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Should a Christian go to war?

Lewis

Lewis

Member
Should a Christian go to war?
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http://carm.org/should-christian-go-war

This question has caused a lot of division in the body of Christ. Should a Christian go to war where he might kill other people when the Bible says to "turn the other cheek" (Luke 6:29)? Is it right to do war against others, or does the Bible forbid it?
 
oh here we go.

I think we should if we feel that is is for us and we are called to serve,not to mention that not all wars are just.
 
jasonc said:
oh here we go.

I think we should if we feel that is is for us and we are called to serve,not to mention that not all wars are just.
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So is a Christian in time of war authorized by God to kill another human, because Jason I was a hired hit man, when I was in the Army, and Jason you still are one.View attachment 4881
Same goes for a Christian cop
 
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Lewis W said:
Should a Christian go to war?

This question has caused a lot of division in the body of Christ. Should a Christian go to war where he might kill other people when the Bible says to "turn the other cheek" (Luke 6:29)? Is it right to do war against others, or does the Bible forbid it?
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I don't believe this has caused a lot of division in the body of Christ. A lot of grief, and turmoil, and distress, yes. And it has kept a lot of souls from finding heaven, most likely, although Yhvh does still keep His Word so that anyone who seeks Him will find Him, no matter what was their upbringing, culture, and so forth.

The closest group to the original disciples (ecclesia) that is disclosed from a study of history is the Anabaptists. They, like the disciples in the N.T. after Pentecost, would never raise a weapon to injure another person, and never to kill someone, not even by testimony in court if the verdict could be the death penalty.

The controversy is found in a multitude of human groups that are (many are) peace loving and willing to 'go along' with God and Scripture
until their 'government' (on earth) tells them that they are required now to go shoot at or bomb people when they are ordered to.
Then their 'conscience' (if it is rightly called that) sooner or later just gives up, either from peer pressure, governmental pressure, parental or sibling pressure, or financial pressure(needs).

The/ One simple unalterable proof is that all along there are always the (few) real believers who don't give up their conscience and they remain faithful and true even if they are humiliated, imprisoned, punished, court-martialed and even threatened with death, and even put to death. (see foxes book of martyrs).

http://www.biblebelievers.com/foxes/findex.htm
 
Matthew 8
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!


Note that Jesus didn't tell the centurion his occupation was a sin.
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Here's something else to take into consideration.


Romans 13
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

1 Peter 2
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Titus 3
3 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.



"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities."

"For this is the will of God."

If being in the military were a sin, God would be telling us to sin.


Think about it.
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I would like to speak about this a little further. The idea of Christians and war is debated. Yes we are taught to turn the other cheek but I do not believe Christ was inferring to be completely a pacifist as some would
believe. Jesus is God and if you read the Bible you find out that God is NOT a pacifist, he condoned wars at times (Think of David and Goliath) and will one day return to punish the wicked and create a new kingdom by using force on satan! I find it hard to believe God would want somebody to stand and watch while other's are killed and raped, in essence I believe you are part of the problem if you stand and do nothing.Yes we should love our enemy's, but even God condones our governments to carry the sword. As Gary stated above governments are from God it goes on to say even further.....


Romans 13:3-4 (NIV)

3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Some pacifists would say that a Christian has no place in government. That the governments are really suppose to be non-christians. But let me ask you this. If God condones the justification of law and goverment and the use of force ("The sword") as mentioned in Romans 13:4 and it was only meant to be directed for non-Christians, than he would be basically condoning sin, which he doesnt. Are we not all both believer and nonbeliever subjects to God's law, whether one accepts to believe it or not? I don't believe God's intention would be to have non-believers do a Christians dirty work. You should also read up on Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, he was a Roman soldier, a Centurion that appears to be the first gentile Christian mentioned in the Bible!

my two cents..
Adam
Former USMC Sgt. Iraq and Afghan war vet.
 
