Richard Aberdeen
Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2026
- Messages
- 271
Many conservative Christians claim that it is wrong to allow the government to address the needs of the sick, poor, immigrants and the oppressed. You can read why that is a terrible lie Here. Most of these same conservative Christians blindly support whatever war the United States happens to engage in. And you can read why that is a terrible lie Here.
James 4:1-3: "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."
Many historians who should know better claim that the Crusades were caused by religion. But while religion is often used to foment war, it is not the root cause. Rather, wars are about the accumulation and protection of wealth.
During the Crusades, rape and much booty was promised to the victors and very few in history have not been paid in some form for being a soldier. When Hitler took over a nation, the first thing he did was to order his troops to find and secure the gold, art, jewelry and other wealth of that nation. Like I Timothy 6:10 says, "for the love of wealth is the root of all evil."
According to Britannica, World War I resulted in 37 million deaths. This so-called "war to end all wars" was soon followed by an estimated 70 to 85 million deaths in World War II. It can be difficult to comprehend such numbers, considering that the population of New York City is only 9.6 million, while the largest city on earth today numbers less than 40 million. Imagine if the entire population of Shanghai vanished from the earth and, this is less than a third of the combined total deaths for two world wars.
Many in the modern age are quick to philosophize about "just war theory", without considering that total deaths in the two above wars are only part of the devastating results. War results in widows, widowers and orphans; entirely families torn apart. War results in overwhelming psychological and emotional damage to both soldiers and civilians and, especially children. War results in horrendous disease, poverty, famine and starvation. And long-term damage, pain and suffering for both soldiers and civilians often lasts a lifetime. Consider that many veterans today return from war and end up participating in anti-war demonstrations.
And then there is the tremendous financial downside of war. In modern warfare, war profiteers pocket hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars; replenishing modern weaponry is incredibly expensive. The combined cost of the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq totals over five trillion dollars, more than enough to rebuild our decaying infrastructure and end homelessness, while providing universal healthcare for years to come. A truly vexatious result of war is that it wastes valuable resources that can and should be used to help, rather than harm people.
According to The Guardian, after the U.S. failed to replace the police power in Iraq, more people were killed by roving gangs and wanton violence than were killed by both military sides. There is a very good reason why Romans 13, written during the reality of the brutal Roman Empire, warns us not to resist "the authorities" that protect us from lawlessness Romans Chapter 13. When legal constraints are removed, as the United States unwisely did in Iraq, the result is violent anarchy endangering everyone.
The United States population often views itself as being a peaceful nation, but the historical truth is that nearly every generation in our relatively brief history, finds us engaged in another war. Our leaders often claim that whatever current war they are waging is "to secure the peace" and to "prevent" perceived future destruction. But history teaches us that war has never secured any lasting peace or prevented future destruction. Rather, war soon results in more war, often in reaction to grievances caused by previous wars.
Jesus commands us to put our weapons away, which is unarguably the only real solution to war. Jesus warns us twice, both in Matthew 26:52 and Revelation 13:10, that "those who kill with the sword must be killed with the sword." By far the smartest and most influential person in human history promises us the following: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" Matthew 5:9.
James 4:1-3: "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."
Many historians who should know better claim that the Crusades were caused by religion. But while religion is often used to foment war, it is not the root cause. Rather, wars are about the accumulation and protection of wealth.
During the Crusades, rape and much booty was promised to the victors and very few in history have not been paid in some form for being a soldier. When Hitler took over a nation, the first thing he did was to order his troops to find and secure the gold, art, jewelry and other wealth of that nation. Like I Timothy 6:10 says, "for the love of wealth is the root of all evil."
According to Britannica, World War I resulted in 37 million deaths. This so-called "war to end all wars" was soon followed by an estimated 70 to 85 million deaths in World War II. It can be difficult to comprehend such numbers, considering that the population of New York City is only 9.6 million, while the largest city on earth today numbers less than 40 million. Imagine if the entire population of Shanghai vanished from the earth and, this is less than a third of the combined total deaths for two world wars.
Many in the modern age are quick to philosophize about "just war theory", without considering that total deaths in the two above wars are only part of the devastating results. War results in widows, widowers and orphans; entirely families torn apart. War results in overwhelming psychological and emotional damage to both soldiers and civilians and, especially children. War results in horrendous disease, poverty, famine and starvation. And long-term damage, pain and suffering for both soldiers and civilians often lasts a lifetime. Consider that many veterans today return from war and end up participating in anti-war demonstrations.
And then there is the tremendous financial downside of war. In modern warfare, war profiteers pocket hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars; replenishing modern weaponry is incredibly expensive. The combined cost of the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq totals over five trillion dollars, more than enough to rebuild our decaying infrastructure and end homelessness, while providing universal healthcare for years to come. A truly vexatious result of war is that it wastes valuable resources that can and should be used to help, rather than harm people.
According to The Guardian, after the U.S. failed to replace the police power in Iraq, more people were killed by roving gangs and wanton violence than were killed by both military sides. There is a very good reason why Romans 13, written during the reality of the brutal Roman Empire, warns us not to resist "the authorities" that protect us from lawlessness Romans Chapter 13. When legal constraints are removed, as the United States unwisely did in Iraq, the result is violent anarchy endangering everyone.
The United States population often views itself as being a peaceful nation, but the historical truth is that nearly every generation in our relatively brief history, finds us engaged in another war. Our leaders often claim that whatever current war they are waging is "to secure the peace" and to "prevent" perceived future destruction. But history teaches us that war has never secured any lasting peace or prevented future destruction. Rather, war soon results in more war, often in reaction to grievances caused by previous wars.
Jesus commands us to put our weapons away, which is unarguably the only real solution to war. Jesus warns us twice, both in Matthew 26:52 and Revelation 13:10, that "those who kill with the sword must be killed with the sword." By far the smartest and most influential person in human history promises us the following: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" Matthew 5:9.
