THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?

Modern Warfare

Imagine the dreadful situation if Christ's followers were to fight in  opposing armies, trying to kill one another. Such a scenario would be contrary to Christian principles. Really, those who obey the God of the Bible would not harm anyone-not even their enemies. -Matthew 5:43-45.

Clearly, God does not put his blessing on modern carnal warfare between humans.  Being peaceable, true Christians advocate the peace that will be established worldwide under God's Kingdom.

Next time: A Visit to the City of Black Gold-AS TOLD BY AWAKE! WRITER IN BRAZIL

From the Awake! magazine 

THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?

The Effect of Christ's Teaching

While on earth, Jesus demonstrated how to replace hatred with unselfish love, commanding:  "Love one another, just as I have loved you." (John 15:12)  He also said:  "Happy are the peaceable." (Matthew 5:9)  Here the Greek word for "peaceable" means more than enjoying a state of tranquility. It really entails cultivating peace, actively working to promote goodwill.

When Jesus was being arrested, the apostle Peter tried to defend him with a lethal weapon. But the Son of God reprimanded him, saying:  "Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52)   How did first-century Christians apply those words?  Note the following quotations.  

"A careful review of all the information available  [shows] that, until the time of Marcus Aurelius [121-180 C.E.], no Christian became a soldier; and no soldier, after becoming a Christian remained in military service." -The Rise of Christianity.

"The behavior of the [early] Christians was very different from that of the Romans. . . .Since Christ had preached peace, the refused to become soldiers." -Our World Through the Ages. 

Because Christ's disciples refused to served in the emperor's legions, the Romans put many of them to death.  Why did the Christians  maintain such an unpopular stand?  Because Jesus taught them to be peacemakers.

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?/Modern Warfare

From the Awake! magazine 

THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?

The Wars of Ancient Israel

Jehovah God decreed that Israel should make war to rid the Promised Land of the depraved Canaanites.  (Leviticus 18:1, 24-28; Deuteronomy 20:16-18) Just as God had punished evildoers by means of a deluge in Noah's day and fire in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, so he wielded the nation of Israel as his sword of execution. -Genesis 6:12, 17; 19:13, 24, 25. 

According to the Bible, Israel fought other battles under God's direction, usually to repel unprovoked enemy threats.  When the nation obeyed Jehovah, the wars it fought ended favorably.  (Exodus 34:24; 2 Samuel 5:17-25) But disaster finally resulted when Israel dared to do battle  contrary to divine counsel. Consider the case of King Jeroboam.  Ignoring a direct prophetic warning , he dispatched his huge arm in civil war against Judah.  when the mayhem finally ended, 500,000 of Jeroboam's soldiers were dead. (2 Chronicles 13:12-18)  Even faithful King Josiah once picked a battle that was not his.  The rash decision cost him his life. -2 Chronicles 35:20-24. 

What do these events show?  That in ancient Israel, the decision to make war rested with God.  (Deuteronomy 32:35,  43) He had his people fight for specific purposes. However, these purposes  were long ago accomplished. Furthermore, Jehovah foretold that those who serve him "in the final part of the days" would "beat their swords into plowshares" and not "learn war anymore."  (Isaiah 2:2-4)  Clearly, Biblical wars do not justify modern-day conflicts, none of which are fought under God's direction or at his command. 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?/The Effect of Christ's Teaching

From the Awake! magazine 

THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT - DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?

How often rulers, generals, and even clergy have declared or endorsed war in the name of God!  In 1095, with the blessing of Pope Urban II, the First Crusade set out to retake the "Holy City" Jerusalem for Christendom. But before reaching their goal, one band of Crusaders was annihilated by Turks, whose zeal for Allah matched the Crusaders' faith in the Trinity. 

In August 1914, a young German wrote from his World War I encampment: "If there is  justice and divine guidance in history-and of that I am absolutely certain-then victory must be ours."  In the same month, Czar Nicholas II launched Russia's armies against Germany,  while claiming:  "I send my soul's greeting to my valiant troops and my  noble  allies.  God is with us!" 

