Hey BC... don't leave. They're not offended by your post. They just don't like you. LOL Just kidding. I don't read most of BC's religious threads because I'm really not sure I believe any of it.... but he's done nothing wrong or said anything against anyone. He's expressing his believes in a forum that allows that. I'm still not going to read his post... but he should keep making them just so he can piss someone off now and then. LOL Go get'em BC. Come back and fight for your beliefs.
Folks, let me make this clear. Those of the catholic faith, I am not saying I believe and sure don't know that you will or will not go to hell. I think personally, many of the catholic faith will be there with me in heaven. I mean I question if I will see heaven. I mean I have issues of my own to deal with. I just don't believe in the catholic leadership doctrines. I was at a mens Christian retreat a year ago and the preacher got into a rant about Elvis. Now this is in MD/PA area. Now, coming from the south, its just not nice to rag on Elvis. I mean he was the king. Music that is. He jumped up and down and proclaimed, that Elvis Presley was in Hell right now. It turned me off so bad. In fact, I didn't want to hear him anymore. Nobody knows if I or catholics, or Elvis is or will be in heaven. We just got to have faith. And besides, Elvis is still alive, saw him the other day.
Actually....the translations I've found say "kill/murder". But, for the sake of this discussion, what's the difference? Is being sent by your government to kill others........killing (I hope no one's gonna dispute this one)? Is it murder (open for discussion)? Where in the Bible does it tell us which killing/murder is OK in God's eyes? Or....are people taking liberties with God's word and how salvation is still do-able? Surely, if a bona-fide murderer can ask for and receive salvation.........then a person who kills in times of war should be able to. Yet....many people of the cloth would NEVER tell people in times of war how much they need to repent. But, they will preach 'til they're blue in the face that the homos; drunks; adulterers; etc..., etc..., etc... are doomed. And, you wonder why folks don't want to be a part of that? Has nothing to do with being "un-religious". I feel like I'm less "un-religious".....and more "anti-hypocrite".
I guess I am too simplified. In war, if your company is attacked or if you setup an ambush, its war. If you capture 12 soldiers with all thier hands up, and you decide to empty a clip in them. Its murder. Simular stipulations are here when a death occures. Premeditated murder, manslaughter, etc. Whats interesting is, at the age of 6 or so, I was in the American Legion with my Grandfather, and I asked them the exact same thing. Of course I got the standard answer that war is not a sin.
Nor do I think it is..................in certain circumstances (I think the US has, for the most part, acted within what "I" would think God would be tolerant of). My post is by NO MEANS intended to be disrespectful to our armed services. I hope no one took it that way. In my opinion, it's prrof that God is (I sure hope) more tolerant than many seem to feel he is. But, it doesn't just stop there (again, my opinion). If you wanna "weigh" sins and choose to persecute willy-nilly, then we have that difference of opinion I spoke of.
But what is war, exactly? Is it when one country attacks another country without provocation? When Iraq attacked Kuwait was that war? Were all those deaths murder or just killings in time of war? When Germany attacked Poland without provocation was that war? Were all the Polish deaths "justified" because it was war (according to the Germans) or were all the deaths "unjustified" because it wasn't war (according to the Polish people)?
Here is an article on the difference between "murder" and "killing" based on the original words used in the Bible. http://www.gotquestions.org/you-shall-not-murder.html
In todays warfare a drone attack run by a 18 year old kid like a x-box video game, and if one person dies that was in the wrong place at the wrong time it's suddenly world news. call it co lateral damage but these days every life is looked at under a microscope and maybe it should be... But in world war II civilian population was the target call it revenge killing or murder. This Target was women and children...... how was it justified, the war was over at this point and the government just wanted to see how there tools would work. In my opinion the saddest day in american history. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060725023542AAdaezz http://aolanswers.com/questions/heroshima_nagasaki_hiroshima_atomic_9517623315081?#answers
The war may have been over from your perspective, but from the perspective of the Japanese command, it was far from over. The bombs were not dropped to see how they would work. They had already tested the atom bomb. The bombs were dropped to convince the Japanese command that the war was over. And after the second one, they were convinced and they surrendered. The alternative, an invasion of Japan would have cost the lives of thousands of Americans. It was a sad day and a sad thing that had to be done. Remember that we did not start the war with Japan.
In the old testament, wasn't God always fighting with the Jews, his chosen people? There was always a christian side and non-christian side, since Jesus those sides have been erased. Now in war you could be killing other christians, luckly through Jesus if we repent all sins can be forgiven. I see killing in war no different than murder, but there is no sin greater than another in the eyes of the Lord, so repent and continue your walk with God.
I for one RESPECT and love our soldiers who fight for us. Purebowhunting, what do you want Americans to do when they are accosted and fired upon by enemy soldiers, "turn the other cheek"? NO, they fight and die for us. They man up and fight. There are people that are good and evil in this world, and many times one must take a stand instead of being so dang wishy washy like many people are becomming these days.
I also love and respect our soldiers, my brother just got out of the service this past year. Let me ask you this, I hear all to often how if there was a God why would he allow this or that to happen, why would he allow war to happen? I just can't believe that god is ok with us killing one another when he intended there to be no death on this earth, man brought death into this world, not God right? That's kind of the foundation of the bible.
Sure, thats pie in the sky type of thinking. Sounds good. So your saying, when the angels came down and destroyed Sodam and Gomorrah, you don't believe that was from God?
