Why do Christians and Catholics join the military if killing people is a sin?

Question

I think I covered it in the title.

Answer 1

First, why are you separating Christians and Catholics, when Catholicism is a denomination within Christianity? Secondly, there are many Christian pacifists. I'm one of them. My denomination doesn't stress pacifism, but there are a growing number of pacifists within it. And there are many Christian denominations that are, in fact, have a long history of staunch pacifism. Look at the Amish, Mennonites, Quakers, Moravians and other Christian groups who refuse to go to war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_churches

Answer 2

you misunderstand. MURDER is a sin (murder is intentional killing with malice an a particular person(s) )

sometimes killing people is just a last resort. they aren't going to righteousness anytime soon (or ever, for that matter). if you've heard about the whole thing with Saddam you'd understand:

bacically god said to Abraham (paraphrase) "look, Saddam is an evil place, evacuate you're nephew and his family so i can destroy the place" this, of course, was a last resort.

old abe was like (paraphrase) "...but what if they're 50 righteous people ix-naying Lot's family"
god said (paraphrased, again) "fine"
after serious thought about this abe dropped his offer to fourty, trying to save Lot's home
next thing ya know the offer is at ten (and this is a really big city)
so the brute squad of angels scout the area and there wasn't even ten so Lot and his family, ordered by god to not lood back, fled from Saddam. what did the wife do? (heh heh) she looks back!

what was the question again?

Answer 3

the reason that suicide is a sin is with the help of the fact's a effect of the very grave sin of melancholy. melancholy is the sin that we now no longer have faith that God loves us, he won't be able to forgive us our sins, and the existence he has given has no meaning. The sin of melancholy is an entire rejection of the desire and love we would desire to constantly have in God and thus by using it we thoroughly reject his goodness. So in so a good distance as a results of fact the oblique suicide is a effect of this sin then particular that's an somewhat grave sin. Please spend a while in front of the blessed sacrament think of of the undeniable fact that God made you from no longer something, he did no longer would desire to. He made you out of love, even to show the place he despatched his basically son to die for you. He customary his church that may assist you, he's interior the blessed sacrament for you. additionally if your melancholy keeps it would look that seeing a therapist could be a reliable theory. i'm hoping you get greater perfect quickly

Answer 4

You need to watch Sergeant York. It's the true story of a Christian who starts out in WWI as a "conscientious objector" and ends up saving many lives by killing a few. He came to understand that God values life so much and wants us to uphold His standard. Murder is different that killing for a good reason. If a robber was about to kill your wife and you were standing in the doorway with a loaded gun, I don't think anyone would consider you wrong for defending the precious life of your wife. That's how God feels about us. Our lives should be precious to us, and others.

Answer 5

I'll try to speak for the Catholics:

Ever hear of the Just War Theory of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas? The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:

the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;

all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;

there must be serious prospects of success;

the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the "just war" doctrine. The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.

Answer 6

This is covered in more detail in the Catechism but the main idea is that killing is less of a severe sin after all peace negotiations have been exhausted and is primarily in self defense and protection.

Answer 7

Premeditated murder is a sin. However, we are to fight against evil and tyranny in this world. If a war is truly a just war -such as WW2- then God will be on the side of justice and righteousness. The Bible defines what murders are a sin and when it is a sin to kill a human being. The Bible also permits self defence.Unfortunately, in this fallen world, wars are sometimes a necessary evil in order to fight against and destroy evil and tyranny. The Bible also commands us to execute murderers as the only form of acceptable punishment for their crime.

Answer 8

The correct modern translation for "Thou shalt not kill." is
"Thou shalt not murder."
First degree murder is prohibited under the commandments.
Manslaughter, and self-defense (defending one's home. or homeland in war) is not optimal, but forgivable.

Exodus 20 lists the commandments.
Exodus 21,22,23 expound upon the commandments in greater detail.

Interesting, the death of a fetus is considered murder.
Other killings are covered in Exodus 21:12-14 covers pre-meditated murder, manslaughter, and accidental deaths.

Answer 9

killing is a sin and yes it is agains the ten commandments.

people who kill are either pressured or this is the their last ressort.

preservation of life is one of my basic instincs. that is why we sometimes would kill in order so save ourselves.

but these could be avoided. with education and the right state of mind. we would be able to overcome these instincts.

there are many ways to stop an attaker from killing you besides killing him.

Answer 10

because a person should be willing to fight for what is right and just, otherwise they're still sinning by letting badness go through the world.

oh ya, you do know that catholics are christians too, don't you?