I am totally with him on the ambiguity of the Christian position on war.
As Christians, I think its fairly clear that we should be non violent people. If we believe in the Resurrection, we have no reason to fear death, from terrorists, from our own government, or from the gangbangers that live down the street.
But, its not our calling to change government policy to one of non violence. God uses armies to punish sin… he may use terrorists to punish sin as well. I don’t know.
But what I do know is that while Christians should not support war, we have no right to try and force our morality through law on this country, or any country. Christians operate from a power under position… its a groundswell of love that doesn’t need the threat of force to achieve its objective. We need just the opposite… the willingness to lay down our lives (not kill others republichristians) for those who despise us.
The Christian Left nor the Christian Right should be trying to force their morality on others. If we vote, lets vote for someone who has values similar to ours, but recognizes that our country affords certain rights to everyone.
7 responses so far ↓
Volunteer Voters » A Christian Nation Would Be A Non-Violent One // September 19, 2007 at 5:16 pm
[...] Justin Mundie takes a non-inventionist approach to both our foreign and our domestic policy: [W]hile Christians should not support war, we have no right to try and force our morality through law on this country, or any country. Christians operate from a power under position… its a groundswell of love that doesn’t need the threat of force to achieve its objective. We need just the opposite… the willingness to lay down our lives (not kill others republichristians) for those who despise us. [...]
Roland // September 19, 2007 at 11:03 pm
That’s right. That’s why John the Baptist told those Roman Soldiers to lay down their arms and go home to their families. Right?
y // September 20, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Roland, you sound like one of the Pharisees trying to tell Jesus how he broke the law by healing a guy on the Sabbath. Yes, it is true that Jesus and the apostles had several encounters with soldiers and did not berate them for contributing to violence, and many conservatives have been using that as a justification for their support for war. In taking this stance, though, you take meaning from the gospels and epistles not meant to be said, and ignore the greater story, which if believed, kinda makes supporting war a little silly.
rogueminister // September 20, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I love Greg, he is one of my favs. I actually just read that article the other day and I must say I also think he has it right. I also just read something that I think informs this conversation. Jesus didnt hold the non-religious to the same standards as the religious, but still called all people to Truth. We cant expect the unredeemed to act like the redeemed, and those who havent chosen to pick up their crosses shoudnt be expected to carry one.
Roland // September 21, 2007 at 1:21 pm
and Justin, you, and others, always ignore those simple facts that myself and others bring up. You never address them and, instead, just divert the argument elsewhere. You say things such as “you ignore the greater story” yet you youself ignore the facts we bring up.
Phil Wilson // September 21, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Perhaps, Roland, but if the greater story gives context to those facts that you bring up, isn’t the story worth paying attention to you? I think rogueminister’s comments directly addressed your concerns.
Michael // September 27, 2007 at 7:40 pm
If God “uses armies to punish sin,” can’t he use the United States’ Army to “punish sin?” Since you do not know if God also uses terrorists to punish sin, can you know when he is using the U.S. army to do so? Doesn’t that mean you should never oppose, even philosophically, the use of the American military, since it might be God’s desire to use them in that instance to punish sin? Is it only terrorist and those that oppose the U.S. that God uses?
There’s also a huge difference between laying down our lives FOR someone who despises us and laying down our lives BEFORE someone who despises us. The first is a willingness to die so that others might live. The second is just a willingness to let someone else slaughter us and those around us.
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