Can you be a Christian Soldier?

[GojuBrian]

First of all, thankyou and to all servicemembers. Doing what some won't. You are brave and courageous and make great sacrifices for your fellow man.

It has come to my "shocked" attention that some folks believe you cannot be a soldier and a christian. :crazy

I'm here to tell you some of the best christians I ever knew are OR were soldiers.

Who was the first Gentile baptised by Peter? Cornelius.
What did he do? He was a soldier. ta-da!!

http://www.martinrothonline.com/MRCC28.htm

Reverend Major General Ian Durie has examined many stories of serving soldiers in Scripture, and has concluded:
We clearly see from the New Testament that soldiering is an honourable profession, but one which has to be conducted in a right way….Our Lord and the apostles (our model church leaders) approved then, as they approve now, the profession of soldier….Soldiering is an honourable profession, to which men and women of faith are called.

But don’t soldiers kill? Yes, they do. As Major General Durie explains:



There is a tendency…not to trust that God has appointed us to be soldiers, nor that soldiering has our Lord’s approval, and is a high calling under God. And when we don’t trust Him for that, when we don’t offer this part of our lives in worship to God, when we take off Christ as we put our uniforms on, then we abandon Him when we have a gun in our hand, at the time that we need Him most. Do you see that? It’s a matter of life and death, and at that supreme test we need God’s guidance more than at any other time.
So don’t be blind….Because as a Christian, if you are not ready to kill if need be, and approve of it, then you should not be a soldier. For myself, I know that in the Gulf War I was responsible for the deaths probably of hundreds, maybe thousands of Iraqi soldiers. I did what I believed was right under God, but I also know that at the last day I am answerable before Him for my actions there.

I recall C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity:
I have often thought to myself how it would have been if, when I served in the first world war, I and some young German had killed each other simultaneously and found ourselves together a moment after death. I cannot imagine that either of us would have felt any resentment or even any embarrassment. I think we might have laughed over it.

“It is always wrong to use force, unless it is more wrong not to.â€

If you agree with this, please speak out! Our soldiers go through enough without being persecuted by those calling themselves christians. "Onward Christian Soldier!"

 

[shad]

Who was the first Gentile baptised by Peter? Cornelius.
What did he do? He was a soldier. ta-da!!

You can come to Christ with your sinful condition but after accepting Him we have to change our life styles to His teachings and commandments.

 

[jasoncran]

Who was the first Gentile baptised by Peter? Cornelius.
What did he do? He was a soldier. ta-da!!

You can come to Christ with your sinful condition but after accepting Him we have to change our life styles to His teachings and commandments.

shad , then why is there no command to cornelius given to repent from being a centurion or any other soldier that was spoken to by the lord.

if the centurion( a gentile) that asked and beleived the lord to heal his his serveants son, then why did the lord just say repent and cease being a soldier? instead he said this, in fact he even marvelled! no there no great faith found in isreal, why? the soldier know that he was under authority, and spoke and others did, and knew that the lord was commisioned by the father to reach the lost and heal etc. and had such power to speak the word.

centurions were much harder then i am on soldier sleepin guard duty, then it was death! today its ucmj(pay taken).

 

[ProphetMark]

Of course you can be a christian soldier. Haven't you ever heard the hymn "Onward christian soldiers"? ;)

 

[GojuBrian]

Of course you can be a christian soldier. Haven't you ever heard the hymn "Onward christian soldiers"? ;)

I might have. Did you read the last line in my post? :D

 

[Drew]

Who was the first Gentile baptised by Peter? Cornelius.
What did he do? He was a soldier. ta-da!!

Probably not a good argument. You seem to implicitly assume that the fact that Peter baptized Cornelius means that he (Peter) approved of Cornelius' profession.

I suggest that when John was baptizing people, the act signified the beginning of a process of repentance, not the end. I suspect that John baptized a lot of people who, at the point of baptism, were engaged in all sorts of sinful activities.

This is not an argument against the legitimacy of a Christian being a soldier, it is an argument against the notion that Peter's baptizing of Cornelius entailed an implicit endorsement of the legitimacy of being a soldier.

