Should a Christian go to war?

[Blue sapphire]

Hi...just wanted some feed back on this question.

I don't believe we should. When I ask the question would Christ go to war....I do not get an answer from the New testament that He would.

Also wars are judgments on man from God.

So if a judgment is falling upon a nation....should a Christian defend such a nation.

Cannot The Almighty defend those He loves....and if He chooses to let those He loves die....is it not for a good reason.

 

[Aibrean]

Read the Old Testament. Wars being God's judgment is a matter of opinion. Do you consider the Nazi occupation in World War II a good thing? The Holocaust was God's judgment? Imagine what the world would look like if no one went to war against them.

Wars have more than one side, more than one face. You can't be closed-minded.

 

[Blue sapphire]

Thanks for your reply Aibrean .

Well....nothing happens in this world unless God allows it. I mean He can stop or permit any action... if He so chooses. One can go on to say that if He permits it He also sanctions it.

He permitted the Israelites to go their own way (sin) so that His judgments would fall upon them. Did He approve of their actions....no...but in allowing it to go on...He planned to bring His Judgments upon them by banishing them from their land for a season.


If He chooses to allow or sanction, certain actions, including wars to happen.....it is for a purpose. We may not see or understand the reason....as many an Old Testament prophet could testify.

Does He not see the beginning to the end. Is He not fully aware of what all His creation is doing and will do. Could not He have prevented any war or could He not decide the outcome of any war.

It is not man who decides the outcome of wars....no matter how strong a military they have.

So....this being the case should we as Christians go to war? Would Jesus go to war? Would He command us to go to war.

 

[Aibrean]

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

I would say there isn't a place in the Bible that says we "shouldn't". Meaningless war is one thing, but we should be prepared to defend for what is right.

You have to remember, God also allows Satan to have reign over the earth.

 

[Blue sapphire]

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

I would say there isn't a place in the Bible that says we "shouldn't". Meaningless war is one thing, but we should be prepared to defend for what is right.

You have to remember, God also allows Satan to have reign over the earth.

Well.....these are good questions....and many a Christian has had to make up their own mind. But consider this.... if a Christian is on the enemey side and fighting against you....because he believes he should submit to his government and you are fighting for your government and you kill him....is that right? If he kills you is that right.

Should either of you be there?

 

[BernieEOD]

Well.....these are good questions....and many a Christian has had to make up their own mind. But consider this.... if a Christian is on the enemey side and fighting against you....because he believes he should submit to his government and you are fighting for your government and you kill him....is that right? If he kills you is that right.

Should either of you be there?

Good question. We can start with: Who is the agressor? If two nations are at war, one nation is the invader and the other is the defender. Usually, the one who is the invader is in the wrong. There are some exceptions.
Thus, I consider my active duty period following 9-11 defending our harbors and being ready to dive under ships & piers to disarm any bombs that might have been put there to be noble. When it came time to invade Iraq and "Liberate" them from themselves, I drew the line and chose to retire rather than take part.

In the end, God judges the heart. Not every German who served under the Nazis is in Hell nor are all who fought for the Allied cause in Heaven.

 

[TG123]

Hi...just wanted some feed back on this question.

I don't believe we should. When I ask the question would Christ go to war....I do not get an answer from the New testament that He would.

Also wars are judgments on man from God.

So if a judgment is falling upon a nation....should a Christian defend such a nation.

Cannot The Almighty defend those He loves....and if He chooses to let those He loves die....is it not for a good reason.

I believe the answer is no. Jesus tells us that we are to respond to our enemies by loving them and turning the other cheek when they strike us. That is impossible to do if you are shooting at someone.

The early church suffered persecution. The apostles were hounded through the streets, arrested, whipped, stoned to death, beheaded. These are the details described only in the Book of Acts. Under Nero, Christians were thrown to lions, burned alive, sawed in half, crucified.

Yet never is there any mention of them resorting to violence or fighting back.

In their steadfastness, the disciples in the Colosseum won many spectators over to Christ.

Jesus rebuked Peter for trying to defend him. If there ever was a time and place to use violence, the Garden of Gethsemane would have been it. He didn't.

