Charles Spurgeon on Christians and war.

[Michael Snow]

Would be interesting to know how many tens of thousands of American Christians use Spurgeon's devotionals. Despite his wide popularity few have ever read his clear words about Christians and war.

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• Michael Snow
• Mar 12, 2017
• 1

Charles Spurgeon: On War and Christians

 

[Mark Quayle]

Quaker, upon finding a burglar in the house: "Friend, I would thee no harm, but thee standest where I am about to shoot!"

 

[Basil the Great]

I was a pacifist for a while back in my younger days, but have not been so now for decades. However, I still maintain that Christians have gone to war too easily at times. I especially believe that the Revolutionary War was not all that necessary and probably not justified under Augustine's Just War Doctrine. The Civil War probably could have been avoided by letting the South leave the Union peacefully. Slavery would have ended eventually. Still, I will admit that the Civil War is not nearly as clear cut a choice as the Revolutionary War. The Iraq War seems like it was an unjustified invasion by the U.S. of a foreign country. As for WW II, I see no other alternative than to have gone to war against a terrible evil.

 

[Michael Snow]

I was a pacifist for a while back in my younger days, but have not been so now for decades. However, I still maintain that Christians have gone to war too easily at times. I especially believe that the Revolutionary War was not all that necessary and probably not justified under Augustine's Just War Doctrine. The Civil War probably could have been avoided by letting the South leave the Union peacefully. Slavery would have ended eventually. Still, I will admit that the Civil War is not nearly as clear cut a choice as the Revolutionary War. The Iraq War seems like it was an unjustified invasion by the U.S. of a foreign country. As for WW II, I see no other alternative than to have gone to war against a terrible evil.

Agree, there was no alternative to WW II. What we need to remember was that WWI, which should have never happened, laid the ground work for the rise of a Hitler with Versaille.

 

[Basil the Great]

Agree, there was no alternative to WW II. What we need to remember was that WWI, which should have never happened, laid the ground work for the rise of a Hitler with Versaille.

Yes, evidence shows the tie between WWI and WW II.

 

[AgapeBible]

What bothers me is there are all these Christians owning guns. They support private citizens having whole weapons collection of guns, that the government should not interfere with gun owners. Of course there should be government registration, control, records of who owns what guns, a waiting period, laws against criminals, the mentally ill or mentally disturbed trouble makers should not be allowed to own a gun. Guns should not be allowed to bring in public places unless you are a police officer or some sort of military person, or a government agent.

There has been too many school shootings, too many public shootings too much blood has been shed already. When there is a school shooting, you wonder where the kid got the gun, most likely from home. We need more homes without guns, I am so glad my parents raised me in a home with no guns and taught me to be peaceful, to love and forgive.

Kids need to be taught to stop being so violent and angry, quit playing violent video games and watching violent movies. Fighting is wrong, war is wrong, only if it is a war of self defense to fight persecution and annihalation, like in WWII when Hitler tried to wipe out all the Jews.

People don't need a machine gun to go hunting. What kind of people get their pleasure from killing animals anyway?

War is good for nothing. The Vietnam war was totally unnecessary, it was a political war. The USA has had several little political wars. Wars that came from politics, greed, power hunger, selfishness, hatred racism bigotry, these wars are wrong! Trying to help people in foreign countries is a good thing, but when the USA starts shooting and bombing people, how are they suppose to listen?

Jesus told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus would not support the violence that goes on today that a lot of Christians are into. He would probably have liberal politics if He were on earth as a man right now, So I think we need to love each other, forgive and stop the massacres.

 

[Lavaduder]

What bothers me is there are all these Christians owning guns. They support private citizens having whole weapons collection of guns, that the government should not interfere with gun owners. Of course there should be government registration, control, records of who owns what guns, a waiting period, laws against criminals, the mentally ill or mentally disturbed trouble makers should not be allowed to own a gun. Guns should not be allowed to bring in public places unless you are a police officer or some sort of military person, or a government agent.

