War

Philosophos: What should a Christian’s attitude be towards war?

Nomodiphas: I think a Christian should be opposed to war. We are told by Jesus to ‘turn the other cheek’ and to ‘not resist an evildoer.’ It seems from these teachings that Christians should not support or participate in war.

Philosophos: Would you go as far as to say that war is unjust?

Nomodiphas: I guess that is the conclusion that Jesus’ teaching leads one to.

Philosophos: What about the fact that the Israelites made war in the Old Testament under the direct order of God and that God at times participated in war making?

Nomodiphas: Maybe it was just then, but Jesus brought a new law.

Philosophos: That is not how justice works. Justice does not change from time to time or from person to person. And Jesus never claimed to abolish the law—in fact He categorically rejected that notion. Jesus Himself fulfilled every aspect of the law. The law showed us our sin and we are all still sinners. Jesus did not break the law in order to save us; He fulfilled the requirements of the law for us by taking upon Himself the just punishment we deserved as a consequence of our sin.

Nomodiphas: Could it be that war is not unjust today, but also not a valid action of government? The wars of the Old Testament were different because they had different functions. God used Israel to accomplish His specific purposes for that region. No nation can claim this special status today so no war can be valid in the way it was then.

Philosophos: What do you make of the fact that soldiers approached John the Baptist and specifically asked him what changes they should make in their lives and he did not tell them to quit the military? Or the fact that Jesus healed the daughter of a centurion and commended him for his faith and in no way told him to change his way of life as He did to others? Or the fact that neither Peter nor Paul nor any other New Testament author condemns or prohibits war? There is no distinction between wars, no claim that some are valid and others are not. There is no difference made between just wars and unjust wars and no allowance for the former with a prohibition of the latter (as some today claim). War is not encouraged, but it is also not condemned. The Bible makes it clear to us what behavior is prohibited and it is dangerous for us to read restrictions into the Bible that are not there. Those that did this at the time of Jesus were the people most sharply criticized by Jesus (the Pharisees). It is true that we are to lay down our rights including our right to self defense (we are to not strike back, but turn the other cheek—we are to give mercy as God gives mercy to us and not vindicate ourselves but allow God to vindicate us), however no where in the Bible are we instructed to lay down the rights of others. On the contrary we are instructed to defend the weak and their rights.

Pacificism is wrong because it necessitates the denial of one’s value, the abdication of one’s duty, and is often founded upon cowardice. Christian pacifists often say that we have no rights as Christians so we may not defend ourselves. This is completely unbiblical. No where in the Bible does it say that man lacks rights, on the contrary man is made in God’s image. Man has both rights and value, but we are asked to lay down these rights as we follow Christ. That is what makes turning the other cheek so beautiful. We do not say I am nothing and have no right to strike you back, on the contrary we as Christians say justice allows me to strike you and I thereby have a right to do so, however, in imitation of Christ I lay down this right and give you mercy just as Christ has given me mercy.

Pacificism also involves rejecting one’s duty to protect his brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, parents, and countrymen. We may not lay down their right to life; on the contrary, if we are able, we are to defend them from harm. We are who we are because of those around us and all our lives we have benefited from the configuration of our state. Those around us have served us and if the state orders us, we must serve them. In a time of need we may not relinquish our duty to defend and sacrifice on behalf of the state.

Finally many, though not all, are pacifists because they are cowards. Consider the Vietnam protests. Do you think the majority of those hippies gave a damn about the Vietnamese? I highly doubt it. The protests were completely self interested. After growing up with all the benefits that our country endows upon its citizens, these kids were selfish and unwilling to put their happiness on hold in order to sacrifice on behalf of their country. They feared hardship and selfishly wanted to keep themselves from it. Their pacifism was not principled, but only a crass display of their selfishness and cowardice.

Nomodiphas: But we are talking about war. War brings with it an uncountable host of horrors: suffering, injury, pillage, fear, hunger, famine, poverty, and emotional trauma to name a few. Why would we ever want this?

Philosophos: No one in their right mind would ever want this. War is not something to be desired, but it is something that must be endured in order to avoid even worse terrors. Let me ask you this: are there values that are greater than human life?

Nomodiphas: I am sure there are.

Philosophos: Liberty, justice, security, and provision—I would sacrifice my life for these things. I would give my life so that my family could enjoy these things. I would endure a war so that my children would not have to live a life without these things. I imagine you would too. War is not the worst thing in the world for death is not the worst thing in the world. Slavery and injustice for example are far worse than death and sometimes these things can only be avoided by means of war. On this ground war is justified.

Nomodiphas: You’re right. I too would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.

Philosophos: Now consider the death rate for a moment. How does war affect the death rate?

Nomodiphas: In one sense it doesn’t. I suppose it brings death sooner to some, but all are destined to die. But the way they die, it seems to be much worse than the average death.

Philosophos: Indeed, for those who die in war the death rate is still 100%. As for the type of death that war generally brings, I would take the opposite position. Most that die in war die in a moment’s time. Death on the battlefield often comes without warning and is relatively painless due to its instantaneous nature. If you asked people in a nursing home if they would rather endure a slow, agonizing death induced by years of cancer or the other ailments that bring pain and death to the elderly: Alzheimer’s, strokes, diabetes, arthritis, and the slow breakdown or their body or if they would prefer to die an instant death on the battlefield, surrounded by their closest friends, giving their lives for others and for values greater than themselves, I would bet that few would reject the option of death on a battlefield.

Further the good thing about war is that those who die in war are more likely to be at peace with God, because their death is more likely to be contemplated. War makes us come to terms with our deaths; the church fathers thought it was a good thing of us to be aware of our mortality. As C.S. Lewis said, only a wise man does this in peaceful times, during war even fools must come to terms with the temporal nature of life. Citizens of nations at war do not live day after day, year after year without contemplating their death, assured that death is distant (as most do now). On the contrary they are constantly aware that today may be there last day. This discourages frivolous living and encourages one to examine their life and ask the deep questions of life. This in turn gives God opportunity to reach people.

Nomodiphas: But must one participate in a war if called upon, or may a Christian be a conscientious objector? What if the war is a war of conquest or for some other ignoble purpose?

Philosophos: Are taxes always used for just expenditures?

Nomodiphas: No.

Philosophos: But must one pay them nonetheless?

Nomodiphas: Yes, as a Christian we are to pay taxes to our government. Jesus was asked this question and told His followers that they must ‘render to Caesar what is Caesar’s.’ They were to pay these taxes to Rome even though the Roman imperial government was not always just.

Philosophos: So one has a duty to pay their taxes even if those revenues are used for wrong purposes?

Nomodiphas: Yes.

Philosophos: Why is that?

Nomodiphas: Because the government needs taxes to function. Even though not everything the government does is just, the government needs taxes to perform its functions. If people could evade taxes because the government was doing something unjust, no one would ever pay taxes because no earthly government will ever be perfectly just.

Philosophos: Does it not follow that war is the same? A core function of the government is to protect us, to protect our right to live. In order to do that the government requires the service of able bodied men. Able bodied men therefore have a duty to provide this service to the government when called upon. They may not get out of the commitment simply because the war they are fighting is not completely just. People are imperfect and I would be surprised to ever witness a perfectly just war. No where in the Bible is war condemned, no where in the Bible are we told we can or should lay down the right to resist of another. On the contrary the Bible makes it clear that the government has a duty to administer justice and protect our rights and that we have a duty to furnish the government with the ability to carry out its function.