Would it be a sin to be in the military

DennisTate

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I don't know.


Messiah Yeshua - Jesus asked the Scribes and Pharisees an interesting question that I believe fits with several precedents from Jewish history.

Mark 3:4 "And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace."

On one level he was referring to the time of Joshua and the conquest of the city of Jericho but he was also referring to the time of the Machabees that we can read about in the Roman Catholic Bible.

Douay-Rheims Bible, 1 Machabees Chapter 2
And they said to them: Do you still resist? come forth, and do according to the edict of king Antiochus, and you shall live. [34] And they said: We will not come forth, neither will we obey the king's edict, to profane the sabbath day. [35] And they made haste to give them battle.

[36] But they answered them not, neither did they cast a stone at them, nor stopped up the secret places, [37] Saying: Let us all die in our innocency: and heaven and earth shall be witnesses for us, that you put us to death wrongfully. [38] So they gave them battle on the sabbath: and they were slain with their wives, and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand persons. [39] And Mathathias and his friends heard of it, and they mourned for them exceedingly. [40] And every man said to his neighbour: If we shall all do as our brethren have done, and not fight against the heathens for our lives, and our justifications: they will now quickly root us out of the earth.

[41] And they determined in that day, saying: Whosoever shall come up against us to fight on the sabbath day, we will fight against him: and we will not all die, as our brethren that were slain in the secret places. [42] Then was assembled to them the congregation of the Assideans, the stoutest of Israel, every one that had a good will for the law. [43] And all they that fled from the evils, joined themselves to them, and were a support to them. [44] And they gathered an army, and slew the sinners in their wrath, and the wicked men in their indignation: and the rest fled to the nations for safety. [45] And Mathathias and his friends went round about, and they threw down the altars:
 
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DennisTate

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My conclusion is that a life in the military or police is difficult..... but a Christian can be ethical and wise and can even take a life....... in order to defend the life of another who cannot defend themselves...... As the Machabees killed Greco - Syrian armies who obeyed Antiochus and attacked the Jews even on the Sabbath......
 
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basilbear76

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Messiah Yeshua - Jesus asked the Scribes and Pharisees an interesting question that I believe fits with several precedents from Jewish history.

Mark 3:4 "And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace."

On one level he was referring to the time of Joshua and the conquest of the city of Jericho but he was also referring to the time of the Machabees that we can read about in the Roman Catholic Bible.

Douay-Rheims Bible, 1 Machabees Chapter 2
AND in the Orthodox Bible.

AND in all the Bibles of the pre-reformation Churches.

AND in the COMPLETE KJV.
 
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Presbyterian Continuist

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I don't know.
Jesus healed the Roman centurion's servant. The centurion was in military and was in charge of 100 soldiers. Jesus positively commented on the centurion's faith. He wouldn't have said that if He had considered being in military a sin.

Just think about the soldiers guarding Paul in his hired home in Rome. They would have to hear all his preaching and counselling of people who came to his home to receive spiritual help. I wonder it they ended up being converted to Christ?
 
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Bob Crowley

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In itself the military is a necessary evil because we live in a fallen world. If we lived in a perfect world, we would not need the military, police, lawyers, politicians etc.

But because we live in a fallen world, they are a necessity.

The military (along with the police) is also an area where men (and women) routinely put their lives on the line for the sake of others. It equires ethical decision making under intense pressure, since there could hardly be a more nerve-wracking experience than war. Therefore the military is one area where ordinary men and women are called upon to demonstrated qualities of character that ordinary civilian life does not normally demand.

Christ did not condemn the military. As someone else pointed out, He very much respected the faith of the Centurion.

He did say those who live by the sword would die by the sword, but I think the implication was more a reference to the Zealots and the like who were active at the time (and still are today, and always have been - just read Irgun, PLA, IRA, Hamas, ISIS etc.)
 
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Sketcher

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Not inherently - but you need to be ready and willing to both be deployed to a theater of combat, and to kill no matter what job you have, since you could always be attacked - especially while deployed in the theater of combat. Finding out that you cannot do your duty in good conscience after you have deployed is not the mark of a good soldier. Consider that ahead of time - is it right for you to go to Afghanistan (or wherever) and kill people who do not know Jesus? If not, don't join.
 
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robycop3

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OF COURSE it's not a sin ! Abraham Joshua, most of Israel's "judges" such as Gideon, David, & several other kings of Israel were all military men. And God sent Saul against the Amakekites.

GOD knows the difference between defense of self, family, or nation and deliberate murder. David didn't fool Him by having Joab arrange for Uriah to be killed in battle, and He held David responsible for that act, but He certainly didn't punish David for killing Goliath with his own hands.
 
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