The question of whether it is right for a Christian to go to war has been with us for a very, very long time. Believers as early as the second century were against taking part in the army.
I have heard some very good arguments for Christians being good citizens and defending their country. I realise that there's a difference between killing and murder. I do sympathise with people who are made to go through a horrendous legal battle because they've killed someone in defence of their own life, or that of their family.
So where do I stand? I would not want to own a gun, even to use for self defence. I think I'd prefer to be killed than to kill (I said "I think" -- if I were really faced with that choice, it's hard to say how I'd see things). Because the Bible, particlulary in the Noahide Law, specifies that a murderer should be put to death, I do agree with the ethics of capital punishment. However, I would have problems with shooting someone to kill just because they're on the wrong side in a military conflict. On the other hand, I also don't know how the world Jewish population could have been saved had someone not gone to war against Hitler.
Having said all that, Scott McKnight has a compelling argument for Pasivism.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
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2 comments:
Would you shoot someone who was trying to kill your family?
I'm absolutely possitive I wouldn't if I didn't have a gun.
If the intent of your question was, "would I kill someone who was trying to kill my family?" If the only way to stop them from killing my family was to kill them first, I would probably be more likely to do so than if only my own life was at stake.
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