By God choosing Israel as his kingdom of priests and the holy nation he has to allow them the capacity for war to defend themselves and exist in that region. So that's one reason why God could command war. The second reason God commands war is to reveal his character and nature on a national and international stage.
God doesn't want merely to bless you through your suffering; he also wants to bless others. One of God's goals in allowing suffering is to get your focus off of yourself and encourage you to respond to the needs of others.
In his prophecies of the Last Things, Jesus spoke of the wars of the future. He said that nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, that wars and rumours of wars would be heard of, that Judaea would be devastated, Jerusalem besieged and taken by the gentiles, and the Temple defiled and destroyed.
Many Christians believe that war should be avoided if possible, and should only be undertaken if all efforts to resolve an issue by peaceful means have failed. Many Christians see war as the result of a failure to live by God's standards.
It has been argued that a nation will go to war if the benefits of war are deemed to outweigh the disadvantages, and if there is a sense that there is not another mutually agreeable solution. More specifically, some have argued that wars are fought primarily for economic, religious, and political reasons.
For many centuries Christians believed that it was right and proper to use violence (and thus war) to spread the faith and deal with its opponents. They did not regard violence as an inherently bad thing: whether it was bad or not depended on what it was being used for.
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,' says the Lord. 'BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.
Regardless of the level of power or influence of any nation or people, everyone will bow before Jesus Christ. All will be humbled, and “every tongue shall swear allegiance” (Isaiah 45:23b). Jesus is the King of all the earth; our allegiance should be to him.
Why do some Catholics support the principle of the Just War theory? Sometimes war may be necessary and right, even though it may not be good. In the case of a country that has been invaded by an occupying force, war may be the only way to restore justice. Pope Benedict XVI said defending oneself and others is a duty .
“Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, and Jesus was, and is, full of the Spirit.” It's somewhat shocking, therefore, to learn that when the expected Messiah appeared on earth, He told His disciples quite plainly that He did not come to bring peace, but rather a sword (Matthew 10:34-35).
Ephesians 6:10-17 lays out even more powerful and purposeful tools — and an even more forceful war cry — to be deployed in spiritual battle with Satan and his demons, the most important being the sword of the Spirit, God's Word.
For the thinkers in this its classic form, the just war tradition is grounded in a verse from the thirteenth chapter of the letter to the Roman church: “For [the sovereign ruler] is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain.
It's not a sin to question God — search the scriptures if you doubt. I believe God wants us to question His plan and His ways. He settles our doubts by giving us the belief that His ways are not always our ways.
Certainly, there is no value in continuing to interpret miscarriage or baby loss as God's punishment on individuals, as these ancient writers of early scriptures once did. After all, the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus”(Romans 8:1).
Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely. “He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
In His foreknowledge, God created a shield for the earth to sustain our lives. But it's not only our physical lives He wants to preserve. No, God Himself is the protector of our souls and watchman of our spirits. As the atmosphere is constantly defending our planet, God guards us in countless ways every day.
[7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. [8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Romans 12:19-21 New International Version (NIV)
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In 2 Timothy 2:3, Paul says, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” These words, and others like them, were written metaphorically to help Christians understand the nature of our walk with Christ.
The Bible doesn't directly endorse or outlaw combat sports.
Military conscription for peacetime service was abolished in 1972. However, in times of war, the Defence Act 1903 allows the Governor-General of Australia to authorise conscription for service in the Defence Force, provided it is approved by the Parliament of Australia within 90 days.
Sweden and Switzerland are independently of each other famed for their armed neutralities, which they maintained throughout both World War I and World War II. The Swiss and the Swedes each have a long history of neutrality: they have not been in a state of war internationally since 1815 and 1814, respectively.