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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | 'Conscientious Objection' Biblical? | Ex 20:13 | Sir Pent | 16612 | ||
Dear RElderCascade, In your post you admit that you do not think war is good. In fact you go further by saying it is evil, when you say, "It (war) is the lesser of two evils." If you truly believe what you say, then why would you ever choose to support something that you knew was evil? As believers, if we are presented with a choice, and we believe all options are evil, then I would say that we should refuse all given options and seek out an alternative until we can find the choice that God would want us to make. God doesn't give us more than we can handle (1 Cor 10:13), and He doesn't want us doing evil things. You also asked a valid question, "What does the Bible say?" I came across this passage in my own Bible reading just over a week ago. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (2 Cor 10:3-4) The last point that you made that I would like to respond to was that those of us who are contientous objectors should "stop saying that we should be also". I hope that you are not referring to me, but just in case, I would like to just quote the very first statement that I made in my very first posting in this thread. "It seems that most of my distinguished forum colleagues are in support of the death penalty. Let me begin by saying that I respect your opinions, and believe that it is possible for Christians to be on both sides of this issue." |
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2 | 'Conscientious Objection' Biblical? | Ex 20:13 | RElderCascade | 16727 | ||
Thank you for doing such a quality job of noticing what sloppy writing got past me. Your carefulness is much appreciated. Please allow me to clear up your questions. You must be commended to catch a logical contridiction which if I had really noticed it you can be assured I would have not left it that way. The first rule of hermaneutics is that no author would make intentionally contradict himself, so we must make every effort to interpret that author as though legitimate sense was intended. You obviously caught an inconsistency. I said that war is not good and that it is the lessor of two evils. I am sorry to use the modern phrase of such popular magnitude. I retract the word choice of "evil". I did not mean to use it in the precise ethical sense that it must have appeared as you read it. I havn't believed that the phrase "as popularized" really carried clear moral implications -- I was mistaken. Words like "evil" must mean only what the reader means them to mean, and not what the author meant by them (Hint: that was a tongue in cheek statement). What I intended to mean by the word "evil" was not what you took it to mean. I meant to say something about unfortunate choices. Such as being backed into a place where there is no choice. As a c.o. you are at risk of disobeying the clear place of the government as has been instituted by God. The government has been given the sword for such reasons as to rule and maintain order. So don't try to bring others along with you to your place of passivism. Every text out context is just a pretext please read the whole paragraph: * ΒΆ Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 2* But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3* For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4* (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5* Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Does this help you see this is not using the word war like you think it is. It is speaking about something other than a literal war. |
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3 | 'Conscientious Objection' Biblical? | Ex 20:13 | Sir Pent | 16769 | ||
Dear RElderCascade, I have just a couple of comments. The first is in regards to your usage of the word "evil". I will grant you that you probably did not intend to use that word to mean what the dictionary says it means "morally reprehensible". However, I think that it could be considered a "Freudian slip". Imagine a Christian who had to pull the switch to electrocute someone, pull the trigger to shoot a person in war, or stab a person who breaks into their house to harm their family. I am fairly confident that in all of these instances, that Christian would have a first reaction that it was "evil" and "the wrong thing to do." Only after that, would the person rationalize why "in this case" killing a person was "the right thing to do." My second comment is on the verses in 2 Corinthians that you commented on. I had just come across those in my personal devotions, and had not thoroughly researched the passage. Therefore, I had only read it in the NIV, where it seems to apply more to literal war. However, upon further reflection and after reading comments on this forum such as yours, I believe that I was wrong. I apologize for my mistake. The passage does seem to be talking about warfare in a spiritual sense as opposed to a literal one. |
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4 | 'Conscientious Objection' Biblical? | Ex 20:13 | RElderCascade | 17145 | ||
...flip the switch, shoot a person in war, defend one's home these are not all the same example morally, but they are conveniently packaged together for the c.o. perspective. Regarding flipping the switch or shooting a person in a war -- No it is not evil for the government to bear the sword according to Romans (especially chap. 13). Regarding defending yourself from an evildoer, this is not a common event in any society, and so it is an unfair characterization of what policy needs to be adhered to by a Christian. But in such an unfortunate event of such extreme magnitude: why is it less evil to allow yourself or your family to be killed? I just don't see why that is so much more ethical! | ||||||