Living @ ease in an Uneasy World Part 1
What Does
the Bible Say about War?
by Greg Hanson
Sunrise Wesleyan Church
March 23, 2003
In the last 3,434 years there have only been 268 years that have seen
no war. During the last 5,573 years – recorded history – there have
been over 14,530 wars averaging a little over 2.6 wars each year. And
here we are watching another one unfold on our TV screens.
A number of weeks ago I planned to begin this message series on Living
@ Ease in an Uneasy World. Of course, at the time tensions were high
and the U.S. was attempting to persuade the United Nations to forcibly
move into Iraq. But who could have known then that just a few days
before we would begin this series that the U.S. would lead just a few
countries in a war against Iraq, while at the same time facing
opposition from countries around the globe including Canada and
battering popular opinion at home and abroad?
But here we are. Many of us watched late Wednesday evening when the
bombing began. We watched the news coverage from both Canadian and
American perspectives. We’ve seen the beginning of the Air Assault and
watched as troops sped across the Iraqi desert.
It’s amazing to see the variety and the extremes of opinions regarding
this war. You’ll find people who are horrified by the war and are
protesting in huge numbers. Perhaps you saw some of the news coverage
yesterday of protests in Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Atlanta, San
Francisco, and Chicago. There was one protest in Montreal with upwards
of 200,000 participants… a number I can hardly imagine. So you’ll find
thise people who are horrified by war, you’ll also find those who wish
the UN had been given more time. They would have been happy with
containment while the inspectors continued to search for weapons of
mass destruction. And you’ll find people who will tell you; “It’s about
time! This war was coming sooner or later, and it’s best to happen on
our time schedule.”
This morning, we’re going to look at some questions you may have
regarding war. And as we do that, we’ll explore some verses in the
Bible which may be applicable to this war and any other war, and which
may give you the framework to form your own opinions and guide your
actions.
So let’s get going. The first question we’re going to look at is…
What Are the Causes of War?
Well, to answer that, let’s look at what the Bible says.
James 4:1-2 (The Message)
Where do you think all these appalling wars
and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again.
They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep
inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to
kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get
your hands on it.
You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you?
I believe from these verses and from observation, there are a couple of
causes we can identify for war. The first one is…
Selfishness
Somebody wants more land, more resources, more power than they already
have. And they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Perhaps
they look at another society and is jealous of their way of life, their
prosperity, their freedom. Time and time again we’ve heard that this is
the reason for the terrorist attacks leading to the War on Terrorism.
People looked at our society, saw the freedom we enjoy, became envious
of it, and ended up hating us for it.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait over a decade ago, it was because of the oil
fields they wanted to control. They were acting on their selfish envy
for what Kuwait had.
I read a story this week about Abraham Lincoln. According to the story,
he was walking down the street one day with his two boys. And both of
his sons were quite upset and were crying. A man walking by stopped
Lincoln and asked what was wrong with the boys. Lincoln looked at him
and replied, “Just what’s wrong with the world. I have three walnuts
and each wants two.”
Selfishness. Selfishness can be a cause for conflict. The second cause
is…
Pride
Proverbs 13:10 (NLT)
Pride leads to arguments; those who take
advice are wise.
Pride. Somebody has made a mistake and is too proud to admit it. Or
they want to be a heavyweight in the international community and
they’re willing to go to war to achieve it. Or they think they’re
better than their adversary and want to impose their way of life on
them.
Think back to the Second World War. What was the deal with the Nazis?
They believed they were a superior race and it was their duty to
dominate the world and eradicate whoever was inferior.
So those are causes of war: Selfishness and Pride. You’ll find this in
battles between nations, between businesses, between husbands and
wives, between friends, between, parents and children, between labour
and management… wherever there’s a conflict, you’ll find that somebody,
maybe both, is exhibiting selfishness or pride.
That's
the first question: What are the causes of war. The second is...
When Is It Right to Fight?
Some people are always game for a fight. Thankfully they’re in the
minority, but some people would vote for war every time. In fact, some
people would even claim it’s their religious duty to instigate
conflicts and forcibly convert anyone who does not share their
religious bias. That’s what’s been happening with militant Islamic
groups. And that’s what was happening in the Crusades a thousand years
ago. But they were wrong. God did not condone what they did, and I
don’t think there’s anyone here this morning who would defend this view.
Some other people, though, would tell you that there’s never a time to
fight. They would say that war and conflict is never okay, and that the
Bible itself speaks against it. They would use verse like…
Matthew 5:38-39
You have heard that the law of Moses says,
`If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a
tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it.'
But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right
cheek, turn the other, too.
But the argument is, does this refer to only interpersonal conflicts,
or does it also include nations and governments? I wholeheartedly
believe in the wisdom of this passage and the morality of this passage
for my own life, and I try to live by it. But I’m not convinced that
when Jesus spoke those words that He implied that nations should never
consider war, and that they should take no steps to protect themselves.
In fact, in other passages it seems clear that governments are
responsible to protect their citizens and take steps to punish
wrongdoers.
Romans 13:4 (NLT)
The authorities are sent by God to help you.
But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid,
for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for
that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.
Was Jesus a pacifist? No. Jesus encountered many Roman soldiers, but
not once did He tell a soldier that he should get out of the army. In
fact, Jesus once made a whip and chased people out of the temple by
force. He even once told his disciples to sell their coats and buy a
sword (Luke 22:36). So while He taught forgiveness and restraint, it
seems apparent that even Jesus believes there’s a time when war may be
necessary.
