Nothing in the history of humankind has been more visibly destructive than war. From the fratricide of Cain and Abel to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the destructive acts of September 11th, humankind has managed to be an incredibly destructive force on this planet. As I will explain, the tools I learned in the Systematic Theology course has enlightened me on how I have formed a theological understanding on the issue of war. In my own case, experience has played a large role in my theological understanding on the issue of war. In college, I studied political science and US history, and while many tragedies have come through the nation’s wars, it seemed to me like much good had come from them also. Growing up in church, there was not much discussion about it. It seemed to be a given that military service is an honorable profession, and we treated soldiers like heroes. Upon graduation from college, I enlisted in the US Army. It seemed like a good career move, and there had not been much discussion on the suitability of military service for a follower of Jesus. One of the earliest experiences that made me question the suitability of a Christian in military service was the statement during a class at Basic Combat Training (BCT) that I am government property. They say this to justify punishment for seemingly innocuous things such as sunburn--it is, after all, destruction of government property. One thing I knew for certain, I am not the property of some government, not even the government I so cherished and committed to defend. I am the property of none other than my God. The second event, also during BCT, that affected my worldview was the bayonet training. The point of this training is not so much to make so... ... middle of paper ... ...oint where I could not be a part of it any longer. I was very afraid of doing this, but I went ahead and applied to be recognized as a conscientious objector. After nine long months of an arduous process, the military finally recognized my change of thought and honorably discharged me from my military service. This systematic theology class has shed some light on how I formed this theology throughout my time. Within Young Life and most of evangelicalism, I understand that this is a controversial stance. While it would be impossible for kids not to know my particular stance on the issue, my teaching style is never to push my views on secondary issues onto the kids with whom I am working. I believe that the primary thing that the kids should know is that Jesus loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. I would not let my views on war affect that fact.
In Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Baumer paints a vivid picture of the horrors of war. Many of these horrors are purely physical, such as the constant bombardments and gunshots whizzing overhead. But along with these physical horrors come mental and emotional ones. Chief among these is the "war mindset" that the soldier must acquire in order to survive war. The essence of this mindset is the total disregard for human life, and with it, human beliefs and customs. War requires a suspension of these standard human beliefs and customs. Paul outwardly appears to have acquired this "war mindset," but he does not internalize it and thus eventually dies.
BBC. "Christianity and the ethics of war." BBC - Religion. N.p., 3 Aug. 2009. Web. 14 Jan. 2012. .
War is a hard thing to describe. It has benefits that can only be reaped through its respective means. Means that, while necessary, are harsh and unforgiving. William James, the author of “The Moral Equivalent of War”, speaks only of the benefits to be had and not of the horrors and sacrifices found in the turbulent times of war. James bears the title of a pacifist, but he heralds war as a necessity for society to exist. In the end of his article, James presents a “war against nature” that would, in his opinion, stand in war’s stead in bringing the proper characteristics to our people. However, my stance is that of opposition to James and his views. I believe that war, while beneficial in various ways, is unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs.
Orend, Brian. "War." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 28 July 2005. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Christians refuse to fight at war, they can still be part of war in a
Many people, including a number of Christian leaders, have questioned whether the war in Iraq is justified (www.AmericanValues.org). They question if it is morally permissible to have used force to remove a tyrannical and aggressive regime from power instead of just disarming it (www.AmericanValues.org). A difficult moral calculus by liberal hawks led to the decision that the opportunity to free the Iraqi people from decades of oppression was worth the risk (Huang 1). Many people would agree that freeing the Iraqi people was a good thing, but they are free now, yet we are still there!
