A Christian perspective on warfare: Soldiers are vulnerable human beings too, and should be viewed a
Letter to the Editor: Gary Simmons
In response to “Murder verses fight for life,” Oct. 30.
Please allow me to begin by listing the concerns found in last week’s article, as I perceive them:
1. The way the citizenry treats those who have suffered or run the risk of suffering severe harm or death on their behalf.
2. The continued remembrance and reverence of America’s founding, and its connection to faith/freedom of expression.
3. The continued autonomy of America and freedom of expression for Christianity, as a virtue unto itself to be defended even by violent means.
As to the first: it is truly sad some would react so hatefully in the name of not killing. Did Jesus not equate hatred with murder? As such, those protesters your father mentioned are a shameful paradox.
However, one must ask how many soldiers join(ed) the military for altruistic reasons, such as defense of God and country, and how many instead joined due to drafting or the significant benefits toward college or retirement.
How heroic are our soldiers…really?
I do not question the motives or heart of your father, but I think we idealize our soldiers as the bravest, strongest, most noble people ever to walk the face of the earth…and that’s a problem.
While soldiers do die in war, and in the split second when their life flashes before their eyes, I’m quite sure many of them come to peace with the fact they’re dying for their country and loved ones.
However, that is significantly different from the soldiers going to war with the express intent and purpose of dying that sacrificial death.
It is a gross misperception to refer to soldiers in any Messianic fashion, likening them to Jesus going to Jerusalem with the express intent to die.
Here is an excerpt from Toby Keith’s “American Soldier”:
“And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price, I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice. Oh, and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me, I’ll bear that cross with an honor, ‘cause freedom don’t come free.”
This song really bothers me. Compare it to Luke 14:25-35.
My view of soldiers, you ask? They are people, people ensnared in a mind-set saying war is not murder.
As such, I look on them with compassion, instead of hate, though I will share my pacifistic views when I feel it would make a positive impact without dehumanizing them or disrespecting the fact that they, however erroneously, put themselves at risk for my well-being.
As to the second concern: America actually rebelled against Britain for a variety of reasons. However, the campaign slogan is known to us even today: “taxation without representation!”
The Civil War did pit families against one another in a very Micah 7:6-esque fashion. I would give everything I have to never have such violent enmity with members of my family. No amount of money is worth the cost of human life—especially that of one’s own family members!
As to the founding fathers of America: they were active in the Christian community. If you actually look at their writings, you find they are not Christian, per se, but vague deists.
Confer also Thomas Jefferson’s Bible, which removes all miraculous materials and reduces Jesus to just a few sayings, denying his Godhood. This country was ultimately not founded on Christianity.
And as to the third: Let’s look at Philippians for a moment. Philippi was given the rare privilege of equal treatment under Rome, as city, as far as Roman law was concerned. Along a good trade route, the city prospered.
While full-fledged emperor worship had not yet developed, the natural response to such good fortune would be to raise your glass in toast to Caesar, the bringer of such good fortune.
However, Paul preemptively curbed such patriotism before it evolved into an imperial cult.
Here is where our identity as citizens is drawn: “Our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence we also await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (3:20). See also 1:27: “Live [read: “identify yourself as a citizen”] worthily only of the Gospel of Christ….”
My identity is with the church worldwide, and a baby country in existence only a few centuries is but a drop in the ocean. America is where I was born and raised, but it is not my primary identity, nor my primary loyalty.
America’s autonomy from, say, Nazi Germany is most certainly preferable.
However preferable it may be, there is no Biblical basis for defending one’s country from invaders. Jesus said if we want to follow Him, we must count the cost, pick up our cross, and consider ourselves already dead even while we draw breath. You cannot justify defending your own life if you have already considered your life forfeit.
Would Jesus approve of American Christians saying, Wait! I’ll go fight in Iraq so they don’t kill us, so we’ll all live long enough to give our lives on the mission field!
I really think he wouldn’t approve of that mentality at all.
As a final point, let’s look to the conservative Church of Christ maxim of “speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.”
Now, note all the occurrences of language in the New Testament relating to warfare. Note that, with the possible exception of Revelation, every mention of Christianity and warfare is using the war terminology in a very specifically non-violent way.
Take Ephesians 6’s reference to evangelism or prayer, or II Timothy 2:3’s reference to suffering hardship in a manner much akin to a soldier’s suffering.
Never is war-like language used with reference to the most natural use of war language: literal combat.
Therefore, there is no Biblical basis for Christians being involved in warfare. In fact, the very fact war language is only employed in non-violent, figurative use argues very solidly against it. The New Testament is not just silent on Christian involvement in war…but awkwardly so.
Scripture’s silence on the matter is deafening, and the quiet is only broken by the sound of gunfire.
