medicSTi

iTrader: (22)

I definitely don't agree with all that our country does and I doubt that anyone can say that they do. However, I do believe that we are to defend the defenseless and oppose those who oppress with careful consideration and caution. I haven't done a focus study on war in the Bible yet, so I used a Christian resource to get a biblical answer for the question of war. So, here's what I've got.

Question: "What does the Bible say about war?"

Answer: Many people make the mistake of reading what the Bible says in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not kill,” and then seeking to apply this command to war. However, the Hebrew word literally means “the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice; murder.” God often ordered the Israelites to go to war with other nations (1 Samuel 15:3; Joshua 4:13). God ordered the death penalty for numerous crimes (Exodus 21:12, 15; 22:19; Leviticus 20:11). So, God is not against killing in all circumstances, but only murder. War is never a good thing, but sometimes it is a necessary thing. In a world filled with sinful people (Romans 3:10-18), war is inevitable. Sometimes the only way to keep sinful people from doing great harm to the innocent is by going to war.

In the Old Testament, God ordered the Israelites to “take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites” (Numbers 31:2). Deuteronomy 20:16-17 declares, “However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them…as the LORD your God has commanded you.” Also, 1 Samuel 15:18 says, “Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.” Obviously God is not against all war. Jesus is always in perfect agreement with the Father (John 10:30), so we cannot argue that war was only God’s will in the Old Testament. God does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).

Jesus’ second coming will be exceedingly violent. Revelation 19:11-21 describes the ultimate war with Christ, the conquering commander who judges and makes war “with justice” (v. 11). It’s going to be bloody (v. 13) and gory. The birds will eat the flesh of all those who oppose Him (v. 17-18). He has no compassion upon His enemies, whom He will conquer completely and consign to a “fiery lake of burning sulfur” (v. 20).

It is an error to say that God never supports a war. Jesus is not a pacifist. In a world filled with evil people, sometimes war is necessary to prevent even greater evil. If Hitler had not been defeated by World War II, how many more millions would have been killed? If the American Civil War had not been fought, how much longer would African-Americans have had to suffer as slaves?

War is a terrible thing. Some wars are more “just” than others, but war is always the result of sin (Romans 3:10-18). At the same time, Ecclesiastes 3:8 declares, “There is…a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” In a world filled with sin, hatred, and evil (Romans 3:10-18), war is inevitable. Christians should not desire war, but neither are Christians to oppose the government God has placed in authority over them (Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:17). The most important thing we can be doing in a time of war is to be praying for godly wisdom for our leaders, praying for the safety of our military, praying for quick resolution to conflicts, and praying for a minimum of casualties among civilians on both sides (Philippians 4:6-7).

iLoqin

iTrader: (5)

God didn't give us the gift of crap. We developed this stuff to blow ourselves to hell =)

Superglue WRX

... in the name of peace.

I really don't see why this is news. I could care less what this company encodes on their sights. One side already made this a holy war, this hardly changes anything.

saqwarrior

It's completely different because their governments (or organization) don't have a principle of a separation of church and state. Ours supposedly does, and therein lies the conflict.

I would have thought that distinction would be obvious, especially to you. :P

saqwarrior

That is the worst kind of logic. "They did it first!"

The actions of others do not justify your own.

Superglue WRX

That's hardly the point. This was THEIR holy war already. How has anything changed?

Do you think the extremists read this and they all just said, "Oh, now they just made this personal! We were having a nice professional war until America got all religious up in this *****."

saqwarrior

What do you mean that's not the point? You said this:

I responded to it with this:

Seems pretty straightforward to me.

medicSTi

iTrader: (22)

The US' separation of church and state is laughable. The "separation of church and state" did not separate church and state, it merely changed from the Christian worldview being taught in school to the religion of Secular Humanism being taught in school. Both are worldviews which rely on faith; one is in God and the other in man

medicSTi

iTrader: (22)

Question (independent of the topic of war).

If actions don't justify action, then what justifies action and is action justifiable?

And if actions are not justifiable, what morally guides you to act?

medicSTi

iTrader: (22)

I don't think that putting bible verses on the gun sights would necessarily classify the war as a holy war... Rather, I think that it would be considered a holy war as a result of the motives for both parties going to war with one another.

I understand the point you were making based on the quotations. I'm just lending my logic to the idea behind making a war a holy war lol.

sigma pi

iTrader: (6)

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktl...,6800303.story

Shayhan27

iTrader: (4)

I wonder how many muslims drink out of in n out cups here in California. They have bible verses inscribed on the bottom of the cups. I dont see anyone going all midevil on them... Who cares ecoding scripture into serial numbers. Its thier product. We bought it. You all want to have a right and wrong about war start a new thred. Oh wait been done. I personally think what they did with the sights is kinda cool.

Superglue WRX

OK, maybe I need to clarify.

This was already a holy war for most of the combatants before this news broke correct?

Do the little bible references on our weapons change that? I submit that it does not. If this somehow changes the direction or strategy of the war (either one) I would like to hear it.

Superglue WRX

65MPH

I know many Muslims myself and none of them seem to care, one of them even said it to me, that this should be an openly Christian country and there is nothing wrong with it. After all the majority of people who have done the dying happened to be of that faith and there values and faith should not be discounted. Ofcourse there are crazies in every religon but no one should deny the part Chrsitanity has played in this countries advancement.

I really think that people give to much attention to religon and not enough to the people following it, a few crazy Christians make the religon look bad, when in fact the said religon has done many good things for humanity specially in recent times.