What do you think?

[dinonum]

What do you think about this quote:

To refuse to kill for patriotic reasons is to show that we actually take our identity in Christ more seriously then our identity in the empire.

 

[Sketcher]

Well, I can see truth in that. The last several years have given me plenty of opportunities to think about joining the military. And I mean absolutely no disrespect or condemnation to the people that serve, whether they are in Christ or not. But as a Christian, I cannot reconcile killing someone who I know is an unbeliever with the Great Commission. The whole point of the Great Commission is so that more people go to Heaven and less people go to Hell. If I were to take up a profession which would require me to take a life, that would mean that I am helping to populate Hell rather than Heaven every time I have to pull the trigger on somebody. I don't see how I could live with that.

Now, we do need soldiers, and we do need police. There are Christians who have thought about this, and don't have the same moral problem that I do with taking a life. To them, I say thank you, we need you to do your jobs. If all the good people were pacifists, then we'd all die in short order.

 

[Sadiegrl]

Well it is taken out of context so i dont know what it is in referrence to, but its kinda backwords. Refusing to kill for patriotic reasons, is not saying for Christs reasons. So it doesnt really make much sense to me.

 

[AlbertanFarmGirl]

What do you think about this quote:

I agree, but I think that there can be a lot of contraversy over it. One one hand we are commanded not to kill, the sixth commandment and we strive to be more like Christ who did not kill. On the other hand there are a lot of law enforcement jobs that may require killing in order to keep others from being killed. If all other meens have been exhausted it would not be right for people in these profession to just stand back and watch that happen. I believe that in these circumstances that God will put it in people's hearts, even Christians', to be able to handle these jobs.

 

[Sadiegrl]

Thats true, God does command of us to have justice. In Exodus it explains Gods rules for justice, and while not all are required of todays day, many of them are still relative. But the quote is saying for patriotic reasons, which is saying that you would refuse to kill becuz you are an activist of some sort, and that makes you more true to Christ? Thats not the case, if you refuse to kill for Christian reasons, then that would make you true to Christ. God says that being a good person doesnt get you in his good graces, it is by accepting Christ and standing up for his beliefs (which would in turn be our beliefs as a christian). So just becuz you refuse to kill for your country doesnt identify you with Christ.

Many wars were fought with God backing up his people, many many people died at the hands of the Israelites. So its kinda a tricky question.

 

[DarkGreenMind]

Awake ! Christians have been killing other Christians for centuries. The victims are millions. How can you kill another Christian and still consider yourself a follower of Christ ???

Not to mention that during the Crusades some Christians (or "Christians") killed, tormented and raped people belonging to the other two major monotheist religions.

War have nothing to do with "justice".

 

[Benjamin1981]

Violence and killing is always wrong. Even thinking about it, if we truly understand God's nature, (even a little bit) we must absolutely refrain from doing it. Be an example in this sick world, never submit to it's rules.

 

[dinonum]

Just for the record, early Christian's were huge believers in this quote -- so it isn't just something that came up in an effort to put down American soldiers claiming to be Christian's.

 

[dinonum]

Now I want to kind of put in my own thoughts on the matter

St Martin of Tours in 315 ad said, "I am a soldier of Christ and it is not permissible for me to fight" and according to historical documents many early Christian's made clear that to join their community of followers and lovers of Christ that they would need to give up their ranks among worldly empires -- especially that of Rome as it was the one with the most power and the one that our early Christian brothers and sisters lived in.

It's pretty easy to see that throughout history, Christian life has changed dramatically -- but this isn't necessarily a good thing. What has happened is that as Empire's came to recognize Christ as a Savior, they took His teachings and molded them to fit their agenda's. I understand that many look at this sort of quote and see something that has been molded to fit a peace-loving-military-hating-hippy POV, but it isn't. It is a reality that has recently been understood by many that Christ was teaching us to be of a new world, and thus we have different obligations.

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I think those verses pretty much sum it up too

 

[dinonum]

Double Post =-\

 

[Apollo Celestio]

I'm sort of with the anabaptists on this one. I won't say they're wrong for wanting to serve, (To avoid trouble, this bickering over imaginary lines got old 10,000 years ago honestly) but keep me out of the world's struggles. Now, fighting to protect something is worth fighting for, but not the glory of some country.