by leavingwt 116 Replies latest jw friends
Aguest -- Thank you for your extensive comments.
In summary, a Christian must be a pacifist and he must reject self-defense?
I always sort of thought that "praying for your enemy" is praying that he doesn't attack you, so you don't have to blow his brains out. The blood would be on the attackers hands.
In summary, a Christian must be a pacifist and he must reject self-defense?
You asked... christians... if military service was wrong. I was permitted to respond... that it is not. You did not ask "Christians, what do you THINK about military service?"
I always sort of thought that "praying for your enemy" is praying that he doesn't attack you, so you don't have to blow his brains out. The blood would be on the attackers hands.
Obviously, dear LWT... you thought... wrong.
I bid you peace.
A slave of Christ,
SA
Aguest -- Thank you. I did not intend to offend you. I'm sincerely interested in what different ones have to say.
If someone comes to harm my family, it's "Praise Jesus and pass the ammo".
There are lives, and there are lives. An individual coming to do harm to the innocent is taking his own life in his hands. I will feel no guilt if I have to kill him to protect my innocents.
BTS
Hello LWT,
Here's is a passage to bear in mind from the ESV Study Bible and study notes
Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you r will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Rom. 13:4 Governing authorities are God's servants and carry out his wrath on evildoers, and they do so for your good. Even though Christians must not take personal revenge (12:17–20), it is right for them to turn punishment over to the civil authorities, who have the responsibility to punish evil. The reference to the sword most likely refers to the penalty of capital punishment (cf. Gen. 9:6).
I haven't thought about the issue much but was it right to war against Hitler in WWII? IMHO, undoubtedly.
I agree with the ESV notes here once again
Luke 6:29
29 To one who w strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic [1] either.
Luke 6:29 strikes you on the cheek. An insulting slap (cf. note on Matt. 5:39). Offer the other also is not intended as a command for every circumstance (Luke 6:30) but is a vivid illustration of how love for one's enemies should look. This verse should not be understood as a prohibition against governments using military or police force, since in this context Jesus is addressing individual conduct. takes away your cloak. The point of both examples is that, even though believers will often be subject to abuse or taken advantage of, they are to face such rejection differently from the world, that is, by being generous and compassionate rather than retaliating.
The WT take this teaching to the nth degree and totally distort it, as they do other NT teachings, 1 Corinthians 5 etc.
Blessings,
Stephen
Aguest -- Thank you. I did not intend to offend you. I'm sincerely interested in what different ones have to say.
Oh, no, dear LWT (again, peace to you!)... I thought it was I who offended YOU (though I wasn't exactly sure how, but that is sometimes neither here nor there on this board)... and that was not my intention at all! I only intended to respond to what you asked. I did think that perhaps you were being a bit sarcastic with "I always sort of thought that "praying for your enemy" is praying that he doesn't attack you, so you don't have to blow his brains out..." and so wouldn't mind if I commented, truthfully but candidly, on that. But no, you did not offend me at all!
Peace to you!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
Let's go back 200 yrs. Is it wrong for Christians to be in the U.S. Military and massacre native american indians, including women and children? Good grief, more times than not in situations of war, the Christian is going to be put in a situation he shouldn't be in.
BTW.....I am not a Christian anymore and have nothing against military service.
Think About It
I like what leavingwt said about how if a country would not defend itself in any way, it would cease to exist. I think our country and the freedoms we have would cease to exist quickly, if it became known that we would not respond in any way to an incursion by another country.
Most Christians, Catholic and Protestant, have for a long time generally subscribed to Augustine's theory of just war. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/septemberweb-only/9-17-55.0.html Of course several denominations are pacifist.
Chalam -- Thank you for those verses/perspective.
Aguest -- I'm definitely guilty of using a little sarcasm, here and there. I'm enjoying your perspective. Thank you.
Think About It -- There are certainly specific engagements that we could point to and agree would be unjustified/wrong.
AuntBee -- Thank you for that link. Good to see you on the board!
Once upon a time Dwight, the son of a devout Bible Student/JW, rebelled against his mother's religion and went to West Point instead of dedicating his life to J. F. Rutherford's organization. Later he led the Allied armies that defeated Hitler's Wehrmacht and liberated the concentration camps where Witnesses were being held. How many more innocent lives would have been lost if General Eisenhower did not take up arms to oppose an evil madman?
GLT
