Up until 4 or 5 years ago, I was your typical “war is a necessary part of life” type of guy. Then, something changed. I was reading about Christ and realized that He would not have been a “war is a necessary part of life” type of guy. This belief, based on Jesus’ teachings about turning the other cheek and generally suffering under evil, rather than retaliating against it, got me to thinking. So here we go....
I am not a pacifist, but I’m really close. I believe that the only time violence is an option is when it’s the only option for stopping the extreme abuse and/or murder of another. In practice this means that I believe in “just” war. A just war is, in my eyes, when a country goes to war to save those who cannot save themselves. The war in Iraq could have been such a war, but it was not. If our president said “I’m not going to stand by and watch Saddam Hussein commit genocide in his country” then I can support that... unfortunately it ended up being, primarily, about other things. Protecting our national interests, ridding the world of “WMDs”, blah, blah, blah.
That said, I don’t think a “just” war occurs very often. In fact, I’d venture to say that less than 5% of wars are just. As I mentioned above, they may be veiled in justice, but it’s usually just an excuse to further the attacker’s purposes. And here’s the other thing; even if you go to war for a just cause, it doesn’t mean you then have permission to behave like an animal. I was recently reminded of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I’m not generally a real mushy and compassionate person, but it makes me literally want to throw up to think of the lives lost in those events. If you’re truly about just war, it’s hard to justify murdering hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, unless you view them as less important than yourself. I recognize the background behind those bombings, and it really is a discussion for another time, but there is always a way to fight the evil powers within a country that doesn’t involve murdering those who aren’t to blame.
War aside, I also believe in protecting the innocent on an individual basis. I’m not going to watch someone beat down another person just because I don’t believe in violence. There is clearly a difference in suffering under evil and in watching others suffer under evil. What this doesn't give me permission to do, is to kill someone who enters my home, though that's not to say I won't. If I believe it's unavoidable to protect my family, I would do it. But, there are usually other ways to subdue or chase away an intruder. I just shudder at the thought of taking a life... taking away a chance for someone to repent of their evil and to follow God. When I pull that trigger, their current choice is locked in for eternity, so I'd better be sure it's my only choice.
I am not a pacifist, but I’m really close. I believe that the only time violence is an option is when it’s the only option for stopping the extreme abuse and/or murder of another. In practice this means that I believe in “just” war. A just war is, in my eyes, when a country goes to war to save those who cannot save themselves. The war in Iraq could have been such a war, but it was not. If our president said “I’m not going to stand by and watch Saddam Hussein commit genocide in his country” then I can support that... unfortunately it ended up being, primarily, about other things. Protecting our national interests, ridding the world of “WMDs”, blah, blah, blah.
That said, I don’t think a “just” war occurs very often. In fact, I’d venture to say that less than 5% of wars are just. As I mentioned above, they may be veiled in justice, but it’s usually just an excuse to further the attacker’s purposes. And here’s the other thing; even if you go to war for a just cause, it doesn’t mean you then have permission to behave like an animal. I was recently reminded of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I’m not generally a real mushy and compassionate person, but it makes me literally want to throw up to think of the lives lost in those events. If you’re truly about just war, it’s hard to justify murdering hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, unless you view them as less important than yourself. I recognize the background behind those bombings, and it really is a discussion for another time, but there is always a way to fight the evil powers within a country that doesn’t involve murdering those who aren’t to blame.
War aside, I also believe in protecting the innocent on an individual basis. I’m not going to watch someone beat down another person just because I don’t believe in violence. There is clearly a difference in suffering under evil and in watching others suffer under evil. What this doesn't give me permission to do, is to kill someone who enters my home, though that's not to say I won't. If I believe it's unavoidable to protect my family, I would do it. But, there are usually other ways to subdue or chase away an intruder. I just shudder at the thought of taking a life... taking away a chance for someone to repent of their evil and to follow God. When I pull that trigger, their current choice is locked in for eternity, so I'd better be sure it's my only choice.
I believe in putting myself in the line of fire to save others, and I believe that leaders of powerful nations should be willing to stand up and put a stop to oppression and genocide. Oh, how I dream of the good that a superpower (though that term is dwindling) like the U.S. could do... if only we were less concerned about posturing and furthering ourselves. Whether it’s Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Russia, or Rwandan genocide, there’s always evil that needs to be stopped just because it’s evil. Not because it will benefit me.
I guess I can summarize my thoughts by saying simply that I don’t believe in harming others without a really good reason. And the only reason I can come up with is if I have to harm another in order to save another...I guess that’s when I’ll cross the line.
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