the manpower is needed, the mechanism to provide it will be in place.

Should a draft actually come, given our shiny new surveillance state and highly compliant foreign allies, draft evasion is not a recommended strategy. Even if you manage to successfully flee out of the country, where are you going to go that won’t just send you back? This isn’t 1969 and you can’t just move to Canada. Plus, when you start running, when do you ever stop?

Also, don’t depend on political backlash to stop the draft. Anti-war protests and declining military morale previously forced the U.S. to abandon the draft in January 1973. The government back then was much more concerned about public opinion than it is today. Even if you put millions on the street in protest, there is almost no chance of influencing the real power elite to change course. There is already zero political payoff for supporting the Iran War for any elected official, yet here we are. The Epstein Class does not care what the public thinks, and mass non-compliance will most likely only serve as an excuse to further tighten the surveillance control grid.

In the event of a draft, young, medically fit men have exactly two moral and realistic options – comply or register as a conscientious objector. If you plan to comply with a draft notice, go with God. If you are truly morally opposed to war, and wish to avoid being drafted into it, then here are some suggestions to help you prepare. If you are a parent, or otherwise have young men in your life who could be subject to coerced military service, please pass these suggestions along to them.

1) Know why you are conscientiously opposed to serving in this war

You have serious prayer and soul-searching to do. The Orthodox Church does not have any dogma preventing her members from serving in the military during a time of war. On the other hand, the Orthodox Church upholds peace as the ideal, abhors the taking of human life, and has preserved traditions (4th Century and earlier especially) against military service in war. But there is nothing you can point to dogmatically and say, “My Church won’t allow me to serve in combat.”

That is simply the reality of the situation. Orthodox Christians can and do serve in war. You have made a decision that your personal, sincerely held Orthodox Christian beliefs will not allow you to kill others in service to the American government. You are going to have to own this decision yourself.

If you are going to apply for CO status, then you must be prepared to discuss why your personal interpretation of your faith prevents you from serving in war. That can be hard for Orthodox Christians, as we tend to rely on the teachings of the Church and not our own opinions. In this case, however, there is no definitive teaching on military service or participation in any given war. The following explanation of these facts is from the Greek Orthodox section of the website for an organization called the Center on Conscience and War:

The abhorrence of war and its accompanying tragedies is wholly supported by the spiritual and moral tenets of the Orthodox Church.

 

Notwithstanding this, Orthodoxy has often, over its long history, found itself at the very crossroads of national and international turmoil and persecution which made war eventually inevitable. While the Church abhors the making of war it must consider the larger alternative of evil which history has proven time and time again cannot be averted.

Therefore, with the exception of students preparing for the priesthood, the Church has never taken a position preventing its members from serving in the Armed Forces.

 

Those seeking to apply for the status of Conscientious Objector must do so on the basis of personal belief and conviction nourished on the highest ideals of the Christian Gospel. These do not only forbid participation in the taking of life—an action necessitated by war—but the desire to attain the highest possible spiritual perfection in and through Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A candidate for the status of conscientious objector must proclaim that any other classification would infringe upon and frustrate his spiritual aspirations, and that service to one’s country in a humanitarian capacity is the preferred alternative.

You must be able to understand, articulate, and defend (possibly in court) your deeply held moral opposition to serving in war. You can’t expect to prepare for all that at the last minute. You need to prepare spiritually for this trial well in advance, preferably with the aid of a qualified spiritual father.

When challenged over your reasons for seeking CO status, you can start with a simple statement, “I am conscientiously opposed to war in any form.” You will probably be asked for greater detail, of course, so be ready to provide it. Please be spiritually honest with yourself in your preparations. Are you really morally opposed to killing Iranians, or are you just trying to avoid the draft? If you can’t make yourself believe in your moral objections, you won’t make anyone else believe in them either. If you don’t have a high state of spirituality today, then use your time wisely to grow in Christ. Even if no draft ever comes, that will be immensely beneficial to you.

When addressing your moral objections, avoid getting trapped into theological debates with those judging your CO status. This is about a decision you have made for the good of your own soul, after proper consultation with your own spiritual father, based on your own understanding of what Jesus Christ wants you to do with your life. Don’t debate the proper understanding of what Justin Martyr said about military service in his writings, or how to properly interpret St. Clement’s comments on war, or any other theological points. This discussion is about what you believe based on your interpretation of the Orthodox Faith, not what anyone else believes.

