Christians (and Jews too)- How can one who believes in the word of god/bible wage a war and kill?

Question

'Thou shall not kill' being not even in the text of the bible, but before the book even begins (a hint at its signifigance), how can anyone who is a Christian or Jewish be part of a military whos primary objective is to KILL? Some even use the bible to 'protect' them before, and in, battle. This seems highly hypocritical to me.If obeying the will of god is paramount to ones existence, how can they even begin to justify killing anyone?The president, who commands the military to wage war, seems to follow this apparent contridctory logic.

Please let me know how a person of faith can violate one of the highest pillars of their faith, and even use to ask for protection, which no doubt would lead to them being able to KILL even more of the enemy?

im not anti-war, anti-religion, anti-atheism-im just confused as to this seemingly hypocritical paradigm rarely mentioned by religious leaders or chaplins.help me understand.

a good short story re:this topic is 'the war prayer' by mark twain

Answer 1

Well, you're asking a tough question and it seems you have thought about it a lot. I started to write a theoretical answer and decided just to talk about the way I myself think of it. I myself was in the service, my brother is in the service, my son is in the service, my brother-in-law once commanded a nuclear missile submarine.

I start out with the idea that as a Christian I am not to hate another, I am to walk the extra mile, I am to pray for my enemies. It may be that I conclude that I will not resort to force against anyone who threatens me even with death.

But I do not think I can make that decision for another. If in front of me a child is being injured or killed I don't see that my decision for my own case can be applied willy nilly to the child. I think that it is my duty at that point to apply force, either directly or via a representative, to prevent the coercion, injury, or death; by force up to and including killing the perpetrator as a last resort.

I see a continuum between that case and the military at large. It's a big step, and in the limited space here I can only hint at the intermediate steps: regular police, highly trained SWAT team that intervenes in hostage situations, National Guard unit that steps in to prevent looting, rapes, and murders when civil society is overwhelmed by a natural disaster, national armed forces that prepare to apply force in an international environment that is as chaotic and lawless as in the local absence of police during a disaster.

Finally, it is an oft made and oft discarded idea that the presence or use of military force may prevent war and killing, but consider it for a moment. It's a cliche that if the European democracies had reacted militarily when Hitler moved into the Rhineland in 1936 that it would have stopped Hitler then and there and probably prevented World War II. This is hypothetical; but so is the argument that in the absence of Bush's action against Saddam Hussein there would not have been a greater calamity in the Middle East than we now face. Hussein had already used chemical weapons against his own people and the Iranian Army; he had already invaded a neighboring country (Kuwait) once and fought a major war with another neighbor, Iran; and the oil resources he could threaten are necessary not only to our SUVs but to the production of agricultural fertilizers in the very poorest countries.

One quick thing I will add: I don't think the sniper in "Saving Private Ryan" was wrong or hypocritical in asking God to help him be a good sniper and to effectively kill the enemy soldiers. So far as I can tell he did not hate them and did not rejoice in their pain and death. I suggest that you read C.S. Lewis, "Why I am Not a Pacifist."

It's a poor answer I have given but it's the best I have here and now, in this short space. Blessings upon you in your search; pray for me, a sinner.

Answer 2

It's been going on,since man has been on this earth.For one thing,its been on religion,which I don't believe in.We have had wars and wars and its all been over religion.Take the KKK in the south,which it was started by the southern batist churches,which they are known for burning crosses in front of blacks homes,if they just happened to move into a whites area.They raped they wives and either beat up the black husbands,or killed them.Don't get me started on religion,and where is this super being at when this was going on.How about babies that are dying of cancers and what is she doing about it.The way I look at religon is I don't.I get out and work all the time,and help with people like everyone should,because this super power is doing nothing,or he or she keeps there head turned. I get out and give more help to these people,that are suffering because of lost children do to all these illnesses,when we should keep findind cures. I believe in one thing that and old friend of mine taught me,and that was it's nice to be nice,and if you want to be a christian find as long as your religon doesn't haqrm or kill or hurt anyone.Which I have a hard time with that word myself,religon,and it keeps on going.Wars over oil,for the rich.They have never been satisfied and happy and never will.

Answer 3

If you read the Bible, God also sent people to war to deliver the Jews from their enemies. As long as they stayed in God's will then God blessed them. There is time and season for everything. A time for peace, a time for war. A time to live and a time to die. In war you aren't killing in hatred because they did something exactly personal, such as hurt someone in your family or such ( even though many take it personal when it hurts their country which is good) Just look at the Bible in moderation. Look all of it over.

Answer 4

2 things:

1. Its not really thou shalt not kill, a correct translation is thou shalt not murder. These are 2 different things.

2. God does ordain government authority the use of the sword:

Rom 13:
3: For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Answer 5

The commandment is actually thou shalt not murder, before the tragedy of those terrible translations transpired.

To kill when the man opposing you will kill you if you did not is not murder, it is self-defense.

I think the president is guilty of murder 1 million times over for starting this bloody war, though.

Answer 6

Exodus chapter 20 is used in the context of the individual, personally, I am not to take justice into my own hands and kill someone or kill someone to take their stuff (obviously), however if you keep reading the laws, laws of provisions are made for fighting in battles, defence, government justice etc.

Answer 7

The correct Commandment is "thou shalt not murder".

Ecclesiastes 3
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Answer 8

I don' t know why you are saying "thou shalt not kill" isn't in there. Exodus 20 :13

Answer 9

this makes me think of the tibetans when china came to rule. The chinese came and killed many tibetans and destroyed their homes and family...all while this was going on the tibetans didn't fight or scream, do you think we should do the same? it is a very personal decision to make.....be killed or get killed.

Answer 10

let me enlighten you to the facts my young friend...

http://www.chick.com/reading/comics/0114/0114_fourpages.asp?pg=01

Christians are the people who walk to the stake to get burned, the people who walk into the circus to get fed to lions, Chrsitains are the ones that walk in the shadows, and keep the truth alive and tell people like yourself that ...
"Not everyone that says they are Christian is actually Christian".