If love does no wrong, how does love go to war with Russia?

[MikeinSeattle]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

 

[Hammster]

They are loving their neighbors by protecting them.

 

[HTacianas]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

War is a condition of mankind. You can say it's good, you can say it's evil, you can say it is sometimes good/sometimes evil, or describe it in any way you can think of but it is still a condition of mankind. Wars are fought throughout the bible, both the old testament and the new. If you ask how the Christians of Ukraine can kill the Christians of Russia you might just as well ask how could the Christians of America kill the Christians of Germany during World War Two or World War One for that matter. Keep going back in history and you find countless wars fought between Christian nations. You're not likely to find a moral answer to your question. War is simply something to be avoided.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

Your implying defending ones self and family is evil. This is in error. War is an evil thing however, it can also be a justified act. We can see this in the historical accounts of war in scripture.
Blessings.

 

[timewerx]

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37.

That's simple, they live in Ukraine and their lives are being threatened.

You live in USA, in great comfort, with nobody threatening you, how can you understand?


.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

What are your thoughts of self defense? If your country is invaded, are you to turn the other cheek?

 

[Rescued One]

Don't mother bears defend their cubs? Why did God make them that way? Why are there drive-by shootings all over America? We can't answer every question perfectly. If I get between an attacker and his victim, won't there be two victims?

 

[Allen of the Cross]

I guess we should let violent invading armies take over the world then, or let the filthy unbelievers fight our wars for us /s

 

[Blade]

"But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above."

Ask the angels that are still battling Satan and his fallen angels. Is "love" not there? When they started to take Christ all He had to do was open His mouth pray the Father and He would send 12 legions that's up to 6000 for each legion. Hmm why would God have just one in heaven let a lone legions? I wonder why He didn't say 1 but no He said 12.

Its a whole different world when they come at you face to face. God told Israel to fight. We live in a fallen world. We have all power all authority over Satan, demons, fallen angels. We have none over man and GOD knows this. So we must at times fight.

Also you could say your right "He does no wrong"

 

[Halbhh]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

Ukraine's defensive war against the profound evils of the Russian invasion (and Russia's caught-up-in-evils leadership of Putin and Kirill) can be and to a large extent has been a valid effort to defend innocents and their lands/houses/property against theft and evil from this evil that has overtaken Russia at this time. So, the way soldiers in a war against evil can do their duties rightly is by obeying all the rules of rightful and just defense of innocents and their homes, lives, property. In other words, Ukraine ideally should not do war crimes -- Ukraine should not do like Russia, should not do the very many serious wrongs that Russia has done in this war.

Any Russian believers sadly caught up in the war who die will simply be able to enter heaven, if they really are believers. Just like the Ukrainians that really are believers.

And all the rest of us that really are believers, when our day comes to die.

For an individual soldier, they are responsible as best they can to do what is right at each moment, not killing unnecessarily, but fighting to defend innocents against aggression and to restore lands/houses/rights to Ukrainians from whom Russia has wrongly taken. In a war it will be necessary for a soldier, just like for a police officer, to shoot at someone who is actively doing wrongs to others, to thereby help defend the innocents the wrongdoers are harming.

 

[BobRyan]

how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause?

self-defense is a good "cause" but when Christians are called to lay down their lives for the gospel they are not talking about defending themselves or shooting the other guy.

God commands Israel to go and fight - but God always had the power to destroy Israel's army without any Jew killing even one single person. Still He commanded them to fight with other nations. David was not condemned for killing Goliath - he was affirmed. God himself ordains capital punishment in Genesis 9:5

5 I certainly will require your lifeblood; from every animal I will require it. And from every person, from every man as his brother I will require the life of a person.
​

If Christians create an unjust system of civil laws where there is no penalty for murder - they are condemned as unjust, unrighteous.

If they create a state where the government provides no protection at all for citizens - - they are condemned as unjust, unrighteous.

