Is killing in war "justified?"

[Aida]

I have a question: Is the killing in war (like in Iraq) justified? I feel like our soldiers are protecting us, and I know that if they didn't we would lose our lives from THEIR wrath. But, I know it says in the Bible not to kill, so is this wrong? I know this may sound so dumb, but I have wondered that for quite some time.

Thanks!

[Guest shiloh357]

I have a question:  Is the killing in war (like in Iraq) justified?  I feel like our soldiers are protecting us, and I know that if they didn't we would lose our lives from THEIR wrath.  But, I know it says in the Bible not to kill, so is this wrong?  I know this may sound so dumb, but I have wondered that for quite some time. 

Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Killing in war is justified. The question you will find on this board is, "Is the war in Iraq a justifiable war?"

The Bible says not to murder. It does not say that we cannot kill. God is saying that we cannot willfully and wantonly take an innocent life.

In war, innocent people die. Every war we have fought has had innocent people who were not targets beome fatalities because they were used as human shields, or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some have been mistaken for enemy soldiers.

A moral distinction has to be made between targetting an innocent person and an innocent person dying accidentally in the course of combat.

There is a differnce between accidentally hitting a pedestrian who jumped out in front of your car, and willfully gunning your car to hit a pedestrian. One is murder, the other is not. We can make the distinction in other contexts, so we can make the distinction where war is concerned.

Killing a legitimate enemy combatant is not murder. Killing an innocent civilian ON PURPOSE is.

[dgolvach]

We would have lost millions and millions less if we would have listened to Churchill and gone to war with Hitler in the 30s. Instead we waited and lost 50 million in the 1940s and on both sides. The death toll in Japan was lessend by dropping the A-bomb and ending that part of WW2. We actually killed more in conventional bombing raids. A full ground invasion of Japan would have come at a much greater cost in terms of lives on both sides. War is the most hellish thing to visit mankind but sometimes it can't be avoided nor should it. God commands war many times in the Bible. He did not say "don't kill". He said "don't murder". A rightous war saves lives. It is very dangerous to be passive with evil regimes that are growing and becoming able to produce WMD. Especially regimes who tell zealots that they will get 72 sweethearts in heaven for killing themselves as they take out as many of the enemy(us) as possible.

DAN......

[Leonard]

"Justified"? Heck, as I understand the thing, it's nearly considered a requirement!

[other one]

I can't remember exactly where the scripture is, but somewhere in the new testament, as I remember two people asked either Jesus or Paul what they should do from becoming new followers of Christ. The first was a tax collector and was told to only take the tax that was due to be paid. The other was someone in the military and was told basically not to mistreat innocent people. He was not told to leave the military nor to refuse to fight, but to do his duty in an honorable way. It did not say to not take a life if necessary.

This is a paraphrase of what I am pretty sure I read. If someone knows where this scripture is help me out here please.

[Guest hubertdorm]

I'm with Shiloh. Killing and murder aren't the same. People are killed in war, and yes, some people are murdered. Iraq is it's own question, whether or not we are there with good cause. If all wars (and therefore killings) are wrong, consider the consequences:

Jews would have been annihilated from all of Europe

Americans would have no country, nor even be Americans

God would be a murderer

One murder we can all be thankful for: the muder of Jesus Christ. His death means our life

[seraph]

I can't remember exactly where the scripture is, but somewhere in the new testament, as I remember two people asked either Jesus or Paul what they should do from becoming new followers of Christ.  The first was a tax collector and was told to only take the tax that was due to be paid.  The other was someone in the military and was told basically not to mistreat innocent people.  He was not told to leave the military nor to refuse to fight, but to do his duty in an honorable way.  It did not say to not take a life if necessary.

This is a paraphrase of what I am pretty sure I read.  If someone knows where this scripture is help me out here please.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

• Luke 3:2b-3,12-14
  God's word came to John the son of Zachariah in the wilderness.
  
  He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
  
  Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"
  
  He told them, "Don't collect any more than what you have been authorized."
  
  Some soldiers also questioned him: "What should we do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages."
  

[other one]

Thanks..... It was John that discussed it.......

[seraph]

YW.

[Cherub_Rocket]

I believe it says in Ecclesiastes that there is "a time for everything under the sun," including war.