First, war is universal due to its violent nature, violence in its application knows no bounds, and it is the common factor that identifies the war and without it the war is nothing more than a diplomatic effort to reach the end. However, wars blow out only when the diplomacy fails. Violence is the war engine. Although the application of violence evolved through time and its severity varies according to communities, cultures, and the means and methods used. Demonstrating the violence through the application of force to subjugate the enemy is the central idea of war. “War is a clash between major interests,
The Christian perspective on war varies with each denomination. While reading the various Christian views on war, I found the article God is Pro-War by Jerry Falwell to be incredibly interesting. Falwell believes there are several instances that God supports and even gives counsel to be smart in war. As I was reading his article I was stopped by a major clarification Falwell makes that weakens the Christian anti-war perspective. Which is that many Christians incorrectly use the sixth commandment to defend their opposition to war. They believe that is “Thou shalt not kill” but it is actually “Thou shalt not commit murder” (Falwell). As Falwell says “there is a difference between killing and murdering” (Falwell) and I completely agree with such
The discussion and interpretation of warfare in theology is not a new controversy. A purely Old Testament inspired interpretation would suggest that violence can be, and often is a widely accepted practice in the eyes of God. “The Book of Joshua”, is a particularly good example of the war theology found throughout the Old Testament as it is an account of the Israelites conquests at the behest of God. The God described in ”The Book of Joshua” is ruthless, absolute in his perception of peoples being ether righteous or wicked, and champions the total destruction of the Cainites. However, the New Testament paints God in a much different light. Jesus Christ, the son of God, acts in a manner that starkly contrasts the absolutes and violence of
Human conflict is among the most complex topics in the world. It has always occurred alongside the existence of humanity, and often it escalates to violence and warfare. This has been a cycle throughout history, and there has not been much evidence pointing to the end of it. With no foreseen end to this cycle combined with a population that has an ever expanding curiosity, humans have had to justify going to war. Individuals tend to be very passionate and emotionally connected to their beliefs and thus they enjoy being right. They have justified violence and war with this innate desire to be right, and for this reason they have become the most common method for resolving human conflict; but at what cost? Life. Unity. Respect. These are concepts
People who have actually been through war know how horrible it is. Society on the other hand, while it believes it knows the horrors of war, can never understand or sympathize with a soldier’s situation. The only people who can understand war is those who have been through it so they can often feel alone if they are out of the military. Paul cannot even give a straight answer to his own father about his dad’s inquiries about war. Paul’s dad does not understand that people who have been in the war can in no way truly express the horrible things that that have seen and experienced. Nor can Paul fit in with the society who does not understand him. Paul and so many others were brought into the war so young that they know of nothing else other than war. Paul held these views on society as he said, “We will be superfluous even to ourselves, we will grow older, a few will adapt themselves, some others will merely submit, and most will be bewildered;-the years will pass by and in the end we shall fall in to ruin.
Paul and his friends were persuaded to join the war by their parents and teachers, but when they arrived at the war front they felt betrayed. They felt betrayed, because neither their parents nor teachers ever told them how terrible war would be. “For us lads of eighteen they ought to have been mediators and guides to the world of maturity, the world of work, of duty, of culture, of progress- to the future. We often made fun of them and played jokes on them, but in our hearts we trusted them.” (Remarque 12) This generation, practically children, trusted the older generation to lead them in the right direction, if the older generation had told them to jump in front of a bus, they would have done it. Paul’s generation believed that their parents and teachers had their best interest in mind, but when they arrived at the frontier, they sew that they had been thrown into a place filled with bombs, hunger, and death, they no longer think of their parents and teachers as guides, because guides would never have sent them to such a terrible place.
War has always been, and will always be, a necessary action perpetrated by man. There are many reasons for war: rage, passion, greed, defense, and religion to name a few. When differences cannot be solved or compromised through mediation with an opposing party, war is the last remaining option. Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun wrote in fourteenth-century Spain, that “War is a universal and inevitable aspect of life, ordained by God to the same extent as the sky and the earth, the heat and the cold. The question of whether to fright is not a significant moral question because fighting is constant; the minor decision not to fight this war will be made only in the context of knowing that another war will present itself soon enough because it is simply always there.” (Peter S. Themes. The Just War)
War is controversial, unfortunate, and certainly misunderstood; it is a transforming agent, a catalyst for change. Nonetheless, many people focus on war's negative consequences, while positive effects are downplayed. War is a necessary evil in the sense that it stabilizes population, encourages technological advances, and has a very high economic value. Without war, the overpopulation of the human race is inevitable. It is this reason that war is a useful tool by not only Mother Nature, but also humans themselves to institute population control.
War has been around for centuries. From the time modern civilizations began, war has played an integral part in human history. It shaped the world into the modern world we live in. War has been said to be a great motivator, for example, the Great Wall of China was built to fend off the attackers from the north. However, the negative aspects of war far outweighs any positive effects it might have. The destruction of civilizations, cities and countries, mass killings of men, woman and children alike, the disastrous effect it has on economy and the after effects of war can last for centuries.