So the question is, when is it right to fight? Let me give you three
occasions:
In Order to Free the Oppressed
Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)
Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the
oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.
You’ll notice this verse talks about helping the oppressed. But there’s
also another important word in there: justice. Tyrants, evil dictators,
and wicked rulers need to be brought to justice. Yes, the Bible does
say a lot about peace. But it also says a lot about justice.
Rick Warren, an author and pastor of a large church in California, says…
“Christians are not just interested in peace. We want peace, but we
want peace with justice. Peace at any price is no peace. Peace at any
price is appeasement… God is not only a God of peace but He is a God of
justice.”
~ Rick Warren
In Order to Protect the Innocent
Proverbs 18:5 (NIV)
It is not good to be partial to the wicked
or to deprive the innocent of justice.
There are a lot of people in the world who can’t stand up for
themselves. The don’t have the strength, the support, or the courage.
And they need our help.
In Order to Stop the Spread of Evil
We looked at this verse earlier.
Romans 13:4 (NLT)
The authorities are sent by God to help you.
But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid,
for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for
that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.
It is the responsibility of our nation to stop the spread of evil
whenever and wherever we can. But there need to be rules in how we do
it.
Way back in the fourth century, a man named Augustine introduced the
concept that there are times when going to war is honourable and right…
no longer a matter of choice but a matter of necessity.
He summed up this concept when he wrote…
“Peace is not sought in order to provoke war, but war is waged in order
to attain peace.”
~ Augustine
This concept has been expanded and refined over the centuries into
what’s called the Just War Theory. Basically, this theory states that
participation in a war can be morally justified under certain
conditions. Let me share with you what those conditions are:
Just War Essentials
-
A Just War Must Have a Just Cause
If the current war is about oil, that’s not a just cause. If it’s to
free the Iraqi people and protect innocents from weapons of mass
destruction, that’s a just cause. I don’t know which is the case. I
expect it’s a little of both.
A just war must have a just cause. It’s not about what we’re willing to
kill for; it’s about what we’re willing to die for.
-
A Just War Must Have a Just Intent
The intent should be to secure a fair and lasting peace for everyone
involved. It should not be for economic exploitation, revenge, or
ethnic cleansing.
-
A Just War Must Have Legitimate
Authority
In other words, I can’t declare war on Iceland. I don’t know why I’d
want to, but even if I did I couldn’t. Only our government has the
authority to declare war. We can petition our government and express
our views and vote them out if we don’t agree with them, but as long as
they’re in office it’s their call.
-
A Just War Must Have Limited and
Achievable Goals
Total annihilation of the enemy and destruction of their civilization
is not good. That’s neither limited, nor really attainable.
-
A Just War Must Be Proportional
You don’t burn down the barn to roast the pig. You don’t win at all
costs. The good resulting from the war should be worth the loss of
lives, the injuries and the property damage.
-
A Just War Must Not Intentionally
Harm Civilians
That’s one thing that so far seems to be going well in this war. The
coalition forces seem to be taking extreme care to hit only military
and political targets, and there’s even speculation that they’re
allowing the Iraqi government to know where they’re going to hit so the
loss of life can be limited.
-
A Just War Must Be a Last Resort
This is probably the biggest area of disagreement with the current war.
Did the Coalition allow the inspectors enough time? Chief Weapons
Inspector Hans Blix says he would have preferred a few more months. May
nations feel like not all diplomatic avenues were pursued. I don’t know
all the details and I’m not in a position to say one way or the other,
but the reality is that none of us should ever crave war. And if after
all other options have been pursued we conclude that war is absolutely
necessary, remember that war in any form is a tragic and undesirable
event.
There are times for war, but there is never a time to dispose of our
morality or our ethics.
Let’s move on. The third question is…
What Should Be Our Response?
Five things…
We should never thirst for war
We should not only fear war, we should grieve it.
Again, we need to see war only as a last resort. Explore all other
possibilities first.
There was a competition held last Saturday just north of San Francisco.
It was the annual Southwestern contest of the Toronto-based World Rock
Paper Scissors Society. About 120 people took part, and Ana Martinez of
Oakland, California, won the $1,000 prize. Wouldn’t it be nice if we
could hold Rock Paper Scissors competitions to settle all disputes?
Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to work. But hey, it’s worth
a shot.
We should never thirst for war. We should pursue all possible
alternatives first.
We should seek peace, nationally and personally
As a country our goal should ultimately be to live in peace. But the
reality is that most of us don’t carry a lot of weight with our
government. We can write letters and take part in peaceful protests and
that’s all fine and good. But our desire for peace should be most
evident in our relationships with other people… how we treat them, how
we talk to them… Seek peace in all your relationships.
It’s like the old song says, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it
begin with me.”
We should honour our authorities
You may not agree with them, but there are proper ways to express your
disapproval. We elect our leaders to make tough decisions, and I’m not
sure it’s a good thing that no matter what they decide we disagree. But
if you do disagree, keep your arguments to the facts, and don’t make it
a personal attack.
1 Peter 2:13-14 (NLT)
For the Lord's sake, accept all
authority—the king as head of state, and the officials he has
appointed. For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong and to
honour those who do right.
We should pray for everyone involved
Whether you agree with war or not, it’s important to pray. Pray for the
soldiers, the generals, the politicians, the victims, the civilians,
the news correspondents, the enemy, everyone.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all
people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and
give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in
authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and
dignity.
Matthew 5:44
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those
who persecute you!
We should guard our hearts against hatred and bitterness
Because if you’re not careful, that’s exactly what will happen to you.
Let's Pray.
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