I saw that bumper sticker yesterday and again today. "War is not the answer". Of course, I have seen it a hundred times before and it always did ring a sour note in my mind but I guess I never really thought much about it. Yesterday, while I was continuing on my journey after seeing it, I was able to put some thought to it. Why did it seem like such an odd statement to me? First, the logical thought for me at least, was that if war is not the answer, peace must be. Peace is the opposite of war, right? But that didn't make sense. "Peace is the answer." That statement doesn't make sense. Peace is not the opposite of war. War is an action, whereas peace is a state of being. Someone could certainly be at peace and at war simultaniously. Regardless, peace is not the opposite of war, negotiation and compromise is the opposite of war. So were the makers or bearers of the bumper sticker meaning to tell me that compromise is the answer? Maybe. But that begs the question...what IS the question? If we are talking about war, and a war that presumably (since we are in the U.S.A.) the United States in involved in, then, maybe the question is this; "How can we defeat tyrrany and oppression?" If that is the question, then what is the answer? Well, we can count out peace because peace is a state of being free of tyrrany and oppression not a means of defeating it. I think that is a fair definition for the sake of this argument. So peace is the goal or the desired end result of the answer, not the answer itself. So with peace being out of the equation, what is left? Compromise and war. Let me ask a rhetorical question. Has there ever been a tyrranical and oppressive regime defeated by compromising with them? I went through, in my mind, the major, oppressive regimes of the last two thousand years and there seems to be a common theme to their demise... and it's not negotiation and compromise. It's war. Maybe there is one out there somewhere but it would certainly be an exception not the rule. Can you negotiate with evil and ever win? No. Every compromise that good makes with evil results in evil winning. The only method that has ever proven to be effective throughout history in defeating evil has been forcebly removing power from those who govern with an evil hand. Turns out, if I have the question right, then war IS the answer. But we must be dedicated to victory and a proper execution of that war. I can hear a bunch of voices rising in unison, demanding to know how a Christian can think war is the answer. My first suggestion is to really read your Bible, in context. God seemed to think that war was the answer to many questions throughout the history of Israel. He did try negotiation with Egypt but only to prove it wouldn't work and to show blameless the supernatural war He then inflicted upon them for not surrendering. And even in the New Testament, there were many members of government and the military that became followers of Christ and never did a request of them be made to stop attending to their jobs. A military person in the Roman Empire was not a peace keeper. He was a warrior. You would think if war were such a huge offense against God, something would have been mentioned. You see, God understands evil and understands what is required to defeat it. War. It will be that way until the final blow in the final battle of the final war and the warrior serving that blow will be Jesus, Himself. So talk all you want but when the time comes to pick up that gun and defend good and freedom, I hope each of you will be willing to do it. I will be. If you want peace, win the war. It really is that simple.
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