O'BYRNE says do you think God will say that? What did we do? We fought a enemy in Afghanistan that was evil. Did our own government not put the full focus and might of our military on that target? No they drug it out for profit. Was it sinful killing an evil enemy at whatever point in this war? I don't believe it was. I would go back and stack bodies if our government wanted to be serious about ridding the world of an evil organization like the Taliban. But they better have a darn good short-term plan.
I think O'Byrne's understanding of a righteous, just, gracious, loving God is perhaps skewed. We live in a fallen world. Because of man's sin nature, we have been warring with each other since Cain killed Abel. I agree with you; killing those who are trying to kill you, and who want to destroy your way of life, amidst a war is not sinful. I think, like many of us, O'Byrne carries the burden of what only a soldier who's engaged in combat can understand. Seems clear that he struggles with that burden, as I do sometimes too. Right or wrong, sin or not, I understand dealing with that reality. There are many instances we can point to, Gideon and his 300, Samson, the sacking of Jericho, etc. that are clearly indicative of armed conflict not being a sin for the combatants. I'm going to stop before this becomes it's own post. Actually...maybe it will 😉 A few former soldiers are the one's that this post seems to have resonated with most so far.
O'BYRNE says do you think God will say that? What did we do? We fought a enemy in Afghanistan that was evil. Did our own government not put the full focus and might of our military on that target? No they drug it out for profit. Was it sinful killing an evil enemy at whatever point in this war? I don't believe it was. I would go back and stack bodies if our government wanted to be serious about ridding the world of an evil organization like the Taliban. But they better have a darn good short-term plan.
I think O'Byrne's understanding of a righteous, just, gracious, loving God is perhaps skewed. We live in a fallen world. Because of man's sin nature, we have been warring with each other since Cain killed Abel. I agree with you; killing those who are trying to kill you, and who want to destroy your way of life, amidst a war is not sinful. I think, like many of us, O'Byrne carries the burden of what only a soldier who's engaged in combat can understand. Seems clear that he struggles with that burden, as I do sometimes too. Right or wrong, sin or not, I understand dealing with that reality. There are many instances we can point to, Gideon and his 300, Samson, the sacking of Jericho, etc. that are clearly indicative of armed conflict not being a sin for the combatants. I'm going to stop before this becomes it's own post. Actually...maybe it will 😉 A few former soldiers are the one's that this post seems to have resonated with most so far.