Thus emboldened, millions of soldiers have gone to the front, fully believing that God was on their side. Many people feel that God allows such fighting as the price of freedom, and they point to the wars of the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the Old Testament) as support. Is their interpretation of God's Word correct? 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE?/The Wars of Ancient Israel

From the Awake! magazine 

WORLD PEACE IS NOT JUST A DREAM!

IF Alfred Nobel could look back upon the past century, would he feel optimistic  about prospects for world peace now?  No doubt, he would be glad to know  that many have put forth sincere efforts to end war.  ( I haven't seen any evidence of that)  Nevertheless, he would be faced with a harsh reality. Professor Hugh Thomas sums it up well: "The twentieth century-although generally one of social improvement and heightened governmental  concern for the lives of the poor-has been dominated by the machine gun, the tank, the B-52, the nuclear bomb and, finally, the missile. It has been marked by wars more bloody and destructive than those of any other age."  Thomas adds that "It is, therefore, a matter of opinion as to whether the era can really be characterized as progressive or not."

Do the prospects for world peace seem greater now that we have entered the 21st century?  Hardly!  Alluding to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and in Washington D.C., Newsweek magazine states: "In a world where 767's can turn into guided missiles, nothing seems impossible, ludicrous-or worst of all, even preventable."

Some say that for world peace to become a reality, two things must occur:  First, radical changes need to take place in the outlook and behavior of humans; and second, all nations must unite under a single government.  The Bible foretells a time when peace will be achieved-but not through the efforts of mankind. Psalm 46:9  says regarding the Creator, Jehovah God:  "He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth."   How will God accomplish this?  By means of his Kingdom, for which many sincere people have repeatedly prayed.  That kingdom is, not an elusive condition of the heart, but a real government through which God will establish peace from one end of the earth to the other.  The inspired prophet Isaiah foretold that subjects of that government will not "learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4) By means of a worldwide educational program, people will learn to live in peace and thus "beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears."

Even now, Jehovah's Witnesses are doing this. They  refuse to take up arms against their fellowman, although they belong to many different ethnic groups and are living in over 200 different lands. Their neutral position in the midst of a war-ravaged world proves that peace is not a Utopian dream but a realistic possibility. 

Would you like to learn more about this Bible-based hope for genuine peace. Please go to www.Jw.org or accept a magazine from one of the Jehovah's Witnesses in your area.  Or you can write to: Jehovah's Witnesses, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn NY 11201-2483. They will send you a magazine for free. 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT-DOES GOD APPROVE OF WARFARE? 

From the Awake! magazine 

A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE

Biological and Chemical Weapons

Germ warfare includes the use of deadly bacteria, such as anthrax, or a virus, such as smallpox. Small pox is particularly dangerous because it is highly communicable.  Then there is the threat of chemical weapons, such as poison gas. These toxic substances come in many forms, and though they have been outlawed for decades, this has not deterred their use. 

Note: You can take this seriously or not; but  the government is the one that brought over the Virus that causes aids, they are not beyond using these things on us as well. They do this to control us, and that is exactly what they want to do. To put us in  fear of them, to control us, which also takes worship away from God and gives it to Satan.  No, I am not crazy, I am concerned for people who have such deep trust in our corrupt government.   I am not trying to scare you, just warning people that they can't put their full trust in the government and all governments are the same corrupt, immoral mess they have been for decades.  They are not beyond using whatever they think will benefit them and in putting the fear of the government into us, instead of God. This is another way of Satan's ruling here, for now. 

Have these gruesome weapons and the threat they bring caused people to react as Nobel predicted-to "recoil with horror and disband their troops"? On the contrary, they have only heightened the fear that one day these weapons  might be used-even by amateurs. More than a decade ago, the director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency stated:  "Chemical weapons can be manufactured in almost anyone's garage, as long as you have a little high-school chemistry behind you."

