Cody Thomas

We live in a society that is consumed and inundated with the use of violence. The media is always covering shootings. Most movies deal with war or violence. Most video games are games focused around shooting and murder. Most American men look at Dirty Harry or Rambo as examples of “being a real man” (even if they realize that the movies are horrible).

Violence is everywhere in our culture. It’s on the news, in our movies, in our video games, and in real life. It’s all around us. We’re obsessed with it. We’re obsessed with the idea of using lethal force as a means of “justice.” I believe we should honor those who serve in the military and police force, but should we always honor what they do? Should we be excited about war and killing hundreds in other nations? (Just so you know up front, I definitely want to honor our soldiers for their sacrifice, but I never want to be happy about what they are ordered to do.)

So what is a Christian’s role in this life when it comes to the use of violence? Can we murder? I’d say we can all agree that we can’t. However, can we kill out of revenge? Can we kill out of self-defense? Can we kill to defend our family? Can we kill to defend our nation? Can we kill for the “greater good”? These are the questions that each Christian should face. These are the questions that I want to begin to face in this post.

Christians across the centuries have come to many different conclusions on the topic. At this point in my life, I would align myself as a pacifist, especially when it comes to the choice of using any lethal force. I have come to this conclusion through my personal study of the Scriptures, life experience, many conversations, and reasoning. However, I try to hold the Scriptures higher than any situational ethics, which most people use to add “gray areas” when all they are looking for is justification to do whatever they want instead of what they are called to do.

It is my goal here to begin a conversation that looks at many conclusions drawn from the Scriptures which have led me to align myself as a pacifist. I will continue posting under “Christian Pacifism” with arguments from the Scriptures. Feel free to join in the conversation as I continue to post, no matter which side you fall or if you haven’t decided for yourself what is right.

This week in my OT class, I had to tackle the debated issue of why Yahweh ordered holy war in the Old Testament.  Not only that, but I had to tackle this highly debated and highly paradoxical issue in less than 300 words.  Here is the response I posted:

As I read through the Torah and the corresponding pages of Collins and House, the most prevalent reason that I kept seeing for Yahweh to order holy war was that Yahweh wanted to go as far as was necessary to keep Israel “holy” and “set apart.”
Throughout Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, we see that Yahweh’s heart was to see Israel become a completely set apart and unique nation that was totally surrendered to Yahweh, looking nothing like the surrounding nations. This seems to be a focal point of Leviticus and the law. It also seems that Yahweh would stop at nothing to make sure they had the best situation for living up to those standards. Therefore, Yahweh ordered the annihilation of surrounding peoples that could jeopardize His holy people. Yahweh’s request is extreme, but, knowing the result of the incarnation of Jesus, I propose that Yahweh knew the severity of the need for Israel’s separation and continuation.
Despite the fact that I can not reconcile Yahweh’s holy war on Canaan and the surrounding peoples with my own theology of sacrificial love towards God and all people, Yahweh is still undeniably sovereign and He holds the right to do as He pleases. This is evidenced in what Collins brings up about the Midianite women. Moses was allowed to marry a Midianite woman, but the other Israelite men offended Yahweh by having relations with Midianite women. Collins brings up the point that the author “wants to make it clear that the precedent of Moses does not apply to anyone else” (83). This also shows that Yahweh is not required to give the same treatment to all people. Instead, Yahweh can give what He wants to whom He wants for the furtherance of His purposes.

Post any thoughts you have.  I really have no idea how to truly reconcile my view of a loving God and a God who asks His people to wipe out cities, slaughtering men, women, and children.  This response is the best summary I can make for trying to reconcile that.  I would really love to hear your ideas.

As part of my Old Testament Intro course I’m doing through Asbury, I had to read through Leviticus this week (along with Numbers, Deuteronomy, and two corresponding books with them). I’ve read some of Leviticus before, but I was blown away reading it this time. I started imagining what these scenes would truly look like. I started to imagine what it would be like to have to perform these sacrifices with my own hands. Read these passages and imagine doing this with your own hands.

If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar.
:: Leviticus 1:3-9

He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar on all sides. From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.
:: Leviticus 3:2-4

From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.
:: Leviticus 3:9-10

All this just sounds disgusting!  I wouldn’t stand a chance getting through a sacrifice.  I’d throw up all over it!  Just imagine the smell!  Blood and internal organs everywhere.  Having to handle them with your bare hands.  I just threw up in my mouth a little.

This was a good reminder for me though.  It gave me a chance to realize how disgusting our sin really is to God.  Look at how much of a disgusting mess the sacrifices were!  That much mess was caused by the disgusting mess of sin in people’s lives!  They couldn’t just say they were sorry and move on like nothing happened.  They had to sacrifice something that they owned (something that cost them something…or even more, something that was part of their families’ livelihood) and SLAUGHTER it!  They had to make a disgusting mess of blood, flesh, organs, and fat to cover the mess that they caused in their lives.  This is a reality check!  This is how disgusting our sin really is in God’s eyes.  It’s not something light.  It can’t be brushed off and forgotten.  It has to be dealt with, mourned over, and it has to cost us our repentance as we lean on Jesus’ sacrifice to cover our sin and move toward living more like Him.

Take some time and read through Leviticus.  Look and see how big and dirty our sin really is and that God doesn’t want us to live in it.  God has something more for us.  He has a far better way of life for us than we could even imagine!  Let’s count the cost, take up our crosses, and through the power of the Spirit, rid ourselves of the nastiness of sin and learn to love and serve and be holy as He is holy.

Here’s the best finds I’ve found on the internet this week.  All the blog posts that I list weren’t written this week.  I just happened to stumble across them this week.

• Read this post by Gary Lamb (pastor of Revolution Church) about what ministry REALLY looks like.  Ministry is messy.
• Check out this post by Tony Morgan about why leaders critique (and why it can be okay).
• Read this post by Perry Noble entitled, “Five Things You Should Never Hear From A Staff Member” (although I doubt ANY pastor should ever say this!)
• Check out this post by Tim Stevens (executive pastor at Granger Community Church) about wise decisions with your money!  GREAT advice!  Once I get a job and income, I’m going to implement this advice ASAP!
• Here’s an AMAZING post by Vicky Beeching (worship leader/artist) digging into the issue of recording worship artists and the effects of the Church making them into “worship pop stars.”
• For you intellectual types (a.k.a. “nerds”…don’t worry, I’m one too), check out Ben Witherington’s post considering the possibility of Lazarus as the “beloved disciple,” and even more, the author of the Gospel of John

Have fun in the blog world with this week’s wi-finds!