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I won't be caught by surprise...'cause HE communicates to HIS Children what to do at difficult times - just that very few pay attention to the Still Small Voice.
 
We live in the real world folks. People kill and people are being killed. This whole idea that turning the other cheek means to allow another to abuse you is not biblical.
As another poster brought up, David lived in the real world. A world threatened by war and death through war.
For you pacifists, wrestle with this. Why did God command Joshua to lead Israel into the promise land with war? Don't you know that God commanded every man, woman and child killed when those walls came tumbling down?
 
Classik said:
We are attacked because we refused to Obey God.

What else? We try to be on the defensive - and try to justify it.
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While I agree with this, read Daniel and you will see God uses non fearing Gentiles to war with other non fearing gentiles to the restoration of His people. Look at Cyrus who worshipped Molech.
 
Although Amalek is a representation of the fight the LORD has with the flesh from generation to generation, it is also in fact the illustration of how God also involves us in the battle. I read where many do not have the opportunity of receiving Jesus as their Savior due to being taken in war, but I might suggest there were a great many fox hole conversions also.

1Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1 Sam 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
 
Classik said:
We are attacked because we refused to Obey God.

What else? We try to be on the defensive - and try to justify it.
Click to expand...

yes, good. the same thing happened to Moses and Yhvh's People. remember when Yhvh delivered them from slavery, "When Moses himself was faced with war and was fleeing from Pharaoh, and was trapped at the Red Sea, Yah ordered him not to fight, but to stand still and see the power of God. Yah opened the Red Sea, and when Pharaoh tried to pursue Moses, God fought against Pharaoh and destroyed Pharaoh and his army."

Yahweh said "the battle is mine" more than once.

but man loves war. the Scripture says why somewhere in the N.T. but none of the believers in the N.T. pursued war. (that's an understatement, btw).

the centurion, when he became a follower of Yeshua, trusting his life to Yhvh as a "noble fellow",
is there any place written that he hurt anyone after that ?

the Scriptures have been used, the name of Christ has been used, to kill and murder for thousands of years, but not by believers faithfully following Yhvh in Yeshua.

so, there is a lot of 'support' to go to war, and even for other violence "in the name of god".

but not from Yhvh. Yhvh fights the battle. let Him.

things are getting worse and worse and worse daily. when does it end ? when Israel or the usa 'wins' ? ? no. when Israel is on the verge of losing all. when Israel calls on Adonai ! when Yhvh executes His Word and His Judgment and stops the enemy in his tracks, totally. (read it in His Word; that's why He gave us His Word, to learn what is right).

there's someone's webpage , troberg, that explains how even in the O.T. Yhvh didn't do what people today say He did. (remember, man messed up everything). you might be able to find it if it's still available from searching what did moses teach about war. I don't know troberb's religion or purpose or life at all other than that one page.(i.e. don't/ didn't follow links to any other sites or pages). but it's really good about Moses etc for those who are peaceful in Yeshua HaMashiach and wonder about some of the O.T. 'violence'. there's a viewpoint that may help. may not. Yhvh knows.
 
I'm a Baby Christian, so I have no solid opinion, just....

War is terrible. I know, fairly inane observation. And sometimes I get the impression that wars are often used to pump up the economy, drum up votes, get resources, etc., while putting peoples' lives at risk. I'm not saying every war is "unjust," I'm just saying...war seems like a way for the elites to get what they want while sacrificing the lives of those lower on the totem pole.

Also, sometimes I get concerned with how the armed forces in the US treats their people. I'm no expert on the whole thing, but it seems that a lot of vets walk away wounded and traumatized without much in the way of a support network or resources to deal with post-war life. Maybe I'm wrong. I mean, horror stories hit the presses because they're shocking. I don't know how the average soldier fares, honestly.

I'm also concerned that sometimes Christians are encouraged to be a little too supportive of the state. I'm not saying we should all question everything, all the time, but critical thinking is certainly a good thing.
 
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