 

[Drew]

Of course you can be a christian soldier. Haven't you ever heard the hymn "Onward christian soldiers"? ;)

Again, probably not a good argument. There are many hymns that are technically "heresy" in the sense that they embody all sorts of ideas that conflict with what is in Scripture. Example: there are several hymns which celebrate an eternal disembodied existence in heaven, whereas scripture teaches that the believer's stay in heaven will be temporary, and will be followed by an eternal embodied life in a resurrection body.

So hymns are not foolproof authoritative sources in respect to matters of Christian doctrine.

 

[GojuBrian]

So your position that certain points of my statement are "probably not good arguments" ?

oooooookkkkaaayyyyyyyyy.......... :nag

 

[jasoncran]

then why didnt the lord tell the romans soldiers that asked him a question not to be a roman soldier but to but not to treat a man roughly?

odd if that means they cant be soldier. more likely it means be fair and treat the enemy captives with dignity and also not to harass the local populace without cause. keep in mind that the romans then were also the law itself! to a limited extent.

 

[Drew]

then why didnt the lord tell the romans soldiers that asked him a question not to be a roman soldier but to but not to treat a man roughly.

One encounters this kind of "if X is really sin, why didn't Jesus tell everyone who did X to stop doing X" thinking a fair bit.

If Jesus, or Paul, or whoever, took time to rebuke every sinful person they encountered, they would never do anything else.

 

[shad]

Of course you can be a christian soldier. Haven't you ever heard the hymn "Onward christian soldiers"? ;)

All Christians are supposed to be soldiers because they are fighting against Satan on a daily bases.

You should get the fact straight.

 

[shad]

then why didnt the lord tell the romans soldiers that asked him a question not to be a roman soldier but to but not to treat a man roughly.

One encounters this kind of "if X is really sin, why didn't Jesus tell everyone who did X to stop doing X" thinking a fair bit.

If Jesus, or Paul, or whoever, took time to rebuke every sinful person they encountered, they would never do anything else.

An excellent insight and point.

 

[jasoncran]

so drew then, answer me this where does is say in the bible we are to be doctors, after all, where is our faith then, if we go to a man and not unto the lord.

i know the answer so drew God only uses natural means to heal doesnt he. show the verse on that.

he can use what means he wants, miraclous or natural.

then theres this, romans 13 , drew, what is that sword, and who yields it? the serveant that God allows to. so only the heathen can wield that sword? would you then extend that to the office of politician? hmm the guys that control the army or any military. what of voting, after all if we cant be politician, then why vote, after all sometimes the best way to do it is to do it yourself.that is if you want it done right. add cop while were at it, after the military often teaches and trains cops in a lot of things.

the national guard not the police most of the time along with other agencies does the large drug busts.ncis, that isnt just a show. they do counter terrorism.

but you will say, no. we can run form govts then what, the sinner is just gonna go wow, and i'm gonna surrender and not be the devil and greedy. and so on.

please drew, really that's lame.


what good is it so send all manner of missionary then let the local marauders kill them when they dish out the food and water. that has happened in hait at times.



but oh wait somehow the lord will provide, yup with heathen sinners as the protection. so we can be doctor. but not the means to which god contains evil, but we can be his hands in the natural means of healing, that real consisitent.


so we can have vengeful sinners that torture captives but not have godly men who treat them
(the captives) with fairness. so we protest and thats it? no real mens to have a more effective means of containing evil.in the need arises.

 

[r3skyline]

very interesting. im planning on joining the army (probably reserves now at this point for my particular MOS) and was wondering the same things for quite a few years.

also, this country is supposedly founded thru God, but yet....it (the country) fails in so many ways...

