Agreed! People want absolute black & white. I think it's because we are lazy and we don't want to have to think for ourselves, or even worse, have to understand someone else's differences. My favorite example I like to use hinting at the shades of grey is Jesus (shocking huh?). In one verse He says "turn the other cheek", yet He flees from his enemies until His final days. He also fashioned a whip and physically drove the money changers out of the temple, after flippin' a few tables. These two example aren't exactly turning the other cheek. Now, this by no means undermines what he says, or shows that he was a hypocrite. I think it just shows that we can in now way try and reduce God down and shove him in a nice & neat little package.
One - we get a general absolution in time of war, had it in Fallujah one time during operations -as a Catholic it was a pretty hefty event for me personally. Two - defending yourself or your country during a time of war is not murder, its justified. I had some really good friends die during the attacks, and if I can get an eye for an eye - I am taking it. Three - some of the *******s we kill, just plain deserve to die and I will reckon with God when the time comes. All of my adult life has been and will be devoted to defending our country - I can live with it as a devout Catholic that I may be bending the rules.
Yes, but on a side note, I'd say "religion" is a filler word here. War comes down to difference of belief or opinion. I think more people use religion as a vehicle to bolster/defend their beliefs, than define them. Kind of like statistics. You can slant stats to support just about anything you'd like. Its all in how you interpret them.
Someone once told me when it came to issues like this to ask God for understanding. That is always my starting point with these issues. Usually (almost always, it leads to an in depth study of the subject at hand with a Strongs Concordance and Bible.
Interesting points of view fellas. Most I really have nothing in common with, but interesting to read others views none the less.
Never seen that. Never prayed that. Maybe you can show us some scripture that supports that from Christians. Maybe Jews, but I am not jewish or under jewish law.
In the name of money, power, greed, combined with the natural instincts of man leads to a lot of religious "rules" being broken.
Who said anything about scripture? When someone prays for the troops to have a victory, well people die. On the other end they pray to just plain kill us, I will say some relgions are more direct.
Well, let me put it this way. Christians main doctrine is not just coming out alive. We put our requests out to God. But as always, "God's will be done". I see your point. But my prayer is the troops stay safe and we get out of this mess with the least amount of collateral damage possible. I myself don't or never will pray for anyone to die. Even extremist.
Definately not directed by the Word of God. Shadow, lets say someone said they were hunter. I mean, they proclaim it, but didn't even own weapons to go hunting. In fact, they attend peta meetings in the area. But still, they proclaim, they are a hunter and support hunting. And then they get on a TV news show saying they represent hunting. Would you accept them as a rep even though they are clearly not following what most hunters do?
...and? Pope's are human. Moses, Jacob, David, Isaiah... all human, all made mistakes. As long as we're looking into whether we can justify killing, let's take "religion out of it for a second. Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Thoughts?
