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Christians and the army

Jesus Christ on the protection of life, homeland, and loved ones

Is it permissible for Christians to kill their enemies? What about the enemies of their loved ones and homeland? Is it a sin for a soldier to kill in war? What about crippling someone in a war? What if a police officer kills someone? What if an ordinary citizen does it?

Let’s think this one through. The savior of human souls — where and when did he allow for the killing and crippling of people? And what (and whom) do we destroy by doing so: body or soul, someone else’s or our own?

Let’s consider the most controversial passages from the Gospel, cited by proponents of violence in arguments for the use of force in resolving conflicts. Please note that we are not talking about spontaneous reactions to aggression (not everyone has fully developed the skill of humility — to meet anyone in peace and to defeat evil with good), but about the conscious everyday protection of peace by means of armed violence and the threat of its usage.

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