 

[jasoncran]

very interesting. im planning on joining the army (probably reserves now at this point for my particular MOS) and was wondering the same things for quite a few years.

also, this country is supposedly founded thru God, but yet....it (the country) fails in so many ways...

google the movie sgt york and that has a good support for the need for christians in war.sgt york was a heathen and on his way to kill a man , yet lightning struck the gun in hand but not the horse he was on or him, he repented, and then when ww1 started he was hesistant to join but upon the reading of the christian history of the american nation in the defense of the innocents( yes we have lusted and took territories without proper cause or reason)but was these wars unjust. the civil war(for freedom of slaves) and the the wars of 1812, and also the revoluntary war(our freedom) and the defense of our nation the spanish american war.

do we get rid of the idea of marriage because men and women have divorced or gays marry?or the idea of govt because men have abused it. i think not.

 

[Drew]

so drew then, answer me this where does is say in the bible we are to be doctors, after all, where is our faith then, if we go to a man and not unto the lord.

I have no idea what you are getting at.

then theres this, romans 13 , drew, what is that sword, and who yields it? the serveant that God allows to. so only the heathen can wield that sword? would you then extend that to the office of politician? hmm the guys that control the army or any military. what of voting, after all if we cant be politician, then why vote, after all sometimes the best way to do it is to do it yourself.that is if you want it done right. add cop while were at it, after the military often teaches and trains cops in a lot of things.

In Romans 13, Paul tells the Christian that they are to obey the state.

This, of course, is not an endorsment of participating in all the activities of the state. So, I do not see what your argument is here.

please drew, really that's lame.

Again, I have no idea what you are talking about.

The way of the gospel is not the way of the sword - you do not defeat the enemy by picking up his own tools and using them against him.

 

[seekandlisten]

Sometimes I think it's as simple as understanding the difference between motive and action as to where someone stands on an issue. Obviously you can have a 'Christian' soldier as well as a 'secular' soldier so where does the difference come in? Can a 'Christian' kill? Some will say no some will say yes given the 'right' circumstances. If you become a soldier so that you can legally kill people you don't like, well your motives may be a little different than the the soldier who joins because he believes in what his country stands for and understands sometimes that is worth fighting for.


Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.

Ayn Rand

 

[jasoncran]

I have no idea what you are getting at.
we can go to a doctor according to you yet when we that believe in modern miracles and some that believe that dont believe in modern medicine , but pray you tell them that's hogwash. odd when we can easily trust god for our healing why not the same with the defense of the nation with you. if the lord according to you only heals via natural means, why cant we let the govt and take part in legit defense


then theres this, romans 13 , drew, what is that sword, and who yields it? the serveant that God allows to. so only the heathen can wield that sword? would you then extend that to the office of politician? hmm the guys that control the army or any military. what of voting, after all if we cant be politician, then why vote, after all sometimes the best way to do it is to do it yourself.that is if you want it done right. add cop while were at it, after the military often teaches and trains cops in a lot of things.
In Romans 13, Paul tells the Christian that they are to obey the state.

so when the man erastus(the city treasurer) gave money to the church in the book of ephesus that was ok, we can take the money from the govt employee but not work for it. odd reasoning


Again, I have no idea what you are talking about.

The way of the gospel is not the way of the sword - you do not defeat the enemy by picking up his own tools and using them against him.[/quote]
so the we shouldnt vote then, or use the the natural provisions of the goverrnment then. after all they way of the gospel isnt of this world. do you vote?


wait you dont accept the church and state seperation, so how then it applies only the real basic function of goverment, to contain evil and maintain and law and order?

 

[Nick]

Sometimes I think it's as simple as understanding the difference between motive and action as to where someone stands on an issue. Obviously you can have a 'Christian' soldier as well as a 'secular' soldier so where does the difference come in? Can a 'Christian' kill? Some will say no some will say yes given the 'right' circumstances. If you become a soldier so that you can legally kill people you don't like, well your motives may be a little different than the the soldier who joins because he believes in what his country stands for and understands sometimes that is worth fighting for.

I say "yes" to Christian soldiers, if done for the right reasons.

 

[Pard]

I'd postulate if one can be a soldier and NOT have a deeply rooted faith in God, such as the one all real Christians have.

To be a soldier you have to willingly put your life on the line for your country, your family, and sometimes even God. I do not know how someone could approach such a huge demand without faith and security in the Lord.