“TOMORROW AMERICA OBSERVES A TIME CALLED, MEMORIAL DAY. IT IS A DAY SET ASIDE TO REMEMBER OUR FALLEN CASUALTIES OF WAR. AS WE DO, LET US REFLECT ON THE BIBLICAL AND MORAL BASIS OF WAGING JUST WARS”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about war from a Christian ethics point of view…

…Again that great holiday America calls “Memorial Day” is upon us tomorrow. For those young folks who may not be aware, Memorial Day, was originally called Decoration Day. It was a day set aside to pause from the busyness of life and remember those who have died in our nation's service for defending life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings that are questionable. However Decoration Day was first observed on 30^th of May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery . 

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May. However, Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer. To many people, this day, is an important reminder of those who died in the military service of war defending our country. Yet today our youngest generation seems to balk at celebrating such a day of remembrance, and actually sees war, all war as something ungodly, immoral and wicked. For the many in this camp, often called the Peace Activist Camp, it is wrong to honor such soldiers’ deaths, for in their eyes, they were immoral individuals who did not die valiantly, but senselessly. In this I beg to differ and after another moment of music will tell you why in my message entitled: REMEMBER THE FALLEN…

…To date, the total casualties of all of America ’s wars fought – from the nation’s founding War of Independence to the modern day Iraqi Wars, the number comes close to 1.5 million men and women have died defending our nation and its present and future freedom. For their valiant deaths, all America owes a debt of gratitude which should certainly be expressed on this day called “Memorial Day.”

However this special day, now a three day weekend for most is nothing more than the unofficial beginning of the summer season in the United States , and it also is a time for families to get together for picnics, ball games, and other early summer activities. Remembering the fallen seems to be some antiquated idea that has passed its time. Why the other day, on a street corner in my city, Grand Junction Colorado , there were a number for young people standing around with signs that read --  “WAR IS OBSOLETE,” “MAKE LOVE NOT WAR,” “BUSH’S WAR IS IMMORAL.” These signs carried by various scruffy looking young people and a few older ones as well, reflect a modern day thinking of a growing number of Americans, who frankly feel that our last war with Iraq ’s dictator, was an unjust and immoral war of American imperialism! When I saw the signs I wanted to shout to these people how wrong they were and that they needed to read their bible to find out what a just war was all about. So, it was with this demonstration that I felt I ought to share with my radio audience the biblical basis and ethnics of fighting war to defend our nation and its freedoms we have graciously been given by God.  So let me share my thoughts with you this Memorial Day weekend.

To begin I ask a couple for questions:   “What should the Christian’s attitude be toward waging war? Is it to be “Pacifism, Activism, or Selectivism?” “What does the Bible teach, and what does the fundamental faith of Christianity show us?” Well let’s talk about it.

The big questions are – “Is it ever right to take the life of another person under the command of our government?” “Is there a biblical basis for engaging in war? Let’s explore these three views as they pertain to war and the Bible. The first is,

1. PACIFISM - WHICH TEACHES IT IS NEVER RIGHT TO WAGE WAR – 

There are many who claim to be Christian’s who strongly resist any notion that it is right to wage war. Usually they appeal to the Ten Commandments that many know contain the phrase “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exo. 20:13). Also they appeal to the New Testament teaching of Jesus who said, “Do not resist one who is evil.” (Mat 5:39 ). Thus for the pacifist, killing is always wrong and resisting evil with force is wrong. For these folks war breeds more war, and always results in many more evils since war is based on the sin and evil of greed. So the true pacifist refuses to fight in any war or defend one another against evil and aggression of any kind. They leave the results, good or bad, to God to take up for their needs. Therefore for any government to wage war is absolute evil to them. These folks are sincere, but sincerely wrong and any attempt to justify their position by appealing to the Bible or Christianity is false and a distorted view of Scripture. Now secondly there is the opposite view of some we will call…

2. ACTIVISM – WHICH TEACHES IT IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A NATIONALLY DECLARED WAR – 

Those who follow this persuasion believe that it is a Christian duty to obey government and participate in every war that government enlists. The main argument is that the bible teaches us to obey our government, good or bad, because all governments are ordained by God. Their defense is found in the following verses of the New Testament,

Rom 13:1 (NIV) Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Mat 22:21 (NIV)  … “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

It would follow from this, according to biblical activists, that all citizens of nations should respond to the call of their government to war because God has authorized them to use the sword of justice against their wicked enemies. To disobey any government, the activist believes leads to revolution, chaos and anarchy. Again, this being the opposite position of the biblical pacifist one can see how both sides loathe the other. However, I submit to you both are NOT the biblical basis for taking either position against war or to participate in the justness of government.

