Should a Christian support war? Should a Christian be willing to serve in the military and fight in a war?
Those questions came up as I was reading the account of the bombing of Afghanistan. There are several
ways of looking at that, as seen in religious doctrines. One way is a straight up activist. When called up,
Christians are to honor the call. The pacifist view is that Christians should not kill, period. Then comes
the selective view that if there is a just cause, Christians should take up arms. All three views reference
the Bible in their defense.
In World War 1 a young man named Alvin York was a new Christian who was drafted. He tried to get a
conscientious exemption from fighting due to his religious beliefs. He failed and went to basic training.
There, he again said he did not feel that a Christian should take a life. He was given a pass to go home
and think it over. After much prayer and Bible study, he found peace in agreeing to fight for his
country. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in a battle where he killed 25 of the enemy and
took over 135 prisoners.
In WW2 Desmond Doss also objected to war because of his religious beliefs but was drafted anyway. He
refused to take up arms to the point they were considering a court martial. It was worked out that he
would be a medic and not carry any weapon. He received a Medal of Honor for saving more than 75
soldiers during the bloody battle called Hacksaw Ridge.
I personally agree with the selectivist view and that God would want us to take up arms to protect the
innocent and preserve our precious freedom. I’ve known many brave Christians who have served, each
one willing to fight for his/her country. I believe that the Lord blessed their time in the service and
honored their faith and courage. As seen in the two instances above, God can, and will, use those of
either persuasion.
Thank you to the men and women who have served. God bless America and happy Independence day!
Bro. Tony
Those questions came up as I was reading the account of the bombing of Afghanistan. There are several
ways of looking at that, as seen in religious doctrines. One way is a straight up activist. When called up,
Christians are to honor the call. The pacifist view is that Christians should not kill, period. Then comes
the selective view that if there is a just cause, Christians should take up arms. All three views reference
the Bible in their defense.
In World War 1 a young man named Alvin York was a new Christian who was drafted. He tried to get a
conscientious exemption from fighting due to his religious beliefs. He failed and went to basic training.
There, he again said he did not feel that a Christian should take a life. He was given a pass to go home
and think it over. After much prayer and Bible study, he found peace in agreeing to fight for his
country. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in a battle where he killed 25 of the enemy and
took over 135 prisoners.
In WW2 Desmond Doss also objected to war because of his religious beliefs but was drafted anyway. He
refused to take up arms to the point they were considering a court martial. It was worked out that he
would be a medic and not carry any weapon. He received a Medal of Honor for saving more than 75
soldiers during the bloody battle called Hacksaw Ridge.
I personally agree with the selectivist view and that God would want us to take up arms to protect the
innocent and preserve our precious freedom. I’ve known many brave Christians who have served, each
one willing to fight for his/her country. I believe that the Lord blessed their time in the service and
honored their faith and courage. As seen in the two instances above, God can, and will, use those of
either persuasion.
Thank you to the men and women who have served. God bless America and happy Independence day!
Bro. Tony