• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Can a Christian support war?

Pegg

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
Vinayaka said:
@ Pegg .. Do you pay taxes?
Click to expand...

yes of course. Paying dues does not mean one has to pledge allegiance to the country and support its decisions or vote to elect its representatives'

If i visit an overseas country, i have to pay their taxes too...but im not expected to vote or support their campaigns.
 
P

Protester

Active Member
Pegg said:
yes of course. Paying dues does not mean one has to pledge allegiance to the country and support its decisions or vote to elect its representatives'

If i visit an overseas country, i have to pay their taxes too...but im not expected to vote or support their campaigns.
Click to expand...

...to get that out of the way, What does the Bible say about war? so Christians may support a war, that is not the same as individual killing.

Of interest, during the Vietnam War, if a person was a resident of this country he could get drafted and some did! I know a British fellow who after the required Basic Training went back to Britain. I wonder if he ever stepped foot into this country again. :run:

Easton Dictionary:

WAR:
The Israelites had to take possession of the Promised Land by conquest. They had to engage in a long and bloody war before the Canaanitish tribes were finally subdued. Except in the case of Jericho and Ai, the war did not become aggressive till after the death of Joshua. Till then the attack was always first made by the Canaanites. Now the measure of the iniquity of the Canaanites was full, and Israel was employed by God to sweep them away from off the face of the earth. In entering on this new stage of the war, the tribe of Judah, according to divine direction, took the lead. In the days of Saul and David the people of Israel engaged in many wars with the nations around, and after the division of the kingdom into two they often warred with each other. They had to defend themselves also against the inroads of the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. The whole history of Israel from first to last presents but few periods of peace. The Christian life is represented as a warfare, and the Christian graces are also represented under the figure of pieces of armour (Eph. 6:11-17; 1 Thess. 5:8; 2 Tim. 2:3, 4). The final blessedness of believers is attained as the fruit of victory (Rev. 3:21).
 
P

Protester

Active Member
CynthiaCypher said:
So killing on a massive scale excuses it?
Click to expand...

For example, if a person murders someone this is a killing, if that person is guilty and is found guilty and is executed that is not murder but just punishment.

What does the Bible say about the death penalty / capital punishment?

There are instances when capital punishment and wars are called for. Wars should always be of last resort, but a greater evil would have happened if the Axis powers weren't stopped in WWII (and for the self-centered, it was in America's interest to do so, besides from a more general viewpoint) The Korean War was also a just war, just think of the difference of the lives of the North vs those in South Korea?
That is why those who most affirm Judeo-Christian values believe that war, while always tragic, is on more than a few occasions a moral duty. Nothing "Judeo" ever sanctioned pacifism. Of course, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah yearned for the day that nations will beat their swords into plowshares. But another Hebrew prophet, Joel, who is never cited by those who wish to read the secular value of pacifism into the Bible, said precisely the opposite: "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'"
As Dennis Prager put it in -- What does "Judeo-Christian" mean?
That is why those who most affirm Judeo-Christian values believe that war, while always tragic, is on more than a few occasions a moral duty. Nothing "Judeo" ever sanctioned pacifism. Of course, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah yearned for the day that nations will beat their swords into plowshares. But another Hebrew prophet, Joel, who is never cited by those who wish to read the secular value of pacifism into the Bible, said precisely the opposite: "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'"
That is why those who most affirm Judeo-Christian values believe that war, while always tragic, is on more than a few occasions a moral duty. Nothing "Judeo" ever sanctioned pacifism. Of course, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah yearned for the day that nations will beat their swords into plowshares. But another Hebrew prophet, Joel, who is never cited by those who wish to read the secular value of pacifism into the Bible, said precisely the opposite: "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'"
 
D

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
What's ironic is that many Christians do support war.
Then again, war might be necessary in self defense of a country, so, it's a bit more complicated then what the wording of the OP implies.
 
Reverend Rick

Reverend Rick

Frubal Whore
Premium Member
disciple said:
What's ironic is that many Christians do support war.
Then again, war might be necessary in self defense of a country, so, it's a bit more complicated then what the wording of the OP implies.
Click to expand...
I think what your saying is there is just and unjust wars.
 
-Peacemaker-

-Peacemaker-

.45 Cal
Ecclesiastes 3: 1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

War is a part of our broken world. The Christian can only try to be on the side of the just
 
Last edited:
nnmartin

nnmartin

Well-Known Member
Protester said:
The Korean War was also a just war, just think of the difference of the lives of the North vs those in South Korea?
Click to expand...

1. How could people at the time of the Korean War possibly know how the North and South would end up in the future?

2. Who gets to decide on the quality of life here?
Korea was a political war so why should God favour one side over the other.

Vietnam is similar here - would God have justified this war to stop the spread of Communism?

If so, then why not invade China, Cuba, or the SU?
 
nnmartin

nnmartin

Well-Known Member
surely the government decides, and in that case God, because He supposedly puts the govt in power.

So if God puts Saddam Hussein in power and also George Bush - why would He want them to fight each other?
 
Pegg

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
Junglej25 said:
War is a part of our broken world. The Christian can only try to be on the side of the just
Click to expand...

and when each side believes they are the good side? Who's side do you choose?

And if the other side has christians of the same denomination as you, do you go to war knowing full well that you will be required to kill a fellow christian?

There is no logic in a christian supporting or joining an army for war. It is completely against Christs command to love your enemies. And it is completely against Gods law to love your fellow man. Anyone who thinks they can be a christian and support war are fooling themselves and need to wake up spiritually!
 
Pegg

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
nnmartin said:
surely the government decides, and in that case God, because He supposedly puts the govt in power.

So if God puts Saddam Hussein in power and also George Bush - why would He want them to fight each other?
Click to expand...


The scriptures tell us that God permits human rulership....it doesnt say he governs them.
Rather, the scriptures are clear that God does not want human rulership and he will not allow it to exist indefinately:
Jeremiah 10:23 I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step

Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite;


Human rulership is opposed to Gods rulership. Thats why he will remove them and those who support them. When that day comes we want to hope that we are people who support Gods rulership because if we dont, we will not stand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top