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Ethics & Morality
Christians in the Military
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<blockquote data-quote="mnphysicist" data-source="post: 73848123" data-attributes="member: 110815"><p>The words of Jesus do seem pretty clear as far as pacifism goes... and thus was the teachings of the early church fathers. However, once Christianity shifted from small persecuted groups to a serious political power in the world, pacifism became problematic. </p><p></p><p>The early church view... you can't very well love your neighbor, if you kill him, you cant follow Jesus words on the sermon of the mount if you kill your enemy.</p><p></p><p>Societal changes and now Christianity is powerful and part of govt.... sometimes your neighbor is so dangerous to your innocent neighbors, that some are killed, and some are in immediate danger of being killed. As a power of govt, there is a duty to protect ones citizens. Paul talks about this in Romans 13:4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.</p><p></p><p>This caused no small amount of heartache... how can you ascribe to the sermon on the mount from Jesus, and how can you be God's servant at the same time, knowing you may need to bring the sword to bear?</p><p></p><p>Enter in <a href="https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20131011_2.htm" target="_blank">Augustines Just War Theory</a>... which relies heavily on the above text from Romans but also the story where Jesus heals the daughter of the Roman solider in Luke 7. Notice the soldier was not condemned for his work, notice Jesus talks about the great faith of the solder.</p><p></p><p>The challenge of this, as well as further expansions of Just War theory, is they get farther and farther from the sermon on the mount... and not too many military actions fall under the just war criteria. Add in US nationalism, and a co-mingling of church in state, plus a fear of churches and pastors publishing pacifist articles and coming under the fear of govt between the civil war and WWI... and that voice shrinks. Add in the experience of WWII and its atrocities... pacifism is pretty much gone from US Christianity.</p><p></p><p>This is an academic piece which investigates how the Church of Christ (a very conservative Bible based US church) did a 180 degree turn on their theology over the years. </p><p><a href="https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1625&context=leaven" target="_blank">https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1625&context=leaven</a></p><p></p><p>The issue of Christians and the military is exceedingly complex and nuanced.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="mnphysicist, post: 73848123, member: 110815"] The words of Jesus do seem pretty clear as far as pacifism goes... and thus was the teachings of the early church fathers. However, once Christianity shifted from small persecuted groups to a serious political power in the world, pacifism became problematic. The early church view... you can't very well love your neighbor, if you kill him, you cant follow Jesus words on the sermon of the mount if you kill your enemy. Societal changes and now Christianity is powerful and part of govt.... sometimes your neighbor is so dangerous to your innocent neighbors, that some are killed, and some are in immediate danger of being killed. As a power of govt, there is a duty to protect ones citizens. Paul talks about this in Romans 13:4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. This caused no small amount of heartache... how can you ascribe to the sermon on the mount from Jesus, and how can you be God's servant at the same time, knowing you may need to bring the sword to bear? Enter in [URL='https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20131011_2.htm']Augustines Just War Theory[/URL]... which relies heavily on the above text from Romans but also the story where Jesus heals the daughter of the Roman solider in Luke 7. Notice the soldier was not condemned for his work, notice Jesus talks about the great faith of the solder. The challenge of this, as well as further expansions of Just War theory, is they get farther and farther from the sermon on the mount... and not too many military actions fall under the just war criteria. Add in US nationalism, and a co-mingling of church in state, plus a fear of churches and pastors publishing pacifist articles and coming under the fear of govt between the civil war and WWI... and that voice shrinks. Add in the experience of WWII and its atrocities... pacifism is pretty much gone from US Christianity. This is an academic piece which investigates how the Church of Christ (a very conservative Bible based US church) did a 180 degree turn on their theology over the years. [URL]https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1625&context=leaven[/URL] The issue of Christians and the military is exceedingly complex and nuanced. [/QUOTE]
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