Pensamientos para hoy (afterthought for today)
Hawk or Pacifist?
Whether we like it or not Christians and Jews are in a war with Islamic terrorists. Paul Marshall, author of several books about religious freedom, says that "there are direct, violent attacks by [Islamic] extremists on Christian communities. These occur in Egypt, Algeria, Iran, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nigeria, Indonesia, [and other countries]."1 And the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, has warned us of the danger of radical Islam saying that Islam "is a very evil and wicked religion".2 As Christians how are we to respond to this threat? Should we be pacifists or hawks? What does the Bible say? The pacifist will respond by quoting Jesus' words: "Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. . . love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:38-39, 43-45)."3 Jesus is giving advice on how an individual should deal with personal antagonists. Jesus is saying that as individuals we are not to retaliate when someone insults or mistreats us. These verses, however, should not be used to answer the question about how to respond to an enemy who is attacking our family or country. Other Scriptures shed light on the question of self-defense. Jesus once told his disciples to buy swords: "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one (Luke 22:36)." The implication of this verse is that these swords were necessary for self-defense. When his disciples showed him their swords Jesus seems not to show any disapproval (see Luke 22:36-38, 49-51). The Bible also does not denigrate military service. When soldiers came to John the Baptist and asked him what God wanted them to do John said, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages (Matthew 3:14)." John did not tell them to lay down their arms and become conscientious objectors. In light of these Scriptures, therefore, I conclude that Christians may and rightly should join local police and the military to help maintain safety and freedom. Jesus loves all people but a day will come when he will return in vengeance and destroy his enemies at the Battle of Armageddon. As Christians we have a duty to love our enemies and pray for them, but at the same time we have a duty to protect our families and our country from Islamic terrorism. Sometimes armed conflict is the answer, and although lethal force should be used only as a last resort, we cannot simply bury our heads in the sand and hope that the terrorists will leave us alone. Sometimes we have to make the difficult choice of fighting for freedom and country. Let us, therefore, pray that God would quickly bring an end to this terrible war with radical Islam. As Paul says, we should pray "for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life (1 Timothy 2:1-2)" Praying for peace and standing for freedom, Pastor Steve April 11, 2008Footnotes1 Jamie Glazov, Symposium: The Muslim Persecution of Christians [web-page] available at: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=8C1D2863-9FE5-43E9-BA8E-B21C2FFE5158. 2008, FrontPageMagazine.com. Internet accessed on April 4, 2008. 2 Christian evangelist Franklin Graham blasts Islam, [web-page] available at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/09/america/NA_GEN_US_Christian_Evangelist_Sudan.php. The Associated Press, 2006 as cited in the International Herald Tribune, 2008. Internet accessed April 4, 2008. 3 Matthew 5:38-39, 43-45 NASB (New American Standard Bible). Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
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