The Christian Attitude to War

Loraine Boettner

Summary

Sometimes we hear it said that all war is wrong—wrong for the defenders as well as for the aggressors—and that even when waged with the sincere purpose of restraining evil, it tends to produce greater evils than those against which it is directed. Those propositions, we submit, simply are not true. We hold that there is such a thing as a just war—just on the part of those who defend their lives and their homes against unprovoked aggression, but sinful on the part of those who make the attack. To cite only a few instances: If the people of Europe had not resisted the Mohammedan invasions, Europe would have been conquered and, humanly speaking, Christianity would have been stamped out. If at the time of the Reformation the Protestants had not resisted the Roman Catholic persecutions, crimes such as were practiced so freely in the Spanish and Italian Inquisitions would have become common over all of Europe, and Protestantism would have been destroyed. If the American colonists had not fought for their rights, this country would not have gained its independence. In international affairs, as in individual affairs, it often happens that there is an innocent party and a guilty party, although in most cases the guilt is not altogether on one side. And of course there have been many senseless, stupid, inexcusable wars in which neither side was at all concerned about righteousness.

We want to be neither pacifists nor militarists. We would define a pacifist as one who will not sanction or take part in any war, no matter what the occasion or the apparent justification—one who is for peace at any price. And we would define a militarist as one who favors heavy military armaments, primarily for purposes of aggression against other nations. We expect to show that the position that should be taken by anyone who is a true Christian and also a loyal citizen lies somewhere between those two extremes.

It should not be necessary to say that we hate war as do all right-minded people. We hope that our country may never have to engage in another. We desire peace, but we realize there are some things worse than war. We desire peace, but not the kind that is found in the slave camp or the cemetery. It is true that Christ came as the Prince of Peace, and that His followers should strive to promote peace by all lawful means. And for that reason it may seem strange that any professed Christian should enter a protest against the modern pacifist movement. Anyone who does speak against it doubtless will be misunderstood by some. We believe, however, that that movement is dangerous, and that it has no necessary or legitimate part in the evangelical program.

Since the conclusions we reach concerning these problems affect so vitally our attitude toward present-day national and international happenings, and since some people are inclined to take the view that war is always and everywhere wrong, it is important that we have a clear understanding as to what the Christian attitude toward war should be.

CrossReach Publications

Available since: 09/15/2018.

Print length: 108 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Legacy of Empire - Britain...

Gardner Thompson

It is now more than seventy years since the creation of the state of Israel, yet its origins and the British Empire's historic responsibility for Palestine remain little known. Confusion persists too as to the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. In Legacy of Empire, Gardner Thompson offers a clear-eyed review of political Zionism and Britain's role in shaping the history of Palestine and Israel. Thompson explores why the British government adopted Zionism in the early twentieth century, issuing the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and then retaining it as the cornerstone of their rule in Palestine after the First World War. Despite evidence and warnings, over the next two decades Britain would facilitate the colonisation of Arab Palestine by Jewish immigrants, ultimately leading to a conflict which it could not contain. Britain's response was to propose the partition of an ungovernable land: a 'two-state solution' which - though endorsed by the United Nations after the Second World War - has so far brought into being neither two states nor a solution. A highly readable and compelling account of Britain's rule in Palestine, Legacy of Empire is essential for those wishing to better understand the roots of this enduring conflict.

Show book

Living Room Revolution - A...

Cecile Andrews

The author of The Circle of Simplicity “joyfully invites us to discover a robust and real personal expansion with each other as we remake our society” (Mark Lakeman, cofounder, The City Repair Project).

Every man for himself! For too long we have lived in a competitive, consumer-oriented culture, destroying the well-being of people and the planet. We believe that money brings happiness, yet all too often, the opposite is true. The pursuit of wealth at any cost corrupts our values and diminishes our lives. The resulting inequality breaks down social cohesion and generates envy, bitterness, and resentment. Greed breeds more greed.

Living Room Revolution refutes the notion that selfishness is at the root of human nature. Research shows that people—given the right circumstances—can be caring, nurturing and collaborative. Presented with the opportunity, they gravitate toward actions and policies embodying empathy, fairness, and trust instead of competition, fear, and greed. The regeneration of social ties and the sense of caring and purpose that comes from creating community drive this essential transformation.

At the heart of this movement is the ancient art of conversation. Living Room Revolution provides a practical toolkit of concrete strategies to facilitate personal and social change by bringing people together in community and conversation.

The heart of happiness is joining with others in good talk and laughter. Each person can make a difference, and it can all start in your own living room!

“Small groups. Study circles. Stop ’n chats. House parties. Movie nights. Online sharing. Bring people together, and you never know what kind of fuse you’ll ignite for change.” —Wanda Urbanska, author of The Heart of Simple Living

Show book

On Being Ill

Virginia Woolf

"Always to have sympathy, always to be accompanied, always to be understood would be intolerable."
Virginia Woolf's essay begins by lamenting the surprise neglect of ill-health as a potential literary subject. What then unfolds is a dazzlingly written series of reflections on sickness, fiction, and the chilling indifference of the natural world. Above all a testament to the fundamental solitariness of the human soul, this is an indispensable work by the preeminent stylist of twentieth-century English literature.

Show book

Matrixial Logic - Forms of...

Paul Chaplin

There is a hidden architecture to how we think, and how we can think. Understanding it grants us power over our thinking. This ground-breaking book challenges 2,500 years of our thinking about thought.
Logic is the science of reality: the ultimate science. Logic dictates how we conduct physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computing. To understand reality requires first, that we understand how our understanding works.
As a former barrister and solicitor, and legal innovator, Paul has a successful 25 year career in using the logic of the law. Turning to psychology, Paul became a Certified CBT Practitioner. In 2019, he was awarded by publication a PhD in Philosophy, for applied Psychology, for his innovative book I Want To Love But: Realising The Power Of You.
The revolutionary new solutions to problems in logic, philosophy and science presented in this book can change your world.

Show book

The Game of Logic

Lewis Carroll

Game of Logic is a book written by Lewis Carroll.
Over 350 ingenious problems involving classical logic: logic is expressed in terms of symbols; syllogisms and the sorites are diagrammed; logic becomes a game played with two diagrams and a set of counters. Two books bound as one.

Show book

Egoists A Book of Supermen -...

James Huneker

Egoists, A Book Of Supermen is a work by James Huneker. It reflects upon the philosophies of several "egoist" thinkers: Stendhal, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Anatole France, Huysmans, Barrès, Nietzsche, Blake, Ibsen, Stirner and Ernest Hello.

Show book