The Pacifist Error

Some people, who call themselves Christians, make the mistake that God never wants them to fight in a war. They misread verses like Exodus 20:13 (BBE) which states, "Do not put anyone to death without cause."

As I've pointed out before, murder is the killing of a human without just cause. It's up to appointed judges to administer justice, as Deuteronomy 16:18 (BBE) prescribes. "You are to make judges and overseers in all your towns which the Lord your God gives you, for every tribe: and they are to be upright men, judging the people in righteousness."

Paul also affirms that governments and judges are put in place by God to deal with the unjust. Romans 13:3 and 4 (BBE) declares, "For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise; For he is the servant of God to you for good. But if you do evil, have fear; for the sword is not in his hand for nothing: he is God's servant, making God's punishment come on the evil-doer."

War is also justified when rescuing captives. As Genesis 14:14 to 17 (BBE) describes, "And Abram, hearing that his brother's son had been made a prisoner, took a band of his trained men, three hundred and eighteen of them, sons of his house, and went after them as far as Dan And separating his forces by night, he overcame them, putting them to flight and going after them as far as Hobah, which is on the north side of Damascus. And he got back all the goods, and Lot, his brother's son, with his goods and the women and the people."

Some unlearned people figure that the Bible teaches genocide and that any one following its teachings is in favour of mass murder. This is false. The battles Israel fought were for that time only. Exodus 23:29 to 31 (BBE) shows that God let Israel drive out the Canaanites until they reached his prescribed borders. "I will not send them all out in one year, for fear that their land may become waste, and the beasts of the field be increased overmuch against you. Little by little I will send them away before you, till your numbers are increased and you take up your heritage in the land. I will let the limits of your land be from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the waste land to the river Euphrates: for I will give the people of those lands into your power; and you will send them out before you."

In fact, the only instruction for Israelite soldiers was listed in verses such as Numbers 31:19 (KJV) which says, "And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day."

I could write so much more on this topic alone. Instead, I'll save it for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Many people hear lies about God and reject the gospel because of ignorant teachers. May the Lord use the work of my hands to direct them to the lover of our souls.

On Thursday, I'll discuss why God is portrayed as male in the Bible.

Why is Human Life Sacred?

Those who teach evolution would have us believe that we're no better than other creatures eking out a living on this planet. If that's the case, why do we have morals? And shouldn't only the fittest of us be allowed to live?

Starting at the beginning, our creator had in mind a special place for us. Genesis 1:26 (BBE) records, "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth."

Since we're made in God's image, destroying it through murder is a crime against the Lord. Genesis 9:6 (BBE) states, "Whoever takes a man's life, by man will his life be taken; because God made man in his image."

But how far does this extend? Some folks quote Exodus 20:13 (BBE) out of context. They think nobody should kill anybody for any reason. The verse actually says, " "Do not put anyone to death without cause."

Those two words, "without cause," are important to note. The government of any land has the God-given duty to execute any murderer. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13:3 and 4 (BBE), "For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise; For he is the servant of God to you for good. But if you do evil, have fear; for the sword is not in his hand for nothing:" he is God's servant, making God's punishment come on the evil-doer.

As for war, God used it to cleanse the land he promised to Abraham of the wicked people who dwelled there. Exodus 23:31 (BBE) tells how. "I will let the limits of your land be from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the waste land to the river Euphrates: for I will give the people of those lands into your power; and you will send them out before you."

In a case where one's land is being invaded by soldiers bent on slaughtering its citizens, then people are permitted to slay the land's enemies. We see this often in Israel's history.

We also see in Deuteronomy 32:39 (BBE) that God is the one who gives and takes life. "See now, I myself am he; there is no other god but me: giver of death and life, wounding and making well: and no one has power to make you free from my hand."

This is a big topic, too large for this post, so I'll deal with it in my next book. Because God gives and takes life, he has the right to execute judgement on those who refuse his son's generous sacrifice. After all, we have the choice of paying for our rejection of him in hell forever or letting him take our punishment and becoming his adopted children.

On Saturday, I'll post about a song which extols one of humanity's greatest inventions. It's also a powerful tool for spreading the gospel around the world.