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Pariah said:
Dogg, you're absolutely right concerning the the rule for keeping God's vengeance his own, but as far as justified interventions are concerned, you can't condemn the country or its corresponding citizens in taking up a cause that's proponent of war from a Christian viewpoint. God himself told the Jews to battle and kill the Canaanites. And simply saying that because the Old Testament didn't emphasize Christ's point regarding God's vengeance, that doesn't dispel the inherent principles that make up the rules, which have been in effect since the beginning of time (I'm referring to causality).

Christ tells us to turn the other cheek, but not to remain accessory. If someone's beating up a defenseless innocent--Perhaps to the point of death, how would God feel towards someone simply standing there and doing nothing?

I find it safe to say that God condones and encourages the taking up of arms against another country in the name of your own if the the very country you reside under sponsors component Christian philosophy and acts based upon those (at least) inherent ideals as ordained by The Christ. The Iraqi War, for example, I find, goes under such categories. President Bush sought to protect other people, mainly Americans, from WMD threats. There was also the ulterior motives of freeing the Iraqi people.



First off, thank you for a reasonable, level headed post. Of course if I saw somebody being attacked I would step in, however I would try to not step over the line of murder. It's one thing to disable somebody from causing you harm, it's another when you have to kill them to do it. Of course, if in the act of self preservation you would kill the other person (whether purposefully or accidentally), that is a matter to weigh on your conscience and something you would have to be held accountable to God for, and He would judge you righteously.

Since I strongly feel killing somebody goes against Christs teachings, I would not put myself in a situation where I would have to choose their life or mine. That is why I, as a Christian, will never go into military service nor support the actions of war. My duty to God is more important than duty to my government.