Tag Archives: violence

What do you think about war?

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A common misconception is that the Old Testament God loves war in comparison to the New Testament God loving peace and mercy. The truth is that God is a God of justice and mercy.

The Old Testament often shows that God punishes Israel and Israel’s enemies through the act of war as a just consequence for their sin. The New Testament shows God punishing his own Son in place of the new Israel as an atonement for their sin. The cross is where justice and mercy meet.

So what should Christians believe about war? Robin Gill suggested the following four positions:

1. Thoroughgoing militarism: all war is just – a Christian could be a mercenary.
2. Selective militarism: war that the state declares is just – a Christian could serve in the armed forces.
3. Selective pacifism: wars with which the individual agrees is just – a Christian could serve in a particular war.
4. Thoroughgoing pacifism: no war is just – a Christian should never serve in the armed forces.

I think I’m between 2 and 3. Where are you?

Violence in movies is ok

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Jon Acuff posted a bit ago, commenting on the fact that Christians were allowed to watch 18-rated movies so long as they were filled to the brim with violence (as opposed to nudity).

However a good Christian friend of mine said she couldn’t enjoy some movies because, as a Christian, she couldn’t bring herself to ‘enjoy’ the gratuitous violence in them.

I’ve always thought that violence in movies is fine! My reasoning was that at the time of the New Testament being written, gladiatorial combat was popular – the Bible’s clear lack of any teaching around this leads me to believe that it doesn’t really matter what you think!

But then I read another point of view:

I have a high tolerance for violence, high tolerance for bad language, and zero tolerance for nudity. There is a reason for these differences. The violence is make-believe. They don’t really mean those bad words. But that lady is really naked, and I am really watching. And somewhere she has a brokenhearted father.

I’ll put it bluntly. The only nude female body a guy should ever lay his eyes on is his wife’s. The few exceptions include doctors, morticians, and fathers changing diapers.

The full post is here. It’s not too long, and I think it’s worth reading all the way through.