I rarely discuss issues like this. I think the faith is rather clear on war issues. I also think that Jesus Christ’s commands to us are very clear in regard to our duty as Christians. That is why true Christianity is so diametrically opposed to the things that precipitate war and to the conduct of war.
Unless I am mistaken, no Christian in the first centuries of Christianity would stand up to anyone with intent to fight. They stood up of course, but that was to proclaim the truth. Many died for doing so. Most died horribly, but their faith was sure.
By Augustine’s time the Church had developed certain doctrines (Just War Theory) to cover the eventuality of war. Still, on the whole, Christianity, as institutionalized by that time, was reactive to aggression.
To me, war is the product of those who lust for power, control, or who simply have a taste for death and destruction (ala the brutality carried out by some troops, most recently U.S. troops).
This week’s events in Israel, along with the re-invasion of Gaza, are just the next step in the long slide toward self imposed annihilation. The people who built this road, who are the authors of the coming annihilation, are the so-called neo-con drum beaters in the United States and of course the ‘I have my own agenda’ Israelis (and there are others jumping on the bandwagon too).
The new paradigm is war. It is war for any reason, real or perceived. It is proactive, pre-emptive, and out of scale to the reality of the situation. Washington (under the neo-cons) and Tel Aviv (always) have decided that the atmosphere for destruction is right. They have set the tone for the world. Don’t be surprised if the world goes up in flames.
- Civilian death —“ ok
- Disproportionate and random shelling, bombing, bulldozing —“ ok
- Hit civilian targets – ok
- Drop a bomb on a car filled with five kids and a terrorist – ok
- Invading other sovereign countries based on a perception —“ ok
- Blockades —“ ok
- Playing poker with one devil to get the next – ok
- Lies to make it all ok —“ ok
I cannot fathom the idea that we or Israel are so unsophisticated and so inept that we have to bulldoze and use low yield nuclear weapons to get the ‘bad guys’.
Now, I am no pacifist. I hope every terrorist gets a nice hole in their head ASAP. I just think we could use brains to do it rather than brawn. That we could think our way through solutions, rather than bulldozing through them. That we could be a shining example of justice, truth, and civilized ideals, rather than a people who trample on their own rights in order to act like their enemy.
Terror is being committed on all sides and the innocent are the ones being hurt. No matter how you count the bodies, the innocent outweigh the guilty. That’s not just, truthful, or even smart in the long run. If you don’t see your children and grandchildren covered in blood when they relay the pictures from Beirut, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Gaza, or Baghdad, then you are not a Christian or a human being.
For additional information check out Antiwar.com and the Anti War Blog.