Today it seems the liberal Democratic Party and most radical left-wingers are good bedfellows in the cry that war is wrong, and especially the Iraqi War which they claim is Bush’s War for American Imperialism. Well, I’ll not argue for or against that accept to say, America ’s declaration of war against Iraq was not against its people, but the brutal dictatorship that hungrily was working toward nuclear armament. In our unique day and age, we now know that preventative waging of war against imperialistic and fanatical Muslim leaders and their nations may be necessary for the safety of American lives.  911 was that wakeup call that previous ideas of just war may need an added point, which I believe was justly made by America going to war with the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein and his brutal and evil government . Now since I’ve shown you the two extreme positions pertaining to war, there is one more which I believe is the biblical one for everyone to embrace, Christian or not. It is called,

3. SELECTIVISM – WHICH TEACHES IT IS RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME WARS – 

Not all Christians accept blind patriotism that sends our men and boys off to war to defend some political position, advantage or goal. The slogan “My country right or wrong,” is certainly unbiblical at best. For the Bible clearly teaches the believer in Christ he or she is not obligated to obey all governments in everything it command, especially its call to war if it conflicts with God’s higher law and commands. The Bible gives clear illustration of this from the Old Testament to the New Testament, that Christians can and should resist the laws of any nation that conflict with God’s. For instance in,

Daniel, Chapter 3, we find three young Hebrew men who refused the government’s order of their day to bow down and worship a golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and his friends broke the law by not obeying, but God approved of it because the command of government violated the greater command of God, not to bow down and worship anything in the creation but God Himself.  Then in the New Testament passages of Acts 4:18 - 20 we have the apostles resisting the lawful governing authorities of Israel , when they refused to stop preaching in the Name of Jesus (Acts 5:29 ).

Overall, government must be obeyed when it follows God’s Word and acts justly towards others. But no Christian is commanded by God to obey further than that which upholds God’s highest Law found in the Scriptures. Now this brings us to the question, “is it ever right to wage war and obey our governments call to do so?” The answer is yes! So then what makes a war just and biblically permissible for a Christian to participate in? The answer is found in the following principles:

FOUR ARGUMENTS FOR JUST WAR:

I. A WAR IS JUST WHEN IT IS IN DEFENSE OF THE INNOCENT - 

Our case in point earlier about Abraham going to war in defense of his nephew Lot who was carried off by marauding aggressors is an example. God gave permission to fight, defend, and rescue them at the expense of taking of human life (Gen 14). Yes, God commands us to live in peace as much as possible, but this command also carries with it the right to defend that peace from others who would violently attempt to take it away. There is a moral duty to keep peace and restore it where it has been seriously violated. This was the basis of World War II and America ’s defense of Europe and the Pacific. Japan and Germany were aggressors who sought to enslave nations to their wicked evil ideology. They attacked us in pursuit and we had the right to defend ourselves. America 's participation to fight against them and kill those who came against us, was morally and biblically right. God be thanked for those who died to defend us against that evil of that day. Now a second basis for a just war is,

II.  A WAR IS JUST WHEN FOUGHT TO EXECUTE JUSTICE - 

A just war may at times be punitive. It is right sometimes just to take military action against, and even invade a nation that has assaulted another nation. Again Hitler invaded other countries, mercilessly killing the innocent. Japan likewise invaded China with terrorism and bloodshed. Justice demanded that punishment fit the crime, whether the criminal is an individual or a nation. Those nations which commit terrible injustices are subject to retribution by God-fearing decent peace loving nations. This of course means we are not to be the aggressor, even if another nation is persecuting its own people. Thus, preemptive strikes can be justified but are rarely. Now there is a third concept of a just war and it is,