Also, leave the politics and social commentary out of it. Is the Iran War unconstitutional? Of course. Is it a distraction from our massive domestic problems. Undoubtedly. There is no good case for this war. However, in a draft, your political opposition to the war is of no consequence. No one cares if you agree or disagree. No one cares if you are objectively right or wrong about the merits or legality of the war. If you are applying for CO status, then you are doing so on the basis of your deeply held moral opposition to war. That has to be your focus, and anything else mixed in only weakens your case. Which means, above all, watch what you post on social media. The government has access to it all, even if you post anonymously, and the draft board will use your own words against you.

Be mindful that you must be willing to accept the consequences of taking a moral stand against war. You could end up in some kind of government-ordered national service as a substitute for the military. You could end up in the military anyway, but assigned to a non-combatant role such as in the medical corps. Support troops still die, even if they don’t directly participate in killing. If your CO status is refused, you could end up in jail. Further, even if you are legally granted CO status, be spiritually prepared for potential social ostracism over your decision not to comply. That is less of a consideration given how unpopular this war really is, but it is still possible for you to face future social and employment backlash from people who accuse you of cowardice, treason, or both. People are herd animals, and refusing to comply with the draft puts you outside the herd.

2) Get help early

Contact the Center on Conscience and War for advice on building your CO status case, even from the moment of registering for Selective Service. They can help provide guidance on how to fill out forms, and how to answer questions. Remember – how you articulate your beliefs is just as important as having them to begin with. Saying the right thing in the wrong way can get your CO status denied.

Reach out to your spiritual father now and discuss your moral objections to the war. Make sure he is supportive of, and guiding, your beliefs. You may need him to testify about your particular case, or provide documentation in support of your claim. He should be willing to help, as the Orthodox Church has a long history of supporting conscientious objectors. If he is not, then find one who is. You must build a trusted relationship with a supportive spiritual father, before you need it. Priest shopping after you have received a draft notice is a tremendous red flag your case may not survive.

3) Be prepared for ecclesiastical betrayal

If you are in the age bracket facing the possibility of a draft, you may be too young to remember the disgraceful behavior of Greek Archdiocese Archbishop Elpidophoros during COVID. During the Vax mandates, there were organizations (such as Orthodox Reflections) who were helping people get COVID Vax exemptions based on religious objections to the use of aborted fetal cell lines during development and testing. While this was difficult in some states and in Canada, overall we were having really good success. Archbishop Elpidophoros tried to undercut that success by publicly announcing that Orthodox Christians had no legitimate claim to religious exemptions from the COVID jabs.

Fortunately for all of us, vaccine exemptions are based on individual freedom of conscience. This provides the ability of individual believers to apply for exemptions, even when in disagreement over their validity with their own ecclesiastical authorities. While it can be more challenging to answer questions, when your own hierarchy is against you, the corrupted opinions of individual hierarchs cannot legally overrule your own personal beliefs. They can, however, be used to rattle you under questioning.

Do not be surprised if Archbishop Elpidophoros, and/or other Orthodox hierarchs in America, repeat their COVID performances during a military draft. Archbishop Elpidophoros is an asset of the American Deep State, which is itself a subsidiary of the transnational Epstein Class. If Elpi is instructed to do so, he will publicly denounce conscientious objectors as traitors to America and the Orthodox Faith. He will instruct his clergy not to support applications for CO status. He may not be alone in doing so. Elpi is the most publicly co-opted Orthodox hierarch in America, but rumors are that there are more.

Remember, just as during COVID with Vax exemptions, your CO status application is about your conscience and your interpretation of your own faith. While you must be prepared to deal with questions about whatever Orthodox hierarchs have said about war and military service, you are not obligated to agree with them. This may feel strange for Orthodox Christians, but legally your opinions about your own soul are more important than the opinions of a hierarch.

4) You will fight a war regardless

Getting CO status does not mean you won’t fight this war. You will. You will just be fighting it a different way. Instead of wearing a uniform and killing the enemy, you will be spiritually fighting against the darkness that gave us this war in the first place. By publicly refusing military service in this war, you will be entering into an overt form of spiritual combat. Your refusal to comply is a public proclamation that our duties to God are more important than the demands of America’s ruling class.

Don’t get into the arena if you are not ready for that fight. Accepting being drafted does not mean that you will automatically be combat arms. You could end up in a support role, and never fire a shot in anger. The war could end before you are even finished with training. Trying for CO status is not for the faint of heart or the weak of faith. You need to really believe what you are saying, while being prepared for any possible consequences, both physically and spiritually.

If we have a draft, rest assured that many Orthodox Christians will support your decision to use CO status to publicly repudiate mass murder. The refusal of a growing number of Christians in the Roman Empire to serve in the legions helped Christianize the Empire. Perhaps our own men refusing to go to Iran, or the next war, will have the same effect on the American Empire. God willing.