THE WAR QUESTION—A CHRISTIAN CANNOT FIGHT

1. The founder of the Boy Scouts knew Mark Twain.

2. Mark Twain, of course, was really Sam Clemens.

3. Clemens was a writer who used the name Mark Twain on his books.

4. The founder of the boy scouts illustrated many of Twain’s books.

MR CLEMENS ONCE WROTE SOMETHING CALLED THE WAR PRAYER. THE FOUNDER OF THE BOY SCOUNTS READ THIS PRAYER AND ASKED IF CLEMENS WOULD PUBLISH IT. ACCORDING TO THE STORY, THIS PRAYER WAS NOT TO BE PUBLISHED UNTIL SAM CLEMENS DIED.

A. The war prayer was finally published and it goes like this.

B. A certain country had just entered into a war.

C. The flags were flying; patriotic speeches were being made.

D. In the churches preachers were praying for the young men as they left for war.

E. In one congregation as a preacher was praying for victory an old man went to the front of the bldg.

F. He tapped the praying preacher on the arm. He said, “I am a messenger from God.”

G. He then said to the assembly, “Let me say what this preacher is really saying.”

H. “In praying for victory in this war this preacher is really saying,

I. “Help us, Oh, God to tear their soldiers (the enemy) to bloody shreds.

J. The prayer this preacher is leading really means, blast their homes.

K. Send their wives and children out into the snow with bleeding wounds; utterly destroy them.”

L. The old man asked the congregation if this is what they really wanted.

2. If you were present last Sunday night you heard me promise to deal with war and Christianity.

3. Since our nation is now in a state of peace this is a good time to study this matter.

A. I do not necessarily support the view taken last night or this evening.

B. Last week we presented arguments that support a Christian going to war.

C. Tonight we are going to consider the opposing view; i.e. a Christian cannot fight in a war.

D. The war prayer by Mark Twain sets the stage for this position.

E. How can a Christian ask God to blast homes, destroy families, and take the lives of others?

4. My first Bible reference comes from Mt. 26:49-52.

A. Jesus was being treated unjustly.

B. If it is right to defend oneself against an attack this was a good time to set that precedent.

C. In fact, this is the approach that Peter took – Mt. 26:49-52.

D. Peter took out a sword (a deadly weapon) ad started swinging.

E. Did Jesus take out a sword as well? Did the Lord attack those who sought to hurt Him?

F. Peter actually destroyed part of a man’s body and Jesus told him to put the weapon away.

G. Jesus said that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

H. A Christian is prohibited from destroying others.

I. Our job is to heal and not harm.

5. If we believe that a Christian may participate in armed conflict we hold to a double standard.

6. We are guilty of situation ethics.

A. During a time of peace we teach love and kindness.

B. Passages like Mt. 5:39-39 are taught.

C. During a time of war the rules taught in peacetime are changed.

D. An attitude like the one expressed in Twain’s prayer is found.

E. Doing good unto others becomes “Get them before they get you.”

F. “Bomb them before they bomb you.”

G. Though Mt. 5:38-39 deals with personal retaliation, the principle involved prohibits Chstn. in combat.

7. Let’s consider another objection.

A. Theft is wrong. Stealing is condemned by the bible.

B. Thieves cannot go to heaven according to 1 Cor. 6:9-11.

C. In a time of war at least some soldiers steal.

D. A unit of men may be separated from their company and need supplies.

E. A command officer (or a standing order) may say, “Take what you need from the enemy.”

F. “Stead from enemy homes, factories, and towns.”

G. How can a Christian condemn theft during times of peace but steal during a time of war?

8. Furthermore, Christians are forbidden from hating people.

9. Hating people is a work of the flesh.

10. This is a sin that we leave behind when we become a Christian.

A. When a soldier goes off to fight a war there must be hate in the heart.

B. The war department in this country has written,

C. “Hate must become first nature to a soldier…until he hates the enemy with every instinct and
muscle, he will only be afraid.”

11. How can a Christian possible endorse a practice which approves of and requires the?

12. How can a Christian immerse himself or herself into a practice that is wholly opposed to the Bible?

13. In a time of war people are to adopt an attitude where love for Christ & one’s fellow man is put on hold.

14. The qualities of Christianity need to be put into a deep freeze.

15. While this is what war requires, this is expressly forbidden by God (Lk. 9:62).

IN MANY WAYS WAR IS IMMORAL, AND INVOLVING OURSELF IN IT VIOLATES A NUMBE ROF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES. IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN NAMED, HERE IS ANOTHER.

A. During times of war there are spies.

B. A spy may or may not need to take a life.

C. Even if a spy does not end the life of another person, spies commit immoral acts.

D. The nature of the spy’s job requires deceit and lying.

E. Both of these activities are inconsistent with Christianity.

F. For a long time female spies have been successfully used.

G. Women have slept with the enemy to get information.

H. If we want to argue that Christians can engage in warfare to help their country,

I. Would we object to a Christian woman committing fornication to help her country?

J. How we can approve of theft from the enemy during war but not approve of fornication?

K. How can we say that during war hate is acceptable but fornication by a spy is not?

L. How can murder be wrong in life but killing an enemy in war be right?

M. These questions again show the double standard and inconsistency involved in this matter.

16. As we study the New Testament some other considerations begin to emerge.

A. God has told us that we are in a battle.

B. However, the New Testament teaches that this battle is not physical.

C. Paul described this warfare in 2 Cor. 10:3-4.

D. Please give careful consideration to what he wrote. 2 Cor. 10:3-4.

E. A Christian’s warfare is not physical.

F. Our weapons for the war we fight are listed in Eph. 6:12, 17. They are spiritual.

G. A Christian is not to go off to war and kill people.

H. A physical war defeats one of our main jobs as Christians.

I. We are called to save souls and not end lives.

17. Not only will a war cause us to kill souls that need to be saved, what about the “enemies”?

A. If we are a Christian who goes off to war, what if the “enemy” is another Christian?

B. This possibility is very real.

C. Christian may try to destroy Christian on the battlefield.

D. This is unthinkable and too reprehensible to consider.

18. About this time last week I said that the view being presented is not necessarily the one I take.

19. Tonight I want to make this same point.

20. This lesson is not designed to prove that a Christian sins if he or she enters into combat.

21. Rather, it gives some arguments for the “other side” of a difficult issue.

22. When we look at this other side we find that a Christian has 3 obligations to the government.

A. First, we must pray – 1 Tim. 1:1-2.

B. We must also pa the taxes that are imposed by the government, Rom 13:7.

C. I know of no one who enjoys paying taxes.

D. However, we do receive some benefits for our tax money.

E. Some believe that the government sometimes misspends money or uses the money for evil purposes and we should not send in our taxes, or only pay a portion.

F. Those under Roman rule paid money to a government that used the funds for idolatry.

G. The Roman government subsidized false religions.

H. Though tax money was poorly spent, the Christians still paid what they owed.

I. This was and still is God’s will.

23. Our third responsibility is to obey the civil government – Rom. 13:1.

24. This obedience, however, has some limitations.

25. Do we remember Daniel – Dan. 3:3-6; 12; 19?

26. Daniel and his friends refused to do what the officials said.

27. They refused to be involved with pagan worship because it was wrong.

28. If a Christian is called on to go to war, the arguments presented tonight allow him to be a conscient. Obj.

29. My final reference is found in Mt. 7:12, the golden rule.

A. Who here wants to be shot, stabbed, or bombed?

B. Do we want our family’s house shattered to bits by an air strike?

C. Do we want a body part to be torn apart by a land mine?

D. Do we want an enemy to plunder our homes?

E. We are to treat people as we want to be treated.

F. If we do not people doing these things to us we cannot do it to others.

30. I have argued both sides of the war question to the best of my ability.

31. I hope that if you heard both lessons you see that each side has some excellent arguments.

32. No matter what our decision is o this question, and hopefully this time will never come again,

33. We must make one decision about Christians and warfare.

34. We must be in the army of Jesus. Are we soldiers in this army?