There has been too many school shootings, too many public shootings too much blood has been shed already. When there is a school shooting, you wonder where the kid got the gun, most likely from home. We need more homes without guns, I am so glad my parents raised me in a home with no guns and taught me to be peaceful, to love and forgive.

Kids need to be taught to stop being so violent and angry, quit playing violent video games and watching violent movies. Fighting is wrong, war is wrong, only if it is a war of self defense to fight persecution and annihalation, like in WWII when Hitler tried to wipe out all the Jews.

People don't need a machine gun to go hunting. What kind of people get their pleasure from killing animals anyway?

War is good for nothing. The Vietnam war was totally unnecessary, it was a political war. The USA has had several little political wars. Wars that came from politics, greed, power hunger, selfishness, hatred racism bigotry, these wars are wrong! Trying to help people in foreign countries is a good thing, but when the USA starts shooting and bombing people, how are they suppose to listen?

Jesus told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus would not support the violence that goes on today that a lot of Christians are into. He would probably have liberal politics if He were on earth as a man right now, So I think we need to love each other, forgive and stop the massacres.

Perhaps showing the consequences of violence will help.

He would probably have liberal politics

Ha no... liberalism has adopted homosex, usury, abortion, ETC. God would have perfect policies.

 

[Lavaduder]

People don't need a machine gun to go hunting. What kind of people get their pleasure from killing animals anyway?

You do realize that hunters like to preserve the game they hunt right?

 

[Mark Quayle]

What bothers me is there are all these Christians owning guns. They support private citizens having whole weapons collection of guns, that the government should not interfere with gun owners. Of course there should be government registration, control, records of who owns what guns, a waiting period, laws against criminals, the mentally ill or mentally disturbed trouble makers should not be allowed to own a gun. Guns should not be allowed to bring in public places unless you are a police officer or some sort of military person, or a government agent.

There has been too many school shootings, too many public shootings too much blood has been shed already. When there is a school shooting, you wonder where the kid got the gun, most likely from home. We need more homes without guns, I am so glad my parents raised me in a home with no guns and taught me to be peaceful, to love and forgive.

Kids need to be taught to stop being so violent and angry, quit playing violent video games and watching violent movies. Fighting is wrong, war is wrong, only if it is a war of self defense to fight persecution and annihalation, like in WWII when Hitler tried to wipe out all the Jews.

People don't need a machine gun to go hunting. What kind of people get their pleasure from killing animals anyway?

War is good for nothing. The Vietnam war was totally unnecessary, it was a political war. The USA has had several little political wars. Wars that came from politics, greed, power hunger, selfishness, hatred racism bigotry, these wars are wrong! Trying to help people in foreign countries is a good thing, but when the USA starts shooting and bombing people, how are they suppose to listen?

Jesus told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus would not support the violence that goes on today that a lot of Christians are into. He would probably have liberal politics if He were on earth as a man right now, So I think we need to love each other, forgive and stop the massacres.

Why does it matter whether it is Christians or not? Sounds like you need a good world history course.

 

[9Rock9]

I was a pacifist for a while back in my younger days, but have not been so now for decades. However, I still maintain that Christians have gone to war too easily at times. I especially believe that the Revolutionary War was not all that necessary and probably not justified under Augustine's Just War Doctrine. The Civil War probably could have been avoided by letting the South leave the Union peacefully. Slavery would have ended eventually. Still, I will admit that the Civil War is not nearly as clear cut a choice as the Revolutionary War. The Iraq War seems like it was an unjustified invasion by the U.S. of a foreign country. As for WW II, I see no other alternative than to have gone to war against a terrible evil.

IIRC, many in the Union were fine with the South seceding from the Union, and the war started over the Confederacy firing upon Fort Sumter. This was taken as an act of aggression against the Union, although the Confederacy considered Fort Sumter as part of their territory and Union soldiers stationed on it, and saw themselves asserting their sovereignty against foreign occupiers.

With the Revolutionary War, it was caused mostly over the Colonists not having representation in the Parliament. They did try to compromise with the British, but went to war when all that failed. It wasn't taxation in and of itself they were against, but the fact they were being taxed without representation.

