Last week I asked if soldiers who have killed will go to hell.. The general consensus from christians is no justified by a variety of rationales most notably they are defending their people, families etc.
Ok so if I can expand the question a little further. Do christians think that soldiers whose armies defend non-christian nations will go to hell if they kill?
2007-07-16 01:15:38 · 20 answers · asked by Wayne Kerr 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
True followers of Christ do not kill. As much as possible, real Christians avoid becoming soldiers with guns and bombs. Their weapons are the Word of God and the example of being as Christ-like as they can. As far as I remember, Jesus didn't kill anyone. He came to give life, not destroy it.
As oil depletion bites, more war is inevitable as famine will sweep across every land. The agricultural industries depend on fertilizers and pesticides made from oil. When these fertilisers were discovered, vast tracks of land too infertile to cultivate were now made available, and world population, fuelled by cheap oil, grew from a steady but stable 2 billion to over 6 billion today, and still rising.
As the peak of conventional light sweet crude has already passed, oil will become scarcer and more expensive, and the cost of growing food will rise. Already corn prices have doubled, partly due to higher oil prices and partly the demand from ethanol producers to make bio-desiel. Even if the entire US crop were converted into ethanol, it would satisfy only 16 per cent of US transport needs. What's more important, filling a large gas tank once, or feeding a person for a year on the same corn? China has banned the use of it's crops for biofuel production.
Both sides of a war will tell you they are justified. One man's terrorist is another's man's freedom fighter. We view 'insurgents' in the same light as the Nazis viewed the French Resistance. We are the illegal occupying force, they are sabotaging any attempts to expliot their oil reserves, which is why we invaded in the first place. Resource wars like this are set to increase in frequency as more and more people understand that they will either die of starvation, or die fighting. At the moment, there is enough food produced to feed the world two and a half times, but poverty means many starve. It is the poor who will suffer first and hardest, and as the western economies collapse, there will be many more to join their ranks.
As a Christian, I do not believe that soldiers of any side will go to hell. They will either have eternal life with Christ or die and know nothing. Jesus said we had a choice between life and death, not life and eternal torture.
2007-07-16 02:17:02 · answer #1 · answered by Heralda 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That depends on if my views of hell are distorted or not To me hell is for the severe sinners.. murders, rapists, child/animal abusers. Other than that I dont think people will go to hell just because they needed more proof and facts to obtain faith. And if I am wrong then sure I would ask him to reconsider what the heck is going on. Have a good one! Cinn =) *EDIT* no what is funny is that Mrs Heathen feels the need to complain when people are asked a question. First if we dont answer a hypothetical question there is ridicule, then if we do it's more ridicule?? and Furthermore my answer was in no way definitive. Also was this question directed at you? no it wasnt and if you cant show respect then kindly dont answer and belittle. Okay Mrs. Heathen =) I think I have had enough R&S for this morning.. didnt mean to take it out on you or be rude, but I felt attacked even if I was under you lol ciao 4 now
2016-05-19 00:38:52 · answer #2 · answered by felica 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In War, it is kill or be killed.
BUT, if one intentionally kills innocent people then I think that is a very hard thing to justify.
295,000 Servicemen from the US died to defeat Hitler and Japan. Those that didn't die and all of those that did, killed many Germans and Japanese. Most of the US Servicemen were Christians. So, did all the Germans and Japanese soldiers go to hell, I doubt that.
The combatants in non-christian countries, I believe, will not go to hell, BUT, those that plan and carry out suicide bombings directed at intentionally killing innocent people will have a tough time explaining that to God.
2007-07-16 01:30:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on how they acted in life. Just because you're a soldier doesn't mean you go straight to heaven. Think about some of the jerks that take an advantage of a situation which is for personal gratification and not that of their country. Just depends on the person.
P.S. Jesus also said " Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace, but the sword." Jesus would never condone the senseless brutality that is going on is some parts of the world. He would want someone to prevent it.
2007-07-16 01:28:34 · answer #4 · answered by DAR76 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It just seems that the Christian believers make it up as they go along. Wasn't one of the 10 commandments Thou shall not kill? There wasn't any sub paragraphs or small print as far as I remember! I am not a Christian by the way.
Panda, are you saying that you can be a mass murderer, but as long as you accept Christ before you die you will go to heaven? However if you are a good, kind, charitable athiest you will burn in hell? What kind of god makes up these rules?
2007-07-16 01:20:27 · answer #5 · answered by 1oui5e 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I used to ponder this very thing and I finally got an answer.
(Play my silly game for a sec)
You are a cop and you come across identical twin brothers. One has taken the other hostage and is holding a gun to his brothers head. The situation starts to escalate and you draw down on the brother with the gun and shoot him and he dies. Unfortunately you had to do your job. You may even be seen as a hero by society as a whole. NOW. Let's charge the situation. Instead of drawing down on the brother with the gun you draw down and shoot the victim. You are now a murderer and an outcast of society. Both of the people are identical but one was guilty and the other innocent of breaking the law. Both GOD's law and Mans law.
We are commanded to not murder. Murder is defined as taking the life of someone outside of the law. If the commandment was to not kill then we would all starve to death because in order for us to live some plant or animal has to die.
Hope that helps.
2007-07-16 01:25:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, of course not. When a soldier came to Jesus, Jesus helped him; he didn't tell him to quit his job.
Besides, we have no way of knowing if any person is going to hell. You can see outward crimes; you can't see the interior state of the soul. I think it was George MacDonald who pointed out that if you see two people on a hillside together, one may be going up and the other down, but you can't tell that from looking.
2007-07-16 01:22:30 · answer #7 · answered by bonitakale 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the first place once you have commited to Christ you aren't going to hell. Even if it were a sin (and it's not) no sin is worse than the other - it would mean the Christian who coveted his neighbors wife is going to hell too.
Killing in a war whose purpose is for the defense of ones own life or the lives of others is not the killing the Bible is talking about God considers all life even nonChristians , sacred. The literal meaning is murder as in cold blooded, planned or vengeful killing.
2007-07-16 01:24:14 · answer #8 · answered by D2T 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Isn't it funny that when someone kills an apparent enemy they are heroes, and rewarded and loved for it. But if they kill one of their own they are murderers and punished for it.
Shock and awe, 34000 men women and children dead. This was a noble act indeed, worthy of praise, and blessings by god.
The Twin towers, 3000 (probably adults) dead. May they burn in hell the evil b'stards.
2007-07-16 01:31:33 · answer #9 · answered by marccat80 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is only one thing that you will get you into heaven, whether you are a soldier or not, and that is through belief in Jesus. Christians who are soldiers will be held to account for their sins, whatever they were.
2007-07-16 05:24:11 · answer #10 · answered by good tree 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