A just war?

[mathinspiration]

Is war or violence ever justified?

 

[Doulosiesou]

I believe in self defense it is justified, however Christ did say to turn the other cheek. But if someone is going to blow your head off they will end up taking off both cheeks. So perhaps it's more justified when considering family, community, etc.

 

[Doulosiesou]

So self defense as in a natural right, you have a natural right to defend yourself and community against aggression. This then leads to the principle of the right to bear arms, since you need equal force as your aggressor to adequately defend yourself.

 

[Tolworth John]

Turn the question around.
Is it right that a nation should do nothing when another nation attacks a third nation?

or as individuals should we just watch as a weaker person is attacked?

 

[Francis Drake]

John15v13Greater love has no one than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends.

If we always turn the other cheek in the face of violence, the above becomes impossible for a Christian to observe. How can you lay down your life if you refuse to fight?

Turning the other cheek is about not retaliating at the slightest provocation. If someone smites you on the right cheek, it means that a right handed man has given you a backhanded slap across your face. That would strike on your right cheek. You have been insulted, if possible, don't let it go further than that.
Wherever possible, we are called to bring peace.

This is a call for patience and rather than anger and revenge. That call does not however prohibit a justified defence against aggression, nor is that defence limited to mere restraint of your opponent's aggression. It is entirely justified to put your opponent completely out of the fight.

If necessary, in real terms, it means you can kill him without incurring God's wrath.

 

[Doulosiesou]

Turn the question around.
Is it right that a nation should do nothing when another nation attacks a third nation?

or as individuals should we just watch as a weaker person is attacked?

I think most aggression is caused by economic reasons. They start out small like sanctions. This is why I am against sanctions, they start as economic wars then lead to shooting wars.

So I cannot answer your question directly, maybe I'm deflecting, but I'd say that first and foremost free trade fosters peace while controlled trade fosters violence.

 

[com7fy8]

Well, you need to be right with God so you can handle a threat in the right way.

And a worldly nation might have the right to fight, but they can't do it right if they are worldly. They could make things much worse.

In 1 Samuel 30 we see how an enemy made trouble for David and his men. He did not hurry to deal with the enemy, but first he made sure with God about what to do.

 

[dreadnought]

Is war or violence ever justified?

I would say war and violence are justified to defend oneself or others.

 

[Tolworth John]

I think most aggression is caused by economic reasons. They start out small like sanctions. This is why I am against sanctions, they start as economic wars then lead to shooting wars.

So I cannot answer your question directly, maybe I'm deflecting, but I'd say that first and foremost free trade fosters peace while controlled trade fosters violence.

That is not good enough. Take Kuwait for example, invaded by an agrressive neighbour, was the west right to drive them out?
or the Falkland islands was Britain justified in driving an agressor out of those islands?
or the American civil war, was the North justified in fighting to keep the union?

 

[Francis Drake]

Well, you need to be right with God so you can handle a threat in the right way.

And a worldly nation might have the right to fight, but they can't do it right if they are worldly. They could make things much worse.

In 1 Samuel 30 we see how an enemy made trouble for David and his men. He did not hurry to deal with the enemy, but first he made sure with God about what to do.

So if someone invades your house or attacks your children, you would do nothing till you'd first been to confession or some such spiritual activity?
I suspect I would mutter a prayer and grab the nearest weapon.

 

[com7fy8]

Well, you need to be right with God so you can handle a threat in the right way.

And a worldly nation might have the right to fight, but they can't do it right if they are worldly. They could make things much worse.

In 1 Samuel 30 we see how an enemy made trouble for David and his men. He did not hurry to deal with the enemy, but first he made sure with God about what to do.

So if someone invades your house or attacks your children, you would do nothing till you'd first been to confession or some such spiritual activity?

David's situation did involve their women and children already kidnapped. And 1 Samuel 30 tells how he handled that.

Going to confession would not be comparable.

I suspect I would mutter a prayer and grab the nearest weapon.

How about praying well in advance of any such situation?

And be careful about what we prepare for, because this is what could happen because we have invested in it.

God is in control of what will really happen; so it is good to get with God in prayer so we are living in relevance to all He knows He will do