would jesus have joined the army?

[azzaman333]

I would've thought that being in the army would inevitably violate the whole thou shalt not kill thing Christianity has going on?

 

[Formaldehyde]

The Biblical scholars now translate that to mean "thou shalt not kill unless it is state-sanctioned and they really deserve it".

 

[timtofly]

The Biblical scholars now translate that to mean "thou shalt not kill unless it is state-sanctioned and they really deserve it".

I think the Bible just says, "thou shalt not kill". I think humans can interpret that any way they like. I don't think Christians are any different on the concept than the rest of the world. There are some who do say the Bible says one thing, and then do an opposite thing, but that seems to be "making things up on the fly".

I think that if God told Jesus to join an army, he most certainly would have. Historically God did tell the Jews to do that. I think that one should just take what happened at face value and learn from it, not really attempt to keep everything that was in the Bible personally as a goal to accomplish. Another thing since I am OT, the new Christian Republic may be an act of obeying God, but it would set a new precedent, than any I have seen in the Bible, however the church did do such things in the dark ages.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Which answers what you were thinking of while in Sunday School apparently.

1. God, God never changes*
2. If God changes, hes stance on slavery, women suffrage, civil rights, divorce, and so on and so on. see rule number 1.

 

[timtofly]

1. God, God never changes*
2. If God changes, hes stance on slavery, women suffrage, civil rights, divorce, and so on and so on. see rule number 1.

Are we confusing the "attribute" that God cannot change with God's ability to choose whatever he likes?

There is a slight difference. I hear humans all the time say they cannot change who they are. But they can choose what they do. When God gave the law to the Jews He did not change His relationship to all the other humans. He changed the ability of humans to interact with him. In fact the law just shows we are human. And without God is impossible to keep. He told the Jews that a Messiah would come and free them from the Law. No one even believes in God any more? It seems they only view him through the lense of their own religions.

 

[MobBoss]

Yet more paranoia. You are the only one of the two of us who actually hates. Aren't you supposed to forgive instead?

And why did you react so strongly to me when I stated exactly the same thing as JR did? Don't you hate him as well?

I dont hate you Form, hell, I even gave you the benefit of the doubt the other day, while you resolutely refused to apologize for lying about me. So which of us hates more then, eh?

I would've thought that being in the army would inevitably violate the whole thou shalt not kill thing Christianity has going on?

The root word for that actually means 'murder', not 'kill'. Kill wouldnt make much sense, since the Hebrews themselves had the death penalty as part of their law.

 

[FriendlyFire]

The root word for that actually means 'murder', not 'kill'. Kill wouldnt make much sense, since the Hebrews themselves had the death penalty as part of their law.

They had the death penalty for breaking the commandments.
I.E thou shalt not covert another mans slaves.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I dont hate you Form, hell, I even gave you the benefit of the doubt the other day, while you resolutely refused to apologize for lying about me. So which of us hates more then, eh?

As long as you continue to concoct absurd nonsense like that while continuing to deliberately try to ridicule me and attack my credibility, I'd say it is quite obvious which of us hates the other. And let's not forget you even made physical threats of violence.

Furthermore, you just "lied" about me yet again by falsely claiming I hate Christians. I don't hate anybody.

As I've said before, you seem to think this is a war where you can to use whatever deceitful tactics you wish. You likely aren't fooling anybody with this inane rhetoric, much less me.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

How do we know, that God was not creating a new government on a new continent?

So God wanted people to disobey his holy law? So much for the morality of God being "absolute" as MobBoss put it.
The point just is, that it is IMO ridiculous to argue that being a "true" Christian just means to have faith in the Bible, without referring to possible ways to not have faith in certain parts of the Bible. For the simple reason, that the Bible is so archaic in many of its messages, that everything else would make it impossible not be a total social out-law at this day and age. In the end you all cherry pick what you like. Maybe not absolutely, but to an extend significant enough. If that is your understanding of the faith, fine. But then don't tell me that it is only about faith in the word of God. It is about the faith in the word of God which doesn't make you too uncomfortable. That much honesty to others and yourself can not be asked too much.

 

[Askthepizzaguy]

Ahem.

Why does an Omnipotent being require an army?

If God creates and can destroy at will, what exactly are the soldiers there for?

Decoration?

 

[del62]

On Christmas Day of the year 1241, Eastern Europe teetered on the brink of utter destruction. Batu, son of Ogedai Khan, successor to the Great Khan, Genghis, had destroyed Pest, the largest city in all of Hungary. Poland and Russia had already fallen, and now Batu's unstoppable Mongol war machine was poised to conquer whatever it set its eyes on.

How could an Eastern European Christian not fight?

How and why would Jesus heal the sick and make the blind see if only to stand aside and watch them slaughtered?

Surely Christianty wasn't supposed to be a ruling religeon though, but an underground religeon like it was in the roman empire, prior to constantine. Didn't Jesus say something about his kingdom not being of this earth.

 

[MobBoss]

As long as you continue to concoct absurd nonsense like that while continuing to deliberately try to ridicule me and attack my credibility, I'd say it is quite obvious which of us hates the other. And let's not forget you even made physical threats of violence.

Rofl, and you have the nerve to call me a whiner. Btw, form, how can a disabled man make threats of violence? ROFL. Dude, your're the one that tried to insult me over claiming a disability rating, insult me for being a 'clerk' as you put it, and then cowered when I humbly offered to show you what type of combatives training even army clerks receive. And now you whine over 'threats of violence'. At least have the balls to reap what you sow my good man.

Furthermore, you just "lied" about me yet again by falsely claiming I hate Christians. I don't hate anybody.

Your posts speak for themselves.

As I've said before, you seem to think this is a war where you can to use whatever deceitful tactics you wish. You likely aren't fooling anybody with this inane rhetoric, much less me.

More whining.

Ahem.

Why does an Omnipotent being require an army?

If God creates and can destroy at will, what exactly are the soldiers there for?

Decoration?

Presumably because things have to unfold a certain way for some reason unknown to us. But i'll admit thats an awesome question! I think i'll actually bring it up in my next Christian men's group meeting!!

 

[Masada]

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Ahem.

Why does an Omnipotent being require an army?

If God creates and can destroy at will, what exactly are the soldiers there for?

Decoration?

That comes down to the problem that God makes no use of his omnipotent power in a visible way - ever. Except back in the day when they didn't have smart phones. I am surprised that an experienced Christian is intrigued by some arbitrary example of this basic phenomena.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Armed, violent peacemakers are the best kind of peacemakers

 

[Leoreth]

Why does an Omnipotent being require an army?

What does God need with a space ship?

 

[Angst]

Jesus was a strict pacifist and would never have joined any sort of physical combat. Which is why Americans blessing themselves before invading something is ridiculous.

Another utterly biased source.

Hey, i'm more than happy to be hated by folks that hate Christians. To me, it means I must be doing something right.

Why ad hominem?

I'll reply i'm under the new covenant, not ancient hebrew law.

What do you think of gays then?

 

[Lone Wolf]

Which is why Americans blessing themselves before invading something is ridiculous.

To be fair, this is not limited to Americans and is not limited to 'modern age'.

 

[Angst]

Doesn't make it less arrogant and counter-intuitive.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Armed, violent peacemakers are the best kind of peacemakers

Or as the Great President Regan called them "Freedom Fighters"