Food for Thought
Because of the complex ethical and theological aspects of war, as well as its sheer brutality, war does, and should, create difficulties for both Bible-believing Christians and non-Christian seekers alike. The confusion has not been helped by the Church’s voice often being absent or ambiguous on this topic, and perhaps even more so because the Church itself has been implicated and involved in various wars down through the centuries.
Many 21st century people find that reading the Old Testament in particular (which has a lot to say about war), presents a stumbling block to belief in a God of love who became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Some even find it downright offensive. Cyril Rodd writes: ‘In the Old Testament, war was not only accepted but religion commonly both justified it and intensified its evil. This view of war is irredeemable.’