There is no question that the 20th century was marked by wars more destructive than those of any other era. Now at the beginning of the 21st century, the prospect of peace seems even more illusory-especially after the terrorist attacks that took place in New York City and Washington D.C., on September 11, 2001.  "Virtually no one dares ask whether the balance of technology might tilt too far toward empowering the evil," writes Steven Levy in Newsweek magazine.  He adds:  "Who would have a clue of how to address that situation?  Human beings have a track record of pursuing what they see as progress and asking questions later.   While refusing to think the Unthinkable, we create the circumstances that allow it to occur."

Thus far, history has taught us that the invention  of terrible explosives and deadly weapons  has not brought this world any closer to peace.  (Nor will)  Is world peace, then, just a dream?   (only in this system of things while Satan is ruling it). 

Next time: WORLD PEACE IS NOT JUST A DREAM!

From the Awake! magazine 

A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE

Nuclear Weapons

With the invention of nuclear weapons, for the first time an entire city could be obliterated within seconds, without a single skirmish between soldiers.  For example, consider the horrendous destruction that resulted when atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.   Some people were blinded by the intolerable light. Others were poisoned by radiation. Many were killed by fire and heat. The combined death toll for these two cities is estimated at nearly 300,000! 

Of course, some would argue that the bombing of those cities prevented many deaths that would have occurred had the war continued by conventional means. Nevertheless, appalled by the tremendous loss of life, some began to lobby for worldwide control over this gruesome weapon.   Indeed, many began to fear that man had developed the capacity to destroy himself.

Has the development  of nuclear weapons made peace more likely?  Some say yes.  They point to the fact that these powerful weapons have not been used in warfare for over half a century. Nevertheless, Nobel's belief that weapons of mass destruction would cause war  to suffocate itself has not proved true, for wars with conventional weapons continue.  Besides, at any given moment, says the Committee on Nuclear Policy, thousands of nuclear devices are on hair-trigger alert.  And in this age when terrorism is a grave concern that a single accident  could plunge the world into a thermonuclear catastrophe. Clearly, when it comes to destructive weapons, this is not the peace that Nobel envisioned. 

 Note: Well, the idiot should have thought of that before he invented dynamite. He should have thought a little further, about the damage could be done from his idea and invention.  I would not have given him the time of day, much less a reward.  But, then,  probably at some point down the line, some fool would have thought of it.  But then that would have given us more time to live without all that destruction. All I say that, it is wrong for all those people to die, regardless.

Next time: A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE/ Biological and Chemical Weapons

From the Awake! magazine  

A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE

Small Arms and Light Weapons.

These include handguns, rifles, grenades, machine guns, mortars, and other portable devices.  Small arms and light weapons are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and even easier to use.

Have the presence of these weapons-and the threat they bring to civilians-been a deterrent to war?  (Note: But you have to remember, it takes a person to squeeze the trigger. Guns don't kill people, people kill people!) Hardly! in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,  Michael Klare writes that light weapons have become "the principal tool of combat in the overwhelming majority of conflicts  in the post-Cold War era."  In fact, up to 90 percent of casualties  in recent wars have been the result of small arms and light weapons. More than four million people were killed by these devices.  (No, the people did)  during the 1990's alone. In many cases, light weapons are wielded by youths who have no military training and no qualms about violating traditional rules of war.  

Land Minds

By the close of the 20th century, about  70 people on the average were being maimed or killed by land mines each day!  Most of them were civilians, not soldiers. Often, land mines are used, not to kill, but to maim and spread fear and terror among those who experience the cruel damage that they inflict.

Granted, much effort has been made in recent years to clear mines.  But some way that for every mine cleared,, 20 more are planted and that there may be 60 million land mines buried across the globe. The fact that land mines cannot tell the difference between the footfall of a soldier and that of a child playing in a field has not deterred the manufacturer and use of these hidden devices.  

Note: That is because with these people, greed overruns the humanity and caring and kindness.  That is what they call Satan ruling the world, for now.