As Christians we are called to be witnesses to the Gospel. How can we witness to someone about Christ's grace as we prepare to bomb their homes? What kind of hypocrites would we be if we were to claim to be Christ's followers and wanted others to follow Him, yet we would disobey His teachings?

We are not to do nothing in the face of injustice. As Jesus made clear we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. To speak out for widows and orphans. To work for peace.

But we are to do these things in accordance with Christ's teachings, doing these things for Him and with Him and allowing Him to work through us.


TG123

 

[BernieEOD]

I believe the answer is no. Jesus tells us that we are to respond to our enemies by loving them and turning the other cheek when they strike us. That is impossible to do if you are shooting at someone.

The early church suffered persecution. The apostles were hounded through the streets, arrested, whipped, stoned to death, beheaded. These are the details described only in the Book of Acts. Under Nero, Christians were thrown to lions, burned alive, sawed in half, crucified.

Yet never is there any mention of them resorting to violence or fighting back.

In their steadfastness, the disciples in the Colosseum won many spectators over to Christ.

Jesus rebuked Peter for trying to defend him. If there ever was a time and place to use violence, the Garden of Gethsemane would have been it. He didn't.

As Christians we are called to be witnesses to the Gospel. How can we witness to someone about Christ's grace as we prepare to bomb their homes? What kind of hypocrites would we be if we were to claim to be Christ's followers and wanted others to follow Him, yet we would disobey His teachings?

We are not to do nothing in the face of injustice. As Jesus made clear we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. To speak out for widows and orphans. To work for peace.

But we are to do these things in accordance with Christ's teachings, doing these things for Him and with Him and allowing Him to work through us.


TG123

Sorry, but Christ does not call for us to allow our families to be raped, robbed & murdered. My job in the military was to defend the harbors.
There is no way you can convince me that Christ calls upon me to allow someone to blow up one of our ships or facilities. That Christ forbids me to dive under a ship and disarm a bomb.

Those who go before criminals and disarm thier victims in order so that they can be raped, robbed, beaten and killed are worse then the criminals.

 

[TG123]

Sorry, but Christ does not call for us to allow our families to be raped, robbed & murdered. My job in the military was to defend the harbors.
There is no way you can convince me that Christ calls upon me to allow someone to blow up one of our ships or facilities. That Christ forbids me to dive under a ship and disarm a bomb.

Those who go before criminals and disarm thier victims in order so that they can be raped, robbed, beaten and killed are worse then the criminals.

Did you know that when Paul went around arresting Christians, he would take whole families away? Husbands and wives were arrested and put in chains. There is no record of Christians resisting violently in the New Testament.

Although I am a pacifist I don't hold it against you that you are in the military so I hope you are not offended by what I have written. I do believe that war and violence are wrong and in all circumstances Christians should not engage in these activities.

I don't think Jesus would forbid anyone from disarming a bomb. He would forbid you from killing others in self-defence though.

If I kill someone who does not yet know Jesus, where will he go when he dies?

 

[Aibrean]

Personal violence is different than war. "Thou shall not kill" is specific to premeditated murder.

 

[TG123]

Personal violence is different than war. "Thou shall not kill" is specific to premeditated murder.

I'm not sure. When Jesus said "love your enemies" and "turn the other cheek" He didn't say it only applied in certain situations.

Also, war does boil down to personal violence. It is led by politicians and generals but involves soldiers and combatants dropping bombs on each other and shooting at each other - and in the 21st century, mainly hitting civilians who are in most cases innocent.

 

[Thomas The Atheist]

this is not up to me to answer this I guess...

but in my opinion, no one should go to war...

 

[BernieEOD]

this is not up to me to answer this I guess...

but in my opinion, no one should go to war...

As an Athiest, there is no absolute right or wron. No God, No rules other than the ones the strongest can impose. Might makes right, the winner makes the rules.

 

[BernieEOD]

Did you know that when Paul went around arresting Christians, he would take whole families away? Husbands and wives were arrested and put in chains. There is no record of Christians resisting violently in the New Testament.

Although I am a pacifist I don't hold it against you that you are in the military so I hope you are not offended by what I have written. I do believe that war and violence are wrong and in all circumstances Christians should not engage in these activities.

