A thought on the War

[The Simple Plan]

Ok GS point taken. Thank you for clarifying.
I have taken issue with the following article though and some of the sweeping generalizations made by the author

No Victory, No Peace
By John P Coussens

Anti-war protestors never cease to amaze me. They act as though God is on their side, yet they do not believe in God.

Once again it amazes me that someone could make such a sweeping statement. Someone who protests against war is not on God's side....well I never!!! I was preaching on the day we had the war protest in the UK but would have gladly gone on such a march, even if as a Christian my discernment told me something is not too write about this war. As for the rest of the racist diatribe in the article about the French, German and Russian keeping their wine, BMWs whatever --- it saddens me that on a Christian forum that we need to take residence in a literary tabloid cesspit in order to substantiate what has otherwise been a sensible dialogue. In someways GS reprinting such an article in its completeness challenges the very notion of integrity!!


Gerry,
In no way do I seperate God and Jesus and would be enlightened to see where I have suggested so. We could easily talk about war and God's opinion of it, but where war is advocated in the Bible, there is always instruction by God to go possess the land. These themes dominates the pre-Assyrian captivity era of Israel and never once raises its head again in all of scripture once Israel have wondered from God and continue to lose their status as his chosen people.

To make any comparison with the coalition nations of USA, UK, Spain and Australia as God's chosen people as Israel were is fanciful thinking. We lament on the one hand that our respective nations are fallen into secularism and atheistic thinking then on the other hand rally under the war cry "God save our gracious queen" or "One nation under God"!! Confusing eh...good thing our citizenship lies else where or we would really be in trouble.

Dave

 

[Gunny]

In the eyes of the faithful, God is behind America

 

[The Simple Plan]

In relation to another quote posted earlier, no one is denying that the Saddam regime is evil, and yes it is good to quote from men and women in Iraq who would see Saddam ousted, this is not denied. However there are those inside Iraq who do not want this war.

Some of you may know Christians in Iraq as well. I know of two and I also know of a pastor and his wife who are laying very low in Kuwait in fear because of the threats from some members of the community there. Due to the sensitive nature of their position I will leave it there. Some are scared of the bombings but still continue to have hope in God no matter what happens, many are quite opposed to the war.

As I have stated before there are many Christians there who are more fearful of what the new regime may bring into Iraq. Like in Afghanistan the troops will eventually leave to be replaced by private security firms, because it would appear we have burnt any bridges we have with the UN, only God will tell.

Pacifism does not mean stupid, and it can be rather insulting especially to those who do not see war as a solution. Some of us need to read our WORLD history a bit more and see the complexities of a group of countries in the Middle East and realise there are a plethora of problems we need to deal with once this conflict is over. Lastly we should learn lessons that Hussein and Osama bin Laden were once good friends of the US, when it suited their cause in those wars before.

I leave you with a final thought from Nelson Mandela from a recent interview shown here in the UK. One who understood what it was like to lose his dignity, see many friends and relatives die under an opressive regime and still take a non violent route out. He was confronted by George Bush Snr as to why he still keeps company with the likes of Yasser Arafat, Robert Mugabe and Col Gadaffi. Mandela accepted that as respective freedom fighters in their own countries he did not subscribe to many of their methods and approaches to conflict resolution, however he noted that when he was languishing in jail they all financially and morally supported his cause and that of the ANC while many other nations and governments cocked their nose and continued to support the apartheid regime. He said now it was popular for all nations to come greet the man formerly considered a terrorist but now the most famous peacekeeper in the world, how could he forget those at the drop of  hat who supported him when he really needed them.

God bless
Dave

 

 

[WayneH]

Lastly we should learn lessons that Hussein and Osama bin Laden were once good friends of the US, when it suited their cause in those wars before.

these men were never FRIENDS of the US.... they just happened to be the lesser of two evils when the US supported them in thier wars on Russia and Iran.......... war can make some very strange bed fellows - but please do not insult the US by claiming these nuts are friends

 

[The Simple Plan]

I feel quite sad at the moment. Somehow I feel from my trawl through various threads that some of us have been considered unrepresentative of a Christian because we profer a non-violent stand to this conflict. That we misrepresent Christ or call God a hypocrite when we choose not to be supportive for the afore stated positions. That we do not neccesarily consider this to be in God's will!! So I would really like to take a different tack on this and allow for some more dialogue to understand the Christian viewpoint for and against this war. Rather than venting our spleens, let us use the basis for Christian living/decision making contained in "thus saith the Lord"

Luke 22:35-37
Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?"
"Nothing," they answered.
He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors' ; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment."

Compare to:

Matthew 26:52
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 

Why would Jesus have instructed his disciples to carry a sword and then on the other hand tell them that would live by it will die by it?