Killing!!! What does the Bible have to say about this?

Question

I have a dilemma if I'm sent over to Iraq. Lets say during a convoy some guy runs up and starts shooting at me and some of my troops. Do I shoot this man and condemn his unsaved soul to hell, or do I not shoot him down and in a different sense condemn all my unsaved comrades to hell. What do I do. I don't want to break the 5th commandment. But maybe If I do this I'll have time to lead my fellow soldiers to Jesus and they will all be like reverends proclaiming the gospel to those unsaved by Jesus. If you've got an answer please back it up. thanks.

Answer 1

The Bible says "Thou Shalt not Murder," Murder is defined as Homicide with Malace-afor-thought, which means "the cruel intent of premeditaited murder," God sanctioned the death penalty, God allows for self defence, God does not like war but God knows that we must defined our nation, I was a soldier so I know how you feel. I will pray that God gives you the words to speak, and the heart to act in his will while you are over-seas.

Answer 2

Jesus said to love our enemies and to pray for those persacuting us. Murder is murder.
Who knows why America is in this area? They have already said they didn't do the 9/11 terriorist attack.
So maybe your being over there is a terriorist attack?
I remember the Viet Nam war when many people went to fight in Viet Nam they were told it was to protect our civil liberties.
They never had any means to come over here and do anything.
It was because Johnston was conmunism fobic. Perhaps the leaders now are muslim fobic. That is what history books will say in the future. Then now we are to believe that Viet namez are friends of ours. It changes at the whim of the leaders.
Maybe the next leader will say, let's pull out and that was a mistake to be there in the first place. Yet, what about the 3000 people who died over there. Well, that is just to bad.
You would give your life for what? Because Bush made a tactical error? Psalms 146:3 Do not put your trust in nobles or in the son of earthlying man in whom no salvation belongs.
Bush can not promise you a heavenly reward any more than those young men who strapped on a bomb thinking they get 70 virgins in heaven. Jesus said "those who live by the sword die by the sword." There is no heavenly reward for murder no matter which leader tells you that. They rape and chop up people believeing that gets them into heaven. Why would God corrupt heaven by bringing murders in there?

Answer 3

Here are some versus from the Bible that may help you decide:

God did a lot of killing in the Old Testament:

1. (Ex:13:15) God killed every Egyptian firstboarn child - because Pharoah wouldn't let the Jews leave Egypt. (even though it was God that was hardening Pharoah's heart - ouch!)

2. God killed everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah. (Ge 19:24)

3. God killed almost everyone in the great flood.

God also commanded the Jews to do a lot of killing:

1. When he gave them the land of Canan he instructed them to kill every man, woman, and child. Instead the Jews struck a treaty with the Cananites and this made God very angry and he punished the Jews.

2. Jewish law prescribed the death penalty for many crimes including adultury (by the woman) and theft.

Even in today's society Christians generally consider it OK to kill if:

1. it is in self defense - someone is breaking into your house; threatening your family, etc.

2. It is in accordance with the law/death penalty.

So, as you can see, the whole "Thou Shalt Not Kill" thing is very very fuzzy.

Answer 4

It is important to remember one thing that the Bible teaches us. This can be found in here...

"Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:" (2Ti 3:16)

This means that the Old Testament is just as inspired as the New Testament and thus an expression of the will of Christ.

So lets look at some of these passages that talk about your dilemma.

Jesus said

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God." (Mat 5:9)

And in the Old Testament

"a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" (Ecc 3:3)

In the same way, the New Testament sets forth the goal of peace but acknowledges the legitimate use of force. It does so by John the Baptist's acknowledgment that Roman soldiers, whose job it was to enforce the Pax Romana, or "Peace of Rome," could keep their jobs

"Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages." (Luke 3:14)

and by Paul's observation that the state "does not bear the sword in vain" but is "God's servant for your good"

"for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil." (Rom. 13:4).

More can be read from the following website...

Answer 5

Yarrrrr! What do ye be doin in the military if ye don't be wantin ta kill nothin? Yer drill sargent would be makin ya scrub th' mess hall fer sure if'n he heard ya talk like that. Kill the bloody scally wags who be responcible for attackin the treasured twin towers and all the souls who twer burned up and crushed within it! Leave the thinkin to yer commandin officer and get back to killin and pilligin the oil fields. Yarrrrrrrrrrrrr

Answer 6

First of all killing should only be done in self defense or in the defense of others. So killing someone to protect people wouldn't be a sin. Killing someone doesn't condemn their soul to hell. The person who dies has control over where their soul goes after they die.

Answer 7

The bible is for and against it. It is like ...'it depends on what the meaning of is (or this this case kill v. murder) is.

I'd forget about converting anyone. It's their holy land also (Mohammed rose to heaven from where the Dome of the Rock now stands in Jerusalem), they live there and will still be there after we are gone.

Worry more about not being the one to be killed.

Answer 8

The commandment when translated actually reads:
Thou shall not murder

The responsibilty for the deaths of war fall upon the leaders of the nation.

EZEKIEL 34:1-4

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

Answer 9

In the old testament, there is a lot of killing and war. In the new testament, one should "turn the other cheek".

I'd say get out of the military if you can...

Answer 10

It says thou shalt not kill, but it is not talking about the wars. It is talking about going out and killing for no reason except of spite, jealousy, etc.
Even the Bible talks of wars.