To clear up the confusion.....sorry if I was obtuse....not totally against war...for "Just War"

Submitted by David Alan (United States), Feb 16, 2008 at 15:14

Hi Arlinda:

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I re-read my remarks and realized I should have said "...don't fight the Muslims (solely) with bombs".....but use the Gospel too.

I'm no pacifist, and I agree that warfare is frequently the proper response to defend innocent lives. But the proper use of War is subject to Principles and Guidelines. Both politically & morally. In the terms of the US and our political system, by the US Constitution.

In all nations & morally - Spiritually, even, by the doctrine of Just War, which is a development of Christian Principles over the last 2,000 years.

I won't try to detail Just War Theory here (if you google the term...), but suffice to say, it guided America in the War for American Independance & in WW 2, and leads to the careful use of limited warfare. All propects of war can be guaged according to this standard.

The case for going after Bin Laden passed the 'Just War' standard, ergo we were justified to go. Going to Iraq failed the 'Just War' standard, ergo we shouldn't have gone in.

Obviously, I'm interpreting a lot of diverse data, but at least we have a standard of how & why war is justified, on that has been determined not just by the USA in the last two centuries, but by a diverse collection of Christian nations which make up Chrisendom.

Even Muslim aggression is not cause to willy-nilly pre-emptively attack a nation that our best intelligence showed little or no connection to the 9-11 terrorism.

This view is in harmony, I am confident, with our Founding Fathers. They referred to the guidance of Natural Law theory & Bilblical Law revelation in our Constitution, as "the Laws of Nature, and of Nature's God"......

The careful & considered, Christian use of war, combined with a view of the sovereignty of nations, in due submission to the Soverignty of Christ over those same nations, combined to make a peaceful independance for many years.

This led the USA to maintain a healthy avoidance of warmaking & empire building:

"America is the friend of Liberty everwhere, but the guarantor of ours alone." - Thomas Jefferson

"Friendly relations with all, entangling alliances with none...." said George Washington,

Sad to say, we've lost that now. We used to say, humbly, "Right makes Might."

Now it's more like "Might makes Right." And this may give us false comfort - I know we have better smart bombs than the Islamists (for now....) so we can blow them up ad infinitum, but is that the sum total of our Christian duty ?

In the end, it's 'Righteousness that exalts a nation...' so we've got to share with these nations, the strength that we know; and that is hearts & minds that honor & obey Christ - knowing that Christ is not just the meek savior, he's also "King of Kings & Lord of Lords" - those are Political titles.

And like the ultimate wise King, He has sent forth his ambassadors on a hopeful mission.....and Psalms & Isaiah prophesy, "....the knowledge of the LORD shall cover the earth....as the waters cover the sea....."

Ergo, we need not fear a worldwide Islamic Caliphate, Christ has already received his throne: "All authority in heaven & on earth is given unto me...."

In bowing down to the false and deceptive standard of Islamic Sharia Law, the British officials are making Christ bow down to Islam. But this only makes external, what has been internal for some time.

Apostasy to Christ, will over time, lead to slavery to Allah. Count on it. Britian first, the USA next ?

What was the source of America's strength ? Can returning to it prevent Islams advance ?

Samuel Adams (beside being a great brewmaster---) was Father of the American Revolution and signer of the Declaration of Independance, said America had actually come under the King, not of England, but the Universe:

"We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom alone all men ought to be obedient, He reigns in heaven above, and from the rising to the setting sun, may His kingdom come."

I know this may sound novel, but I didn't invent it. And we sure don't hear the (largely) unbelieving media pundits tender these thoughts.

I've just tried to encapsulate Just War Theory and the Providential Law of Nations, & apply it to the crisis both our British & American brethren face. Ergo, the long post.

As my mother once remarked: 'David, you sure don't come up for air, very often....." I'm a UK polyglot, and I'm sure it's those Irishmen in our lineage who kissed the blarney stone for their posterity....

David Alan

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