05/30/25 ABOUT "CO"

05/30/25 ABOUT "CO"

Let me tell you a little about my view of Christian Non-Violence.

I use the terms Christian Non-Violence, Non-Violence and Pacifism in three different ways.
I refer to Pacifism and Non-Violence as either specific or general rejection of violent or deadly physical, military, police or personal FORCE.
I refer to Christian Non-Violence as personal refusal to use deadly force, whether privately or institutionally.
The Bible makes it clear that God has given the power of the sword (physical and deadly force) to the State to protect the righteous (law abiding) and punish the criminal (through Military or Police action).
The Bible allows Christian support of State protection and peace keeping through taxation.
Christians have a right to call on the State to protect them through Military and Police action.
The Christian does not obey the State when the State contradicts Biblical directives for Christians to take up arms against people, and the New Testament clearly directs Christians to be non-violent.

I will be glad to answer questions and address the Biblical position for Christian Non-Violence at another time. I have addressed it in the past, but I have other points I want to make with this post.

I was not brought up with a Christian or a Non-Violent point of view. In fact, I was a Christian for many years, believing that Christians had a right and a duty to take up arms against evil people.

During the sixties, as a Christian, I thought about joining the USMC to fight against Communism and for the protection of Christianity. I was not enamored with USMC, but I could see myself defending freedom and faith in Vietnam (with a machine gun in one hand and a Bible in the other, so to speak). Though I look back on such thinking as naive and contradictory.

During my Bible college years, I had fellow students and instructors who were Evangelical Quakers. I was not convinced of Biblical Non-Violence during those four years.

I was not part of a "Peace" denomination as a child, a young person, a Bible college student or as a pastor for the first few years of my ministry. I did turn my attention to the question and studied it Biblically. I was convinced of the New Testament position of non-violence through that study.

God directs Christians to not be violent.
God gives the State the right to use physical force to protect and to punish.

It is possible for a Christian to serve his country without personally taking up arms against other people.
To be a Conscientious Objector (CO) in some countries (including the USA) is a recognized moral and legal option.

For the person who is a CO, there are legal options available.
A person can fulfill his military obligation through either alternative or non-combatant service.

This can be through other governmental agencies, projects at home, such as medical, construction, office work, training, communications, education, infrastructure, or non-combatant field service, such as medical, chaplaincy, engineering, education, training, computing, communications, construction, as well as other areas of non-violent service available. Non-Violent service does not always keep a person out of danger. Then again, there are great numbers of military people who have never been put in a situation to take another human life, regardless of their beliefs concerning killing.

You may not agree with any of what I have said, or you may question the logic of serving in any capacity. I could argue along these lines, but my point is that there is more to honoring a Christian's belief in non-violence than falsely claiming that they are cowards or traitors to their country.

I contend that it takes more courage and faith to face your enemy without a carnal weapon than with a carnal weapon. I also contend that some people see what God says in the New Testament about Christians killing other people and they choose to obey God rather than men.

Though I am fully convinced in Biblical non-violence, I do not judge those who do not hold my position. I realize that people have not been taught Biblical truth. The Bible says that he that knows to do good, but does not do what is right, to him it is sin.

As I said, this is not a study on the subject. I don't expect to convince anyone, nor have I tried. I am saying that it is better to search out a question than to make hasty decisions that condemn other believers.