Who then wages wars in the name of Christ? And are they truely following after the teachings of Jesus?

Question

With many of your answers to my question, 'What then is your definition of the term . . .Christian, I am well pleased. You show a great knowledge of the Christian beatitudes that Jesus taught. Did Jesus say to us, go out and wage war in my name, or do people wage bloody wars in the name of the 'religion' called Christianity? Which do we see coming from the White House? The teachings of peace and love towards our enemies, that Jesus taught us, or self-righteous biotry and hatred sadly to often shown in the name of Christianity!

Answer 1

Jesus spoke to individuals, not nation-states. Jesus never told the Centurion (whose servant He healed with a word) "Stop being a soldier." John the Baptist, Jesus' prophet, when asked by soldiers "And what should we do?" He told them, "Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay." (Luke 3:14)

Jesus never told a soldier to quit being one.

As to those waging war in Jesus' name, that is something He would never encourage, nor appreciate. He doesn't mind, however, a nation defending itself against those who would attack them, or their interests.

The White House is not engaging in a war in the name of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, those in power, from the White House to the Congress, have fallen all over themselves trying to show that the opposite is true - even to the point of political correctness.

The real problem is: the Jihadi wars that are occurring are religious, and not political, or even geographical. The West doesn't realize, or want to acknowledge this truth.

Until the whole world is under an Islamic Caliphate, they will never rest. They long for their Mahdi to come, and see Jihad as a way of bringing that along.

Christians, as part of any armed force of a nation, are bound by citizenship to protect and defend. It is part and parcel of who we are.

To follow empty philosophy that says Christians should be opposed to a just war, is ludicrous. Were that the case, you would, in the next few years, be speaking Arabic in a Mosque, bowing prostrate towards Mecca, and reciting Saalat. That, or you would be subjugated by an infidel tax (Jizyah), and made a second-class citizen.

Answer 2

Oh boy. previous argument. ok, The Catholics had the Inquisition. 500 years in the past. The Christians burned human beings on the stake as at present as 2 hundred years in the past. Now shall we circulate as much as extra modern cases. twentieth century. enable's start up with the atheists (which i'm one). Stalin. approximately 8 million Russians killed and approximately 4 million Ukrainians starved to dying. and that's after the conflict. Pol Pot. approximately 4 million killed. Mao 18-25 million killed. Then the Cultural Revolution. yet another 6 million. Then shall we seem on the various African dying surges. some religious, some no longer. to no longer point out malaria which kills an envisioned 4-5 million a 12 months. simply by a extensive area via the international ban on DDT. Then the wild card AIDS. no longer purely is it destroying lots of the countries in Africa, yet is putting the Western international in the lose, lose place of imparting drugs which will do no longer something of any significant effect, or sending food and ingredients to those who will haven't any use for them. So, as an atheist, I do take umbrage with you "blaming" and attacking the Christian and Catholic communities whilst, actually, the mass deaths and suffering in the final a hundred years could be attributed the communities exterior "prepared" faith. as a great way simply by fact the Christians no longer folliwing Christ...specific many don't. yet why might desire to they be singled out as demons? i think of the aheists, as all sorts of adult men, are basically as responsible. i think of it relatively is time we stop harping on the Inquisition. The church ceased that action on their very own. i do no longer see the Atheists marching in the streets protesting the flagrent abuses achieved of their call. back, i'm an Atheist. no longer that happy with it. you probably won't like this answer. it form of feels that your direction is in direction of bashing Christians. I ensue to have self belief that there are stable ones and undesirable ones. basically as there are stable Atheists and undesirable ones. as quickly as you generalize a crew, you grow to be basically as undesirable simply by fact the gang that generalizes you.

Answer 3

Evil men have waged war in the name of Jesus in the past but those evil men blasphemed the name of God in doing so. Additionally, what you see coming from the White House is hardly a Christian agenda no matter what Bush says to the contrary. Through out history and even now evil-self absorbed-greedy-hateful men have done all sorts of immoral things under the auspice of Christianity or in the name of God. But if you look at their actions and not be persuaded by what they say you will know who or what they are all about. Satan!

Answer 4

Truth, the sad and awful fact is that Christianity has become less about Christ and more about man. There is not a religious group that I have come across that does not apply their own "attitudes" onto Christianity. Admittedly I have not studied or attended ALL institutions....
There was a song, long ago that stated "...If Jesus saves, then he better save himself, or the gory glory seekers, will use his name in death..." There, to me, has never been a truer line written. Well, you know what I mean.
There is no equating of Christianity or its originally intended concepts with anything that happens in our world. It is sad, to me, that Christianity and religion are now inseparable. If you do not "belong" to some religion, then you are not Christian. I have been told this many times by many different institutions....a couple even going so far as to say if you are not _______ then you are not truly Christian!
I hold with this...Jesus said it, and it is a very overlooked quote..."Give unto Caesar what is Caesars, unto God what is Gods." To me, this speaks of letting the world go on with itself, so long as you are following God.
What is more upsetting to me than wars and atrocities being committed in the name of religion, Christian , whatever you want to call it is this....the people who are doing their job...soldiers, etc....are Christian no less than those of us who wait at home. Has anyone thought what it must be like for them? How are they to continue to believe, and do this job?

Answer 5

I don't think so. I believe there are many things some Christians and Christian denominations do that do not represent what Jesus actually taught. If Jesus were here today, I do not beleive he would be a Christian, at least not the ones that use obscure bible quotes to support war and hatred.

Answer 6

Wars are waged for money and markets, always have been. Some misguided or sinful people use the pretext of religion to get people behind it, but it's only a pretext. It's been going on since the gates to The Garden were closed. God bless.

Answer 7

Truth Traveler, I think you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Christians wage war because they think this is what God wants. So, I believe that this is being done in the name of Christianity not because this is God's perfect will. They use religion as an excuse to do evil.

Answer 8

There is a lot of hypocricy in religions. Religions have become a means of attaining worldly goals, including wealth and power. It is even much worse in developing countries, where people lazy about and commit atrocities, hiding under religion. The original spiritual teachings have been perverted for selfish motives.

Answer 9

There is no such thing as a 'holy war,' and anyone who wages war in the name of their God is lying to themselves. That applies to all religions, not just Christianity, which seems to take the brunt of a lot of things for which it's not solely responsible.

Other religions have done their fair share of trying to annihilate someone else in the name of their deity.

Answer 10

What always fascinated me was the blessing of troops on opposing sides in both World Wars and the universal belief that 'God was on our side".
Poor God was supposedly on everyone's side-I suppose because each country has always thought that 'right' was 'might' and vice versa .
It's an age old cop out-particularly useful in recruiting posters and to get your political opponents on side.
'This is a just war' say our leaders.-Christian-Muslim every creed under heaven.
And yet no war is just.But this concept was the beginnings of what is now known as 'SPIN'.