War: What Is It Good For? Series

There is actually a T-Shirt that reads, "Kill them all. God will know which are His." That attitude is terrible. The slaughter of people is never something Christians should associate with God’s will. The war in Iraq will not be a holy war. The reasons for us fighting are not based on religious grounds. As Christians we should endorse peaceful resolutions to conflict if possible. Psalm 122 says, “There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.”

Another view of war some Christians hold to besides the holy war is PACIFISIM. Pacifism is the opposite of Holy War. Pacifism is the belief of some Christians that the use of force is always evil even in times of self defense. The pacifist believes that evil is not controlled through punishment, but rather through the sterling example of genuine goodness that radiates from people. Pacifism is peace at any price. Pacifism is absolute non-resistance. Pacifism is the view held by most liberal denominations, the Mennonite church and the Quakers. The pacifists goals are noble and there is an extent to which all Christians are called to forms of pacifism.

The pacifist uses Jesus’ example in Matthew 5:39 of turning the other check as the proof text for his or her views. Their contention is that Jesus never condoned defending yourself. While it might seem that Jesus is calling for pacifism at first glance, a simple analysis of it will help you see that people who use this verse fail to mention that this is a situation involving individuals and does not apply to governmental affairs. The Bible makes a distinction between the actions of government and the actions of individuals.

In fact in that very passage in Matthew 5 Jesus instructs us to settle matters with our enemy or we may be forced to go to a judge of the state who will enforce justice. Jesus makes the distinction between how the individual is to react and how the government is to react.

Further justifications for pacifism are given based on the Lord’s Prayer. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:10-12). But this argument fails. Because forgiveness does not equal pardoning the offense. When God forgives us He doesn’t necessarily remove the consequences of our sins. Forgiveness is always balanced with justice.

I will make this clear: Jesus was not a pacifist. In fact, if you remember in Matt. 8 Jesus met a Roman centurion--an army officer who most likely achieved his rank because he was skilled at battle. After talking with this soldier for a few minutes, Jesus did not tell him to put down his sword, nor did he tell him to retire from the military. Instead, he praised the man’s faith, saying that he had more faith than anyone He had met (Matthew 8:5-13). Pacifism, in my opinion, is not the biblical view on war.

The third and final view Christians hold to is the view of JUST WAR. I personally think this is the biblical view. This view states that there are times when the government must be an agent of wrath and justice and protect its citizens from other nations and leaders who threaten her. This is in fulfillment of Romans 13 which I read earlier and stated that the government exists to bear the sword.