 

[98cwitr]

What bothers me is there are all these Christians owning guns. They support private citizens having whole weapons collection of guns, that the government should not interfere with gun owners. Of course there should be government registration, control, records of who owns what guns, a waiting period, laws against criminals, the mentally ill or mentally disturbed trouble makers should not be allowed to own a gun. Guns should not be allowed to bring in public places unless you are a police officer or some sort of military person, or a government agent.

There has been too many school shootings, too many public shootings too much blood has been shed already. When there is a school shooting, you wonder where the kid got the gun, most likely from home. We need more homes without guns, I am so glad my parents raised me in a home with no guns and taught me to be peaceful, to love and forgive.

Kids need to be taught to stop being so violent and angry, quit playing violent video games and watching violent movies. Fighting is wrong, war is wrong, only if it is a war of self defense to fight persecution and annihalation, like in WWII when Hitler tried to wipe out all the Jews.

People don't need a machine gun to go hunting. What kind of people get their pleasure from killing animals anyway?

War is good for nothing. The Vietnam war was totally unnecessary, it was a political war. The USA has had several little political wars. Wars that came from politics, greed, power hunger, selfishness, hatred racism bigotry, these wars are wrong! Trying to help people in foreign countries is a good thing, but when the USA starts shooting and bombing people, how are they suppose to listen?

Jesus told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus would not support the violence that goes on today that a lot of Christians are into. He would probably have liberal politics if He were on earth as a man right now, So I think we need to love each other, forgive and stop the massacres.

We know God uses evil to drive out evil. I've never understood those who profess Christ and seek out career positions that would have them take the life of someone else as part of that occupation. I can't help to think back to Scripture when the soldiers asked Christ what they should do. If anything, I would have expect Him to tell them to quit their jobs, but He simply said to be satisfied with their wages.

 

[PaulCanPat]

There was a choice with WWII but people are wimps. It's called the Sedition Trials. Those men and women were the true heroes of the war - not the soldiers in my opinion.

 

[PaulCanPat]

What bothers me is there are all these Christians owning guns. They support private citizens having whole weapons collection of guns, that the government should not interfere with gun owners. Of course there should be government registration, control, records of who owns what guns, a waiting period, laws against criminals, the mentally ill or mentally disturbed trouble makers should not be allowed to own a gun. Guns should not be allowed to bring in public places unless you are a police officer or some sort of military person, or a government agent.

There has been too many school shootings, too many public shootings too much blood has been shed already. When there is a school shooting, you wonder where the kid got the gun, most likely from home. We need more homes without guns, I am so glad my parents raised me in a home with no guns and taught me to be peaceful, to love and forgive.

I grew up in a rural society where everyone had guns in their trucks which they drove around with. Safest place in the world. Same with being among a bunch of soldiers on a war front. Very little crime in such a situation...safe place...no one is scared.

When someone cheats on a test, we never blame the pen or pencil they use to cheat with. Why do we do the same thing with guns?

Do you really want to know what the real issues here are?

Criminals agree - gun control works.

 

[PaulCanPat]

There was a choice with WWII but people are wimps. It's called the Sedition Trials. Those men and women were the true heroes of the war - not the soldiers in my opinion.

This needs explanation for those who don't know about the Sedition trials.

There were Americans who understood what Communists in America had done to purposefully bring about the Great Depression and food shortages and the purposes to kill millions of people. They did not trust Roosevelt at all. It was the same in Britain. There were many Brits who didn't trust Churchill any farther than they could see him. They considered him to be as evil as anyone else.

As well, allying with Russian Communists who had just committed such things as the Holodomor which killed millions of Ukrainians was abhorrent.

There was more than enough evil, of course, to go around the world seven times but many, many Americans and Brits felt strongly that before their countries ever took a stand against another country they should have cleaned up their own back yard first.

I believe that Spurgeon knew and understood the evil that resides in all governments and that this was what he was getting at.