Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.~We are supposed to turn the other cheek.
~We are supposed to overcome evil with good.
~Jesus never took up arms against an unjust anything.
~Paul never defended himself with arms.
~Jesus stopped Peter from defending Him with a sword.
~Can show me the place in the Bible where Jesus tells people to take up arms?
~Early Christians taught that if a soldier was born again, he should leave the army.
~How does killing someone deliberately honor the idea that God created that person in His own image?
~When you think of Jesus, do you think of Him riding the .50 on a Blackhawk?
~Who would Jesus bomb?
~To take someone’s life is to destroy someone who can actually and potentially praise God. This, therefore, robs God of praise that is due to Him.
~If Jesus didn’t overturn the Roman Empire, what form of government deserves to be fought with arms?
~We do not wage war against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers.
~It’s impossible to think that a country will look at its own warfare and say, “Hey, maybe we’re in the wrong here.” Hence Just War Theory never actually works in real life to restrain warfare.
~Who loves warfare? What sort of person? How is it that the most sinful, vengeful, hating person can wind up being in agreement with supposed Christians on something as significant as this?
~Life is sacred, therefore taking a life is desecrating God’s image in people.
~You can’t be pro-war and pro-life at the same time.
~When has anyone ever looked at warfare in reality and been overwhelmed with the impulse to worship God because of the beauty of the thing he beheld?
~How many action movies have profanity and sexuality in them?
Response:
Romans 13 and the purpose of government
~This means that individuals and governments are ontologically different sorts of entities.
~What’s necessary for the state would be wrong for the individual
~Taxing would be theft
~Jail would be kidnapping
~Warfare would be murder.
Bible notes
~In a nation populated by Christians, it would be very odd to say that only the non-Christian could be in the military or government and wield those powers. But that’s the logical conclusion any pacifist must hold.
~Obviously, God called people to wage war in the Old Testament, including David, Abraham, Gideon, and Joshua, notably.
Is there a Christian way to wage war?
~Well, like so many other things, the key isn’t that you must not do it, but that will inevitably do it in a way different from the world when you do it God’s way.
~That’s how Just War Theory came about. As a way of codifying Christian principles into the times and methods of war conduct.
~We realize that the New Testament tells us precious little about how to run a government by Christian principles. ~Therefore, they key is to do things differently, not necessarily to not do them at all.
~Principles that apply to warfare: Humility, Patience, Respect, Prayer, Self-criticism, Faith in God, Mercy
Just War Theory:
Jus ad Bellum (Justice of the War)
~Just cause for going to war
~Right intentions in going to war
~Public declaration of war by a constituted authority
~Good achieved outweigh evil incurred
~All means of resolution been exhausted prior to war
Jus in Bello (Justice of the Warfare)
~Discrimination between combatants and non-combatants
~Means proportional to ends
~Means relevant to ends
~Minimum force principleAlways be aimed at achieving peace
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