Posts Tagged ‘pacifism’
Grace and the Self-Defense Debate
by Matthew W. Bassford A few weeks ago, in the wake of the West Freeway shooting, I put up a blog post (Self-Defense and Public Order) that argued that Christians have the right to defend themselves from murderous criminals. To my complete lack of surprise, this proved controversial. Everybody kept their comments civil, so I…
Read MoreA Bible and a Gun
by Bryan Matthew Dockens In his hit song “The Wanderer” Johnny Cash sang, “I went out walking with a Bible and a gun”. Regardless of Cash’s intent with these lyrics, it is an interesting image to ponder. These two objects – a copy of the sacred text and a lethal weapon – are seen by…
Read MoreWas Jesus a pacifist?
Question: First of all, I love your website because it provides me with a tremendous amount of godly information. I have a two-part question that I was unable to find on your website: Should Christians always be pacifists. There are several who claim that we should be claiming that Jesus was a pacifist. Answer: A…
Read MoreSelf-Defense and The Use of Force
by Tim Haile The recent escalation of violence and an unprecedented expansion of government power is forcing more and more people to consider the question of self-defense. Is it right to use physical or lethal force to protect oneself or others? The question is not new. Cycles of controversy over the question can be traced…
Read MoreDo you support conscientious objection?
Question: Do you or your church support selective conscientious objection and conscientious objection? Answer: Registering for the draft is a government law that does not violate any teaching of God. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by…
Read MoreWhat is a pacifist?
Question: What’s a pacifist? Because I know the Bible says to turn your swords into something that is not used to kill. Answer: A pacifist is someone opposed to violence for any purpose. He believes that every matter can be handled without violence. Thus a pacifist is opposed to the military and police because of…
Read MoreIs it wrong to defend yourself?
Question: What if you are a Christian and someone attacks you after you walk away from them? Should you retaliate back or just take the assault? Most would just fight back. I want to know if it’s wrong in God’s eye to defend yourself? Answer: One does not retaliate, that would be vengeance. “If it…
Read MoreWill Christians go to heaven after killing other Christians?
Question: My wife and I had a discussion about Christians who participate in a war against another country that may have Christians in their army. The question is, will Christians go to heaven after killing other Christians? My wife asked me this many years ago, and I still don’t have an answer for her. Answer:…
Read MoreShould a Christian serve in the military?
Question: Should a Christian serve in the military? Answer: I asked a friend, neighbor, and fellow Christian to address this question. I entered the Air Force in 1983 and have been a Christian for an even longer period of time. I am still serving my country and my God. Being in the military, like maybe…
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