Thanks for the challenge, I will respond. I stand by my views. Never for 1), and no to questions 2) to 7). The Bible does not allow a Christ follower to ever engage in war, all Scripture points to the contrary of any "just war" doctrine. Looking forward to reading your arguments though.
Now that you have called me out, I would like to ask you to respond to the following thread:
http://www.christianforums.com/t7589283/ and to Ishraqiyun's idea that the US should be made to pay the same price the Taleban had for sheltering terrorists. Post #4.
http://www.christianforums.com/t7589283/
I will be gone to a young adults Bible camp this weekend, will be away from my computer but look forward to reading and responding to your points. Take care and have a good weekend.
The majority of the mainstream historic Christian church and Jews before them have held to the view that violence and killing are sometimes permissible. Prominent theologians/Christians like Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, CS Lewis, Francis Schaeffer and Billy Graham have all endorsed this view.
But the main argument from the Christian one has to be the biblical one.
1) THE NATURE OF GOD
A) "The Lord of hosts" one of many titles given to God is a distinctively military one.
B) God has an army. Jesus claimed he could have called 5 legions of angels to his defence were it necessary. We see this army deployed in defence of Elisha who revealed the host of fire to his associate also. An angel sent by the Lord executes hundreds of thousands of Egyptians at the passover. An angel destroys the Assyrian army before the gates of Jerusalem. Angels wage battles in defence of Israel e.g. Michael in Daniel. In the New Testament Kings are executed by angels. In Revelation angels carry out spectacular judgments and a war is waged in the heavenlies between Gods army and the devils.
C) God passes judgments on the wicked. The flood , the plagues of Egypt and the events of Revelation being three examples in Old and New Testaments.
2) JESUS IS GOD
A) As Col 1 v 15-17 makes clear Jesus is the God of all scriptures and not just the gospels. Thus he has an army, judges the wicked and is our military captain.
B) Those who believe that it was Jesus who visited Abraham with 2 angels before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah will note that the angels carried out his instructions in extracting Lot and his daughters and then destroying the cities.
C) The judgments of Revelation must also be associated with Jesus.
D) Jesus takes a whip to the moneylenders in the temple
3) GOD/JESUS DOES NOT PROHIBIT KILLING
A) Exodus 20 v 13 - says Do not murder.
B) Jesus had only praise for the Roman centurions faith and no criticism for his job. (Math 8 v 10)
C) Jesus permitted his disciples to carry swords and indeed urged them to do so on one occasion.
D) John the baptist also does not condemn what soldiers do - Luke 3 v 14
4) GOD SANCTIONS KILLING
A) Innumerable OT examples - 1 Kings 18 v 40 , Joshua 8 v 1-29, Genesis 14
B) Hebrews 11 is a list of heroes of the faith from the OT and includes military examples
C) We are called to participate in heavenly warfare - Eph 6 v 12 and are in a continual war with our sinful natures James 4 v 1-2. As Jesus said I am not come to bring peace but a sword - Math 10 v 34.
D) As he says in Math 5 v 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers" - effective peacemaking is almost always accompanied by the threat or use of force rather than by appeasement.
E) God blesses earthly armies and soldiers that fulfill his purpose or which honour him. Gideons 300, David against Goliath or his countless other battles, Moses against the Amalekites, Nebuchadnezzars attack on Jerusalem in fufilment of the words of Jeremiah. As Romans 13 v 4 makes clear the power of the sword is given by God.
So render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods: Math 22 v 21