Next time: A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE/Nuclear Weapons

From the Awake! magazine 

A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE

ALFRED NOBEL believed that peace should be maintained if nations, possessed deadly weapons. After all, nations could quickly unite and bring gruesome ruin to any aggressor.  "This would be a force that would make war impossible," he wrote.  According to Nobel's view, no sane nation would  provoke a conflict if the consequences to itself would be devastating. But what has the past century revealed?

Less than 20 years after Nobel's death, World War I broke out. This conflict  saw the use of new deadly weapons, including machine guns, poison gas, flamethrowers, tanks, airplanes, and submarines. Nearly 10 million soldiers were killed, and more than twice that number were wounded.  The barbarity of World War I caused renewed interest in peace.  This led to the formation of the League of Nations.  U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, a prominent figure in this cause, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919.   

Funny! it didn't stick and, in my opinion, no imperfect sinful human being deserves any kind of recognition for anything.  They are suppose to be happy or proud that they did something good.  God expects human-kindness from everyone, it is suppose to be natural thing to do, for example, saving someone from drowning etc. God did not think  or want people to want to do things and be rewarded for them, it is suppose to be  something a kind person would normally do for someone.  Remember:  "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."  If a person cannot do something kind and not expect something in return, other than a thank you, then they are not a kind human, they are just showing off. But this is what the world has come to and that is a sad, sad thing. And to be rewarded with a medal or trophy for  a kindness that should come naturally without expectation is not right! Just be proud of what you did out of kindness and Jehovah will reward you later. 

Yet, any hopes that war would end once and for all were dashed when, in 1939, World War II broke out. In many respects this was even more horrendous than World War I. During this conflict  Adolf Hitler expanded Nobel's Germany's largest ammunition factories, with over 9,000 employees. Then, at the head of the war, Nobel's factory was completely annihilated by an Allied air raid that dropped more than a thousand bombs.  Ironically, those bombs were developed with  the help of Nobel's own inventions.

The century that elapsed after Nobel's death saw not only two world wars but also countless smaller conflicts. Weapons proliferated during that period, and some of them became even  more sinister.  Consider a few of the military devises that have been prominent in the decades since Nobel's death.

Note: There will never be true peace in this system of things, because no one can get along with another and humans don't have a clue as to how to run a country. 

Next time: A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE/Small Arms and Light Weapons

From the Awake! magazine 

ADVOCATE OF WAR OR PROMOTER OF PEACE?-BY AWAKE! WRITER IN SWEDEN

Each year, the Nobel prize is awarded to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions toward the good of humanity in a number of fields. When did this tradition start, and how is it related to the quest for world peace?

HIS name is associated with the betterment of mankind, yet he amassed great wealth  selling weapons of war.  Who was he?  Alfred Bernard Nobel, a Swedish industrialist and chemist. Nobel has been lauded for his humanitarian efforts, but he has also been called "a merchant of death."  Why? Because Nobel invented dynamite, and during his life he made a fortune manufacturing and selling lethal explosives.

After Nobel's death in 1896, however, a startling discovery was made. His will stipulated that $9 million be set aside and that each year the interest accrued be awarded to individuals who made noteworthy achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.

At first, many people were perplexed. Why would an explosives entrepreneur be so eager to award benevolent and even peaceful attainments?  Some assumed that  Nobel was conscience-stricken over the destructive nature of his lifework.  Others , however, came to feel that Nobel was working for peace all along. Indeed, it seems he believed that as weapons became more deadly, war would become less likely.  "Perhaps my factories will put an end to war even sooner than your congresses," he reportedly  told one writer, adding:   "On the day when two army camps may mutually annihilate each other in a second, all civilized nations will probably recoil with horror and disband their troops."

Did Nobel's prediction prove true? What lessons were learned during the century that elapsed after Nobel's death? 

 Next time: A CENTURY OF VIOLENCE

From the Awake! magazine