 

[IceJad]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

I fail to see why not? You're saying as though Russians were the innocent party and Ukrainians just up and started the war. They fight to protect their families and home. Killing happened but they are not murder. There is a distinction between killing and murder. This case it is self defense.

If someone comes to shoot your children and rape your wife will you sit by idle and let it happen? Because you're a Christian and you can't defend yourself due to the turn the other cheek? You have to love the enemy? How about love your family?

If you believe in God, He is not blind he sees the actions of men and the content of their hearts. Not all killings are bad. There are circumstances where it is permitted.

 

[Rescued One]

There are certain religious groups that won't go to war, but they came from countries that persecuted them. So we try to protect our country and they sit back and enjoy the benefits.

 

[fhansen]

Roman 13:10 says:

Love does not do evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

The word for "evil" there in greek is translated "evil" most of the time in the New Testament and means evil in the most general sense.

Strong's Greek: 2556. κακός (kakos) -- bad, evil

So my question is, how can Christian Ukrainians in Ukraine right now shoot and kill Russians who are literally their neighbors both physically and spiritually according to Jesus's definition of a neighbor in Luke 10:37. In fact how can any Christian go to fight in war against any nation for any reason, even if it is a good cause? For that matter how can any Christian do anything that harms another human being for any reason, i.e. work in the police force harming criminals, sentencing them to jail etc.

I am not looking for answers that are purely moral reasoning. Obviously I realize we need police officers and sending criminals to jail.

But show me from scripture how doing evil "hurting people" can be done while still fulfilling the law of love in the New Testament described in that Romans 13:10 that I just quoted above.

Love demands that the innocent be protected, that self defense, itself, is consistent with love in a world where love is devalued and so often trampled upon to begin with, as when one neighbor attacks and harms another neighbor, for example. Should you not defend your family if an attacker enters your house? Would that be loving? Should we defend against evil done to us?

 

[Hawkins]

Soldiers are servants of Caesar. One of Caesar's responsibilities is to protect his citizens. On the other hand, the Bible often describes nations as beasts. They really are. They are territorial and may turn aggressive towards each other sensitively. Ukraine is in between 2 giant beasts (or a pack of them). It's a relatively new country with its Caesar doesn't know much about how to protect its citizens more diplomatically. That's how the war happened.

That said. As servants of Caesar, soldiers' service terms include dying in the battlefield. So they died in the battlefield. Shall Christian soldiers take part into wars? More often they don't have a choice, as Caesar enforces it. Some other times, they may choose to protect their own lands and people. We can't say that they are at fault if that's their motive. However at the end, it's more of a duty of the Caesars, while you have a chance of shooting dead a Christian Russian soldier who is your brother.

 

[Hammster]

He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
— Psalm 18:34

A Psalm of David.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
— Psalm 144:1

 

[MikeinSeattle]

Your implying defending ones self and family is evil. This is in error. War is an evil thing however, it can also be a justified act. We can see this in the historical accounts of war in scripture.
Blessings.

So basically love sometimes does do evil "wrong" to its neighbor? If that neighbor is threatening your family?

Nobody can argue that Jesus does not consider all mankind to be our neighbors since he said so in the parable of the Samaritan who helped the man who was robbed and beaten.

 

[MikeinSeattle]

What are your thoughts of self defense? If your country is invaded, are you to turn the other cheek?

What can you do with..

Roman 13:10 "Love does not do evil (wrong) to its neighbor"

..other than become a total pacifist?

 

[Oompa Loompa]

What can you do with..

Roman 13:10 "Love does not do evil (wrong) to its neighbor"

..other than become a total pacifist?

It is neither wrong nor evil to take up arms in self defense.

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.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied.
Luke 22:36‭-‬38 NIV

 

[Maria Billingsley]

So basically love sometimes does do evil "wrong" to its neighbor? If that neighbor is threatening your family?

Nobody can argue that Jesus does not consider all mankind to be our neighbors since he said so in the parable of the Samaritan who helped the man who was robbed and beaten.

Well it is up to you if you wish to see harm to your family or defend them. We all have our convictions.