III.  A WAR IS JUST WHEN FOUGHT BY GOVERNMENT ONLY - 

No individual has the right to take human life, unless it is self-defense. Only governments have been given by God the right to engage in military activity to maintain peace, protect its citizens against evil, and to take the lives of hardened aggressors. Therefore only” declared wars” may be just. A government must publicly declare war against the aggressive nation, and let them know of it before any attacks are launched. Of course, let it be said, not every war declared by a government is just. It must meet these criteria for a Christian to morally stand with his government in the pursuit of defense. Now lastly,

IV. A WAR IS JUST WHEN IT IS FOUGHT RIGHTEOUSLY - 

When engaged in war, even if permitted by God and His Word, to defend against marauders and evil, not every act in it may be just. For instance the use of chemical and biological warfare, or indiscriminate destruction of innocent life of civilians is wrong and unjust. An example can be found in,

Deu 20:19-20 (NIV) "When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them? 20 However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls."

 Protection of the environment as much as possible should be observed. Why? Because innocent people are there, even in an aggressive nation and after war is over, they must have food to be sustained. It's inhumane to kill and destroy the land that belongs to the innocent.

Now these are just a few ideas that give Christians, the peace to know that those of us who fought in our nation's wars did so not only to preserve our peace, tranquility and lives, but did so in a way we can give thanks to God for their sacrifices, knowing God looks down on their actions without prejudice.

I wonder today, how much evil would have enslaved the world, if Christians were not willing to fight to preserve the peace God gave us? America is here because God gave this land to Christians, never lose sight of that. We have the right to defend this land against any and all who would seek to destroy it, and our peace, without and within too. Yet, our main mission is peace, and a peace only God gives to those who are not His enemies. Do you know that the whole human race is born in the state of war against God? That's right. Sin is rebellion to God's law and as such we are the enemy of God until we make peace. God has sent His ambassadors to this present world to make that peace with God. Who are they? We who are Christians are the ambassadors. The Bible says,

2 Cor 5:20-21 (NIV) "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

How can you have peace with God? Easy, by surrendering your rebellious heart to God's Son Jesus Christ! He has paid the penalty of your rebellion, and He offers you this pardon and to all sinners who will come to Him confessing their sins, and calling upon Him to save them. That's right, God is offering amnesty to everyone who is against Him. Who is against God? Everyone who has not crowned Jesus Christ Lord and Savior -- that is King of their lives! The Scripture declares,

Rom 10:9-10 (NIV) "… if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Eph 5:6 (NIV) "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient."

Now it is not God's call for believers today to take up every defense against God's aggressors who stand in opposition to His rightful rulership of this world. But, it is our duty to tell those who are in rebellion, and persecute God's people that a day of God's wrath and judgment will come upon them as God engages all the forces of heaven and earth to fight against them. One day even Christians will come back from Heaven to slay the evil wicked of this world. The entire book of Revelation tells this story. But for now, God's children are ambassadors of peace. We extend the olive branch of peace with God to all by proclaiming the GOOD NEWS Gospel. Indeed, 
Christ died for you, will you not receive Him?

Will you not throw down your arms of rebellion and disobedience, and turn to God through Jesus Christ? All who do so, will be spared and saved, and not become a casualty of God’s War to come against sinners. Meanwhile, this weekend in America let us not forget the “just” who died in the eight major wars our nation has fought. Let us give thanks to God for their sacrifice and in honor of them continue to maintain the peace, freedoms and the righteousness of our laws centered in the biblical Judeo-Christian philosophy America was founded upon. Herein I stand and give honor to all who died defending our land…

…Are you a veteran? If so, may God richly bless you, and may you know of our love and pride in your faithfulness to obey God; and, stand for righteousness and truth, in the American way through the centuries of this nation's existence. Meanwhile, let us who are soldiers in the Army of Christ ever stand vigil, and ever be proclaiming God's peace overtures that can only come to sinful humanity through the Gospel of Christ. In that we live and have our being.