Americans by and large consider themselves to be a just and virtuous people. President George W. Bush has called America "the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world." There is therefore a national tendency, a natural desire in Americans, to convert every conflict where numerous American lives are at stake into a just or holy war. Those old enough to remember World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the early years of the Vietnam War can recall that most Americans then considered those to be just wars.

    Since the events of September 11, this desire to only engage in a "just" war is alive and well. President Bush has promised that "we will rid the world of evildoers" and "defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world." Best-selling Christian author Hal Lindsey describes the current conflict as a war between American and its allies and Satan: "America sees [Satan’s] face in clouds of smoke [coming from the twin towers on 9-11], sees his fingerprints all over New York and Washington, and has decided to take him on in open combat." Indeed, our enemies have very publicly declared a holy war – a Jihad – against us. Their war was openly declared before the first attack on the twin towers in 1993. Ready or not, this then is the great moral challenge of our age.

    Not all Americans wish to meet the Jihadist terrorist's challenge head on. Some wish to ignore it, some to appease it and some say "peace at any price." These Americans are dead wrong.

    The events of the Vietnam War seem to permanently changed and radicalized the American political scene. Today many persons in the left and far-left political and social movements no longer chose to view America as a just and virtuous nation. Some go so far as to deny that we ever were, pointing to slavery, the treatment of the American Indian tribes, our past support of dictators, and other events they interpret as wrongs. 

    Others in America, Europe and the Middle East publicly proclaim that on 9-11 we only got what we so richly deserved. They say that our religion and culture are responsible for many of the evils they see within our society. For these reasons they call us "the Great Satan." They also call us that because Hollywood exports vile filth and perversion throughout the world.  

    Needless to say, while most Americans agree with that assessment of most of Hollywood's television and film products, such "you got what you deserve" sentiments come somewhat as a shock to the average American. Knowledgeable Americans know that -- outside of their views on Hollywood's current perversion -- these people have, at best, a highly selective, unbalanced version of American history.

    How did this political situation happen? Well, it didn’t happen overnight; it has been developing for over 60 years. Starting in the 1930s through the '40s and '50s, east coast Ivy Leaguers and Hollywood liberals began to idolize the Soviet Union and communism over American-style democracy and capitalism.  Then, by the mid-1960s more radical "Blame America First" and anti-war sentiments began to arise; their advocates chanting such catchy slogans as "Hell no, we won’t go!" and "Make love, not war." 

    The network censorship of American movies and television shows slowly eroded during the 1970s. Perversions crept in as the three major networks and the California movie studios craved profits over good taste and common decency.  Network television today -- NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, CNN, and the rest -- utilize sex and other sinful perversions to sell airtime, frequently airing stories that discriminate against Christians, competing to cater to the basest of lusts. The premium cable channels are even worse.

    We are not solely to blame; European television is worse still. All of these societal movements have beamed violent, perverse and degrading shows and movies into too many homes and families.  Children of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, seeped in such a culture, have become the adults of today. They expect no better because they know no better.  Sad to say, Christians sometimes do no better in obeying God's commandments that unbelievers.  The only real difference is that they should know better.

    One result of all this is that most US colleges and universities and many large American cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hollywood, New York) are no place to send your child to. Most universities today have too many USA-hating tenured professors and administrators who, along with others, give safe harbor to far-left social and political movements, support anti-military policies, espouse supposed "rights" for the perverted and the perverse, and openly speak loudly in favor of lunatic "Anti-USA" movements.  They chant "Death to the USA" and "Down with the Great Satan!" both here in the USA and abroad. Journalism professors, television executives and the liberal print media report, espouse and/or openly or implicitly support these views to varying degrees. They do not condemn these views. They are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

    These people challenge the war on terror declared by our President and overwhelmingly supported by our Congress. They oppose any involvement in a war in Iraq. They want us to quickly get out of Afghanistan and the entire Middle East. They support the "Palestinian" cause and absolutely oppose support for Israel. They wail about the plight of the "Palestinians" but ignored the slaughter of Muslims in Kosovo, Iraq and elsewhere. The turn a blind eye to the continuing practice of slavery in Africa, the Far East and the Middle East, often practiced against Christians and children. They pointedly ignore slavery and death inflicted upon Christians in the Sudan, China and elsewhere -- actions taken because the victims are Christian -- in part by thinking that the Christians deserve the fate they receive from their Muslim oppressors.

    So, which view is correct? In this matter of war where lies right and wrong, Biblically speaking? Let us see what God’s Word has to say about whether war can ever be "just" and, specifically, how to judge whether a war is just.

