I’ve been thinking about war lately…asking questions like: is war ever justified? is God ok with Christians participating in wars? is God ok with war at all? aren’t Christians called to radically love in the face of hate and keep loving still? doesn’t life and death belong only in the hands of God’s will? shouldn’t then, a healthy fear of God, keep us all in abhorrence at the very thought of taking the life of one of God’s creations? As I wrestle through it, I keep pretty much coming back to the same place, a place where my heart can find peace– in the choice to adopt the beliefs of pacifism.
I was surprised to find that when I googled “Christian pacifism,” that many websites came up. I found an article from 1986 that informs about the early church’s pacifism…
“…The early Christian community understood Jesus’ commands to prohibit the bearing of arms. Christians refused to join the military, even though the Roman army of the period was as much a police force as a conquering army. Those who converted to Christianity while in military service were instructed to refrain from killing, to pray for forgiveness for past acts of violence, and to seek release from their military obligations. A striking example of the pervasiveness of pacifism in the early church is the fact that Tertullian and Origen—church fathers who stood at opposite poles regarding the relation of faith to philosophical reasoning—each wrote a tract supporting Christians’ refusal to join the military.
A profound change in the Christian attitude toward war occurred at the time of the emperor Constantine, whose conversion to Christianity helped bring the Christian community from the fringes to the center of Western society. ..”
I was happy to find that this process that God has been taking me through that has caused me to seriously consider a permanent attitude of pacifism was, historically, a trademark of the Christian faith.
Read an article about Pacifism to learn some more…
It’s interesting to note that Martin Luther King Jr. was committed to non-violent resistance. He viewed the use of violence as “both impractical and immoral.” Read more about King’s choice to resist oppression in an non-violent way.
Even as I write that, I can hear the argument in my head about King…”well, he resisted non-violently and then was violently shot and killed.” I guess my response would be that what was most important was that King lived and died in a way that was not displeasing to God. The goal in life is not self-preservation or self-advancement, but rather to live a “full” life, which can only be done when we imitate Christ in the way we love and serve others, even if others are not willing to love and serve us. It is a lofty goal; but one that is possible to the degree in which we allow God to perform His redemptive work in our hearts.
It almost seems impossible in the world we live today to imagine the actual playing out of pacifism in communal relations or international relations. I almost feel silly for the visceral emotions that I have been feeling–it’s so very counter-cultural, especially since our country is enmeshed in war. Albeit, the majority of Americans now oppose the war, but the fact is that, in general, most Americans don’t oppose war as a means of “conflict resolution,” they are just opposing this war.
Thoughts, anyone?
(note: my purpose in writing this is not to persuade. i am not making any truth claims, rather just sharing my current thoughts on the subject.)
Chad and I have fair trade stickers on our cars. It’s the only sticker that either of us have, which is I guess to say that we really value the values that motivate the movement to make sure the coffee and tea we buy has been fairly traded.