I don't think Jesus would forbid anyone from disarming a bomb. He would forbid you from killing others in self-defence though.

If I kill someone who does not yet know Jesus, where will he go when he dies?

Sorry, but I had a confrontation with one like you. A kid who threatened to rape and kill my family found himself at the wrong end of my gun. His response was "You call yourself a Christian? Jesus says you shouldnt stop me!" He then got someone like you to rebuke me. My respons was that I would be glad to send him on his way to plead his case to the Lord.
Thos whose ministry consists of going before criminals ans talking thie victims into submitting to rape, robbery, and death are worse than the criminals themselves.
I was ready to kill any frogman who would plant a bomb and you cannot convince me to repent.

Governments have the power of the sword and a believer is not wrong to be a policeman or in the military to defend people.

I would never allow anintruder to rape and kill my family. I doubt that I would go to Hell for refusing to submit my wife and daughters to a rapist.

 

[Thomas The Atheist]

As an Athiest, there is no absolute right or wron. No God, No rules other than the ones the strongest can impose. Might makes right, the winner makes the rules.

we do know a right or wrong... only, our morality isnt decided by a supernatural being which perhaps doesnt even exist

 

[BernieEOD]

we do know a right or wrong... only, our morality isnt decided by a supernatural being which perhaps doesnt even exist

Only your opinion of right and wrong. Your opinion carries no moew wieght than that of Lovell Mixon who believed he had the right to rape a 12 year old girl and kill the policeman who tried to take him in for it. By Athiest standards, Mixon was right until the SWAT team was able to overpower him. No God, no rules. One mans opinion holds the same weight as anothers. Only the one wo can enforce his opinion is right.

 

[BernieEOD]

I believe I am right where I need to be. Pacifists say I am going to Hell because I chose to serve in the military willing to kill those who would launch nuclear warheads at cities or plant bombs under our ships while on the other hand, necon christians tell me I lost my Salvation for refusing to engage in thier gospel of bombs & bullets by choosing to retire rather than take part in our evil invasion.

 

[Aibrean]

Look at the Hebrew roots. Generalization is expressed in Hebrew through the verb "harag." The verb that appears in the Torah's prohibition is a completely different one, " ratsah" which, it would seem, should be rendered "murder." This root refers only to criminal acts of killing.

 

[TG123]

Sorry, but I had a confrontation with one like you. A kid who threatened to rape and kill my family found himself at the wrong end of my gun. His response was "You call yourself a Christian? Jesus says you shouldnt stop me!" He then got someone like you to rebuke me. My respons was that I would be glad to send him on his way to plead his case to the Lord.
Thos whose ministry consists of going before criminals ans talking thie victims into submitting to rape, robbery, and death are worse than the criminals themselves.
I was ready to kill any frogman who would plant a bomb and you cannot convince me to repent.

Governments have the power of the sword and a believer is not wrong to be a policeman or in the military to defend people.

I would never allow anintruder to rape and kill my family. I doubt that I would go to Hell for refusing to submit my wife and daughters to a rapist.

Bernie OD,

You must have confused me with someone else. I'm sorry to hear you had a gun pointed in your face and that a pacifist defended the attacker. I can assure you I wasn't there and that it wasn't me. I also can assure you I don't go around with gun-toting teens trying to encourage them to attack Christians.

Governments do indeed have the power of the sword and as Jesus made clear those who live by the sword die by the sword. I am also not saying you should stand by and watch injustice happening.

If anyone tried to rape your wife or daughter I would do my outmost to stop him and he would have to kill me before he touched them. I would try to physically restrain him or use my body as a shield. I'm sure by the time he was finished killing me they would have fled.

I don't believe you are going to Hell, if you have put your faith in Jesus then you are saved.

 

[TG123]

we do know a right or wrong... only, our morality isnt decided by a supernatural being which perhaps doesnt even exist

Hi Thomas The Atheist,

I'm glad to hear you don't support war. I wanted to let you know though that God is very real and He does exist. He is not only real and exists, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you. He did it because He loves you. If you put your faith in Christ (who is God) you will be saved.