Armed Defense There is confusion about whether or not there are ever circumstance where Christians have right to defend themselves with deadly force. This piece might bring clarification for some. Christians are forbidden to use armed coercion in the spread of the Gospel. We are not to react with force against force when specifically attacked for our Christian witness. But, what is to be our position when religion spawned psychopaths such as the Islamic State (IS) are mass butchering all who are not of their particular sect of Sunni Islam? If we apply a consistent interpretation of the Scriptures, Christians have right to join non-Christians for the mutual defense of all. The NT describes Abraham as the father of the faithful in whose steps we are to follow. His household included 300 trained militia to protect his immediate and extended family. Abraham went with them to rescue Lots family from kidnappers. The OT is filled with accounts of the valor and prowess of our favorite Bible heroes with weaponry. Hebrews 11 denotes their aggressive actions as evidence of faith that without which it is impossible to please God. God is called a Man of War and his pre-incarnate Son introduced himself to Joshua as The Lord the Captain of the Hosts when giving him the strategy for the Battle of Jericho. Were all references to armed conflict and acts of accompanying heroics extracted from the Bible, it would be a booklet. Soldiers came to John the Baptist asking what fruit of repentance was required of them. He did not tell them to change vocations. He simply admonished them not to make intimidating false accusations and to be content with their wages. Jesus commended the faith of a Roman Army officer and healed his servant. The first Gentiles to receive salvation were the relatives and friends of Cornelius who was also a Centurion. In ancient times, the military served as equivalent to policeman to maintain peace and to dole out punishment. The Apostle Paul told the Romans that these were appointed by God as ministers to insure justice. The weight of their authority carried the right to inflict pain on evil doers. The word used for minister is identical to that used of spiritual ministers. The title is the same, but the respective anointings are different. The important issue is that both are ordained of God. If it is wrong in all instances for Christians to defend themselves from aggression, it would also be wrong to expect civil servants to do so as our delegates. It would have been sinful for Paul to mention his Roman citizenship to avoid a flogging when he had specifically been arrested for his Christian witness. For that matter, it would also be unfitting for believers to keep bite prone watchdogs to protect their property. Please remember that Jesus said that to plunder a strongman’s house you must first subdue and bind the homeowner. This carries direct suggestion that all understood the right of people to protect their families and belongings. Why are these issues important now for American Christians? The Islamic State has vowed plans to invade the States. Their mission is to behead US citizens in the same style as the 2 American journalists; and the hundreds of Shia Muslims; people of Orthodox Christian heritage; and the Yazidi Kurds. The Yazidis are also called the Cult of Angels. It is a confusing mixture of Islamic Shiaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. The main point to grasp is that the IS beheading slaughter is not aimed at Christian known to be active in evangelism. All that one needs to do to qualify for torturous execution and rape is to be anything other than Sunni Muslim. If the Islamic State’s chatter and website postings are taken seriously, multiple attacks at soft targets like schools and malls could happen simultaneously within the USA in the relatively near future. It has been said that IS agents are collaborating with various major US inner-city gangs. If this happens, marauding groups comprised of IS and gangstas could make raids throughout various cities and neighborhoods looting and inflicting brutal deaths. Gang members who are initiated into gangs by drive-by shootings could easily gravitate to beheading hated victims just for the thrill of blood spilling. A number of years ago, an Islamic sniper and his driver accomplice killed and wounded many innocents in the MD, VA, and DC area. Local and Federal Law Enforcement were preoccupied with attempts to identify and capture them for weeks on end. If IS invades our shores, it is possible that Americans will need to use their 4th Amendment rights for the purpose for which it was penned. It would be shameful to have people of faith fail to play their part due to misapplication of hyper-religious concerns. Believers are free to follow the dictates of personal conscience and preference. It is legitimate to choose conscientious objection as long as it is not touted as the only godly option.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 00:54:12 +0000
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