    First, realize that Jesus Christ never directly addressed the question of war. He came to reconcile mankind to God Almighty, to establish God's Kingdom here on Earth.  Despite what his Disciples thought, he did not intend and had no need to do that by war. Though he had the command of at least twelve legion of angels at his call, he did not pray for them even at the hour of his greatest test. See Matthew 26:51-54. 

    However, Christ Jesus did teach on love and nonviolence:

KJV Matthew 5:5 - "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

The Amplified Bible (AMP Bible) Matthew 5:5 - "Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!"

KJV Matthew 5:9 - "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

AMP Bible Matthew 5:9 - "Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!"

KJV Matthew 5:39 -"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

AMP Bible Matthew 5:39 - "But I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too."

KJV Matthew 5:44 - "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

Young’s Literal Translation Bible Matthew 5:44 - "but I – I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those accusing you falsely, and persecuting you,"

    The Apostle Paul spoke also on this pacifist theme:

KJV Romans 12:14, 17-18, 21 - " ¹⁴ Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. ¹⁷ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. ²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

AMP Bible Romans 12:14, 17-18, 21 - " ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. ¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ²¹ Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good."

Young’s Literal Translation Bible Romans 12:14, 17-18, 21 - " ¹⁴ Bless those persecuting you; bless, and curse not; ¹⁷ giving back to no one evil for evil; providing right things before all men. ¹⁸ If possible -- so far as in you -- with all men being in peace; ²¹ Be not overcome by the evil, but overcome, in the good, the evil."

    Christ and Paul were restating and amplifying Old Testament commandments:

KJV Proverbs 25:21-22 - "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For [in doing so] thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD [Jehovah] shall reward [giveth recompense to] thee."

Footnote: This heaping of "coals of fire upon his head" is not to be understood only as a revengeful act intended to embarrass its victim. The fuller picture is that of the high priest (Lev. 16:12) who, on the Day of Atonement, took his censer and filled it with "coals of fire" from off the altar of burnt offering, and then put incense on the coals to create a pleasing, sweet-smelling fragrance. The cloud of incense covered the mercy seat and was acceptable to God for atonement. The Methodist theologian Samuel Wesley wrote: "So artists melt the sullen ore of lead, By heaping coals of fire upon its head: In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow, And pure from dross the silver runs below."

KJV Proverbs 20:22 - "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee."

AMP Bible Proverbs 20:22 - "Do not say, I will repay evil; wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue you."

    The Old Testament, of course, is full of tales of war.  Fought against the Jews, mostly. God certainly intervened in those wars, saving the nation of Israel time and time again by divine acts.  But sometimes He removed his hand of protection from Israel and Judea because of their sins, and they lost wars. 

    In sum, the Old Testament teaches that: 1) God will protect you and your country from losing a war, if you constantly abide by his commandments, 2) you have a right to protect yourself if and when attacked, 3) you have a God-given right to call upon God's hedge of protection to surround your people and your nation, and 4) with certain limitations (for example, newlywed men were exempt from being called up for the first year of their marriage), the State has the right to call upon its citizens to serve in time of war.  Given this biblical background, how did early Christians view war and military service obligations? 

    The earliest Christians did not serve in the Roman military. This was primarily because Roman soldiers were required to swear allegiance to and worship the Roman emperor as a god. This all Christians and Jews were clearly and directly forbidden to do. During the First and Second Centuries Rome’s legions began to convert to Christianity and, after about 170 A.D. Rome began to conscript Christians from time to time. After Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman empire in about 320 A.D., Christians served in all ranks of the military. As leaders of the government, the church, and the military, Christian theologians developed the "just war" concept.

    First pronounced in written form by St. Augustine in his City of God in about 500 A.D., Augustine and later St. Thomas Aquinas set forth a theory of war consistent with Christian ethics. First, Augustine declared that Christians could and should discriminate between just and unjust wars. Second, a "just" war should be just in fact. For example, war should always have a justifiable cause, such as self defense. War should be justly waged between combatants, not for wanton civilian destruction but fought by rules that would make it as humane as possible. Mistakes made in the heat of battle are unavoidable, regrettable, but accepted if the cause is just. 

    All nonviolent options must be exercised first; war is a last resort utilized only after all other means of conflict resolution have failed. War can be declared and waged only by legitimate authorities, the highest possible national authority who is then accountable to the people of the warring nation. The evil that war inflicts should not be greater than the evil that it opposes; the violence of war should be proportional to the evil it seeks to eradicate. Finally, there must be a reasonable chance of winning such a war; war must have as its goal an achievable, durable and moral peace.

    Some aspects of this theory can be hard to apply. In the complex and hazy climate of international terrorism, most civilians and the authorities don’t have a proper knowledge of who is and is not "