The Ethics of War?

Question

Can anyone tell me anythings about the ethics of war from a Christian perspective, or any bible verses about war? Or, just tell me what you think of war and explain your answer. Thanks if you can help :)

Answer 1

The true bible perspective meaning there is no other way to see it and if someone says otherwise they dont know what the bible teaches.So wars involves killing so that breaks one commandment so it already preaches against wars.Second love is the most important thing Jesus taught and well war is not loving.Jesus said if someone smacks you in one cheek to turn the other.Now if a country was completely christian I think that there would be hope to bring a paradise but sadly it is not the case so war will happen since people ignore the bible teachings.So peace and love and patience,hope is taught.War falls into none of those categories maning someone loses and the bible way no one loses but the attacker.Now the old testament which people will try and bring out was war that were justified and well after jesus came all is done and no need for wars.Justified in that the place were completely wicked that there was no hope for them and could bring destruction to the good.He makes war through spirit not physical.

Answer 2

With my limited knowledge of why we do war. I think we are allowed to defend ourselves and help the perpetrators after the war in a Christian way.

I think when we are attacked like the USS Cole, the Embassy, 911 and others that have been going on for years, we had a right to defend America.

I think if the current administration won the first round like they did, almost everyone was on the Presidents side. (Except the Pope)

When the war dragged out and the terrorists ran like roaches and it became harder. Then groups of people wained and wanted the war ended.

Now the problem. Like Vietnam, if we leave millinons of US Democracy supporters will die or be persecuted.

So in my book the President probably prayed on the war, received the best intellegence we and others had and figured Sadaam was building or buying weapons to destroy and destabalize the region. (remember he wasn't just talk he invaided Kuwait)

The other thing is when will this oil check mate end. We have not stopped our thurst for driving fast or using gas gulping Suvs and pick up trucks. They know if they can take down the oil we will roll over and fall apart.

The only thing I can think of now is to pray as a Nation for a solution. Stay in the battle to protect the innocent and do our very best to get out and let them learn to defend themselves.

The problem is once you have a roach problem they come back. Maybe in your home too.

Bible says; forgive, and that is what Jesus came to be known for. No eye for eye. Forgive. So the next war we hope we can stay out of it, but then we have the issue of people that can't defend themselves in need of help. Pray for the answer is the only Solution

Answer 3

The BIble gives 3 kinds of wars.

The first kind is a normal war. Those rules forbid:

cutting down fruit trees in war (Deut 20:19)

, attacking without offering terms of surrender first. (Deut 20:10) The terms are universal enslavement. (Deut 20:11),

and one may not kill the women and children of a defeated people; rather they become slaves. (Deut 20:14)

The second is the war against Canaanites. The rules for that war are nobody lives, but they can run away to another place and will be safe.

The third is the war against Amalek. That war is eternal, offers no quarter, and is global.

Answer 4

From a Christian perspective war is not ethical, it is a tragedy, but war can be justified if it is in self defense. The blogbaba was never a fan of getting the first cheek slapped, let alone turning the other one, but it happens.

Christ spoke of destroying your enemy, not with physical violence, but by causing your enemy to love you, thereby destroying the evil that caused enmity in the person. There is talk of spiritual warfare in the Bible, but the battle ground for such warfare is the mind and soul of each individual person who experiences such thought, not an actual physical battlefield. Actual wars, fought between peoples are the result of failure to adhere to God's will. Circumstance and perspective play a role in justifying such behavior, but War is in no way ethical. The honor attached to being a soldier is derived from service to your fellow man, not the combat. It directly relates to the statement by Christ "he who is first in my Father's kingdom, serves".

Still, one must answer the threat of violence with something, what that somthing is, is a choice each person makes individually. Christ said you should love your enemy. The blogbaba is at best a poor Christian. Hope I helped.

Answer 5

Some people do indeed argue that there are no holds barred in warfare. Israel had recieved from very specific instructions on how to deal with which enemies but not too much is clear in how we should universally conduct war. What seems to be the most civilized is granting mercy on the battlefield, taking prisoners, treating them like human beings.

Theres no Q wars need to be fought because humans are simply incapable of avoiding it ultimately. There is always tyranny and evil in this world therefore there will always be war. But it doesnt mean we have to approach warfare as merciless animals.

Answer 6

There are a lot of passages in the Bible about war. War is a inconvenient necessity. Without poor there would be no rich, without light there would be no dark, etc. People tend to let their emotions speak too loud, this is why communism and socialism never work. You need things that are good and bad, so you can tell the difference between the two.

Answer 7

The bible codifies the moral ethos of the day. In that time, when you were at war- you killed not only the soldiers, but then killed every man, woman and child in the city- so that they could never rise up against you in the future.
When Joshua was victorious over Jericho, he chased down all the fleeing people and killed them. And this was god's word.

This doesn't sit very well with the current moral zeitgeist of the west- but some regions of the world are still living with the morality of 1000 years ago.

Answer 8

There have always been kings and dictators that want to rule the world. They always target the poor and innocent. America has always been there to try to protect the innocent from nations and people that want to harm innocent lives. America can no longer be the policemen of the world. The world is more violent than ever. We are losing the war against those that want to harm innocent people.

Answer 9

I think war is just a natural thing ya know. Its almost like we were meant to fight. I'm not saying that god created us just to destroy ourselves. Ever since Adam and Eve laid a foot on this earth, war was always a possibility. God's word says that we are imperfect. It was destined for us to screw up. War is just part of that. Although I do think genocide is very bad, it's something that you have to live with and I personally think God excepts that.

Answer 10

Ethics of War is a double-negative.