I, too, am undecided, though remaining in the default just war position.
However, I think there are at least two distinctions that need be made:
1) While Jesus did not kill anyone, he did use violence in the temple-cleansing. So if one wants to be a pacifist, it must account for the ability to commit nonlethal violence.
2) A lot of pacifist rhetoric revolves around the damage to the soul caused by doing violence to others, irregardless of one's motives for killing. I think both sides need to confront the very real possibility of someone doing something that appears evil, and does psychological damage to themselves, but results in the greater good for others.
#2 has been particularly important to me, as regards torture. The eerie revelation was that I don't know any stable grounds for universally condemning effective and necessary torture, but I cannot ever imagine doing such an action myself.
It's a complex issue, but but not impossible. Being Christian puts us in what would appear to the worldly to be an unfair position. We are to be the image of Christ for others to see, to the best of our fallible human ability. I'll get just war out of the way quickly by saying the only just wars were those in the Old Testament which fall under some pretty narrow guidelines. One of those being that God personally delivered the command to go to war. I don't think that's happened in a very very long time. As far as self defense or the defense of others, I believe that Christians have a responsibility to respect and, when necessary, defend the negative rights of others against violations. This means Christians should not avail themselves of the benefits derived from the coercive theft called taxation except in cases where the government holds the monopoly on the good or service in question, leaving no practical alternative. For example, we homeschool our son. The Bible says that's our responsibility, plus I don't believe it's right to force someone else to pay for his education. I do, however, drive on the government's stolen roads. There's simply not a practical alternative. On the flip side of that, the Bible tells me that if someone steals my cloak, I'm to give him my coat as well. Turn the other cheek. And love my enemies.
We should value the human soul and care about its condition. If someone tries to do me harm and I retaliate, do my actions reflect those of Christ and bring him closer to a relationship with Christ? What if he's not saved and in the act of defending myself, I take his life? So, I believe that putting your life in defense of the rights of others is OK, but defending your own rights? The fact that individuals have rights at all is answered in the commandments not to steal, murder, etc. But what about Christian rights? (I'm going to rile a few here.) There should have come a time in the life of every Christian when he decided to give his life to Christ. That's unconditional and includes our earthly wealth to which we've been given stewardship, our actions, our hearts and minds. We are to throw off every selfish thing which might stand between ourselves and our relationship with Christ. We Christians don't like to think about it, but we have tons of idols hidden in our hearts. Our idols can be our selves, friends, earthly wealth, security, earthly governments, football, TV, and, (here it comes), our rights. I'm a huge advocate of respecting and defending the rights of others, but as for my rights? I gave them to Christ long ago.
This world will persecute us. There's no doubt about that, the Bible says it, so it's true. What's important in the eternal scheme of things is how we handle and react to that persecution. Do we reflect the actions of Christ or are our actions selfish?
Hi, Im from Melbourne Australia.
Please check out these two related references which provide a unique understanding of the origins & consequences of where the entire world is at in 2008.
1. http://www.ispeace723.org/
realit...yhumanity2.html
2. http://www.coteda.com
Plus one way of living the necessary cure in cooperation with others.
3. http://www.dabase.org/restsacr.htm
And a critique of the attitude that informs so called libertarianism---the eternal adolescent
4. http://www.dabase.org/coopdoub.htm
Regarding #2: Is there a way for Christians to stand against injustice committed against others--even to the point of personal peril--without perpetrating violence?
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