What do you think of this article?

Question

The Christian view of war has changed throughout the history of the faith.

The early church (the first 300 years) was strongly pacifist. Origen said that Christians "do not go forth as soldiers". Tertullian wrote "only without the sword can the Christian wage war: for the Lord has abolished the sword." Clement of Alexandria wrote "...he who holds the sword must cast it away and that if one of the faithful becomes a soldier he must be rejected by the Church, for he has scorned God

TeeM · Answer

To be a Christian, one must be like Christ.

Jesus commanded us to love our enemy, not to wage war on our enemies.

The world will do what it wants, and Satan will put into power the one he chooses. (Luke 4:6)

Thus there is no such person as a 'christian solder'. Only a man fighting another man because of man made institutions.

Miss quoting Eccl ch 3, doesn't mean God wants us to go out and kill our fellow man.

The time for war is not a man's war, but God's war at Armageddon, when God will destroy all man made governments and their armies, from the Commander in Chief to the lowly private.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Edit to David:

You are striving to use it to prove it is acceptable for a Christian to go to war.

That is NOT what it is teaching. Thus you are miss quoting the verse.

The context is that God's people the Israelites could and should fight or go to war to defend their country, because Jehovah had given them this land.

And Jehovah promised to fight with them and for them.  Thus their wars had Jehovah's support.

Christians on the other hand do not have a literal country to defend, since they are located NOT in ONE country but in all countries.

Thus Jehovah isn't fighting for any country today, because he had promised to destroy all the governments of this world at Armageddon.

According to your own example, you have christian solders fighting other christian solders, over a man made government.

Christians killing christians in the name of God. This is the epitome of hypocrisy.

In the expression 'for God and Country' most would be surprised to find out, the God in this expression is Satan, for Satan is the ruler of the world.

Jehovah's viewpoint of those in the armies of this world is found at Revelation

(Revelation 19:17, 18) “17 I saw also an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice and said to all the birds that fly in midheaven: “Come here, be gathered together to the great evening meal of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of military commanders and the flesh of strong men and the flesh of horses and of those seated on them, and the flesh of all, of freemen as well as of slaves and of small ones and great.””

.

Doug · Answer

The relatively powerless have always seen fit to sue for peace, rather than wage war. Nothing wrong with that. But times and circumstances change. If they didn't, you would probably be speaking German, Japanese, or Russian, right now.

David · Answer

Ever read Ecclesiastes?  It says some good words on the subject.
  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.
 
Christians certainly do go to war and without Christian soldiers, Hitler would have won WWII.

Would you prefer that had happened, Rolando?

Nous · Answer

Biblical wars.
Crusades.
Dark ages.
Reformation.

Stalin was raised a Catholic and controlled the Russian Orthodox Church – in the top ten of Christian denominations. Lenin was a baptised member of the Russian Orthodox Church and never ventured to go beyond the opinion that the Church and the clergy were part of the ruling classes, - Marx was a lifelong Christian and is buried in Highgate cemetery in London. Russia has always been Christian which is why St Basil’s Cathedral is at the heart of the Kremlin!
Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord. - Adolf Hitler

My feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter.
- Adolf Hitler

As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice... And if there is anything which could demonstrate that we are acting rightly it is the distress that daily grows. For as a Christian I have also a duty to my own people. - Adolf Hitler

George W Bush started FIVE wars in less than eight years stating each time that it was his "God Given Duty” and in 2001 even called it a Crusade!

Not his duty to the electors!

Not his duty to America!

Just his duty to keep slaughtering heathens for his god!

Look at all the terrible intolerance, hatred, bigotry, homophobia and persecution posted by Christians towards others!

A Yahoo User · Answer

When I read the Bible
I see Jesus did not eschew the use of violence
and that he counseled on one occasion that his followers equip themselves with swords.

So:
what wacky ideas Origen (who was really wacky in his religious beliefs) came up with
or Tertullian or Clement (who were not wacky as far as I know)
or anyone else living under the thumb of an oppressive Empire
are probably not relevant to most modern Christians (because most of them do not live under similar circumstances).

I find it interesting
that you quote Tertullian in support of your beliefs
as his is the oldest-known description of the doctrine of trinity.

Do you consider him a reliable source on Christian doctrine?
And if not...why cite him?

Juli · Answer

I love when you JWs cherry pick irrelevant articles to support your teachings.

Read your bible and see the many scriptures promoting war.

Romans 13:1-7 ESV
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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 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 will receive his approval, 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. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. .

Jea · Answer

Christians are a very confused lot.  
When you depend on your imagination for your "reality", you can not expect it to match any other's notion.  That is why there are millions of gods, because millions of different people are pretending god, and all pretend differently.
Those of us who value reality, don't have that problem.  A fact remains a fact, no matter your opinion that is doesn't.  Reality backs the atheist position 100%.  It is why we aren't confused.

Should&#39;ve been you · Answer

What is the current Christian view of war?  Also, would you happen to have a link to the article?

Jeff · Answer

christians love to kill people in the name of their god-creature.
that's why they talk in those terms.  it's why they have so much
goddam hatred for anyone else on the planet.

What do you think of this article?

9 Answers