Just war?

This year we are both thinking about the horrors of WW1 and potentially staring down the barrel of another global conflict with the rapid rise of ISIS, a regime that parallels at least in its evil conduct, the heinous Nazi regime. But was waging war on the Nazis the right thing to do? Isn't the evil of these ideologies justification for war, and as a result isn't such a war just? Well yes and no, but You have to understand that I am coming from the position of a pacifist, which is quite unusual considering I come from a family of "warriors." Let me deal first with my take on "pacifist"; for me this does not mean I will avoid war at all and any cost, it means that I will not sit back act as a peacemaker and watch nations descend into war! No, I will make every effort to avoid war with the realisation that sometimes war becomes inevitable.

So back the question 'can there be a just war?" In Romans 3:10 Paul quotes Psalm 14 "as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one" and my argument is that the unrighteous cannot prosecute a just war. God is righteous so a war prosecuted by him, or by those he commands to do so can be just. In WW2 there were people on both sides who claimed God was on their side.  In the case of the war on ISIS both the "Christian" West and Muslim ISIS claim to have God on their side, yet neither are just in their actions. So neither WW2 nor the war on ISIS can claim to be just. "Can I really believe my eyes, does Simon really think that?" 

Do not adjust your set! 

A history lesson: Let's start with WW1, an unavoidable war apparently because of the tensions caused by imperialism, and ambition that is brought about by too much power. A war that can only be described as disgusting. The end of the war that resulted in defeat of Germany and her allies was marked by a surrender that the victors ensured was both deliberately humiliating and economically disastrous For Germany. It was this environment caused by Britain and its allies that gave birth to the evils of Nazism. This then brings us to Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and all the other countries in that area: for decades after WW2 the Super-Powers of the U.S., USSR and their respective allies exerted their power and influence in these areas for their own gain. This without a care for what the conditions they were creating as they promoted and supported various despots financially and militarily. The first evidence perhaps of the long term effect of this was the backlash and eventual deposing of the Shah of Iran and in his place the hardline Ayatollah Khomeini. Saddam Hussein, the House of Saud in Saudi, the Al-Assad family in Syria etc. etc. are all products of the Wests interference with ISIS a direct result of the activities of these regimes. A localised war to get rid of the Saddam Hussein who could no longer be controlled by the Super-Powers has destabilised the entire region and now we are in a position where a bigger and more extensive war is necessary to try and reestablish some sort of normality.

 

My personal conclusion is that WW2 was necessary, as I believe is the prosecution of war on ISIS, but are these wars just, not in my humble opinion.

Best job in the world?

Apparently being a church Minister is the most rewarding job in the world. I am only 6 weeks into the job but would like to believe that it is. Driving to work this morning after a pretty stressful couple of hours getting the kids ready for school then taking them to school, I found myself feeling excited about the prospects that the day held. For me what I do is a combination of hobby and dream job, I have often said to myself, or perhaps shouted, 'I can't believe that I am the minister of a church!' Things are sometimes difficult, people are sometimes unreasonable, some moments are filled with sadness, and some days full of despair for Gods world. But when all things are considered this is the best job in the world and I can't wait for tomorrow when I can get back into the office again!

Red Face

Today has been a day of positives and negatives, of highs and lows: the highs and the positives have been the big things, the seminal stuff where God has been involved; the negatives and the lows have been the petty things, the small things, where people are involved and God seems to be ignored. I have ended up with a red face on more than one occassion today because of my annoyance or irritation. So how can I let these little things get to me, the answer is I shouldn't, I shouldn't allow myself be caught off-guard by the tempter. I shouldn't succumb to anger. I need to take a deep breath and accept that those annoying things are not important. So I am going to try!

When is a lie not a lie?

Or more accurately, is it okay to tell a 'white lie'? I was challenged by this the other day at the house group I attend. We were talking about the characteristics of a holy life, or being holy, and we got on to the subject of telling the truth. I have to say that I am quite black and white (pardon the pun) and tend to simplify my response by affirming my belief that there is no such things as 'degrees of sin', sin is sin and that is the end of it. I have preached on this more than once and am not shy about my opinion. But is there a time when a white-lie actually is better than the truth? The group I was with discussed the infamous 'does my bum look big in this' question and response (when the person asking's bottom does actually look too big in a particular article of clothing) and concluded that actually in such matters the truth, the polite and humble truth, was the best response. But what about in other more difficult situations? At the other extreme of the apparel and figure question is 'am I going to die?' What do you say when asked by someone who is terminally ill? How do you respond when it is a child, a parent, a sibling, a close friend? What do we say? To be frank I am not sure and I guess will not be sure about this until I get asked the question. 

With the benefit of not being exposed to such a situation in my life since my teens I will try and address this. If I were to look at it from the person to whom the bad news is going to be delivered then I can honestly say that I would want people to be honest with me. I would want to get my house in order, to perhaps do some things and say some things that I had left undone and unsaid. Also I guess that as an adult Christian who believes without a doubt that God has promised me eternal life, death holds a different meaning to me than the non-believer, the agnostic or the atheist. So for me the truth is a blessing in that situation, but what about a child, what about if it was my child? I would like to think that I would be honest with them, but when its all said and done I don't really know. I like to hold on to my belief that the truth is always best, and that when couched in love and humility, God will hold that precious truth and ensure that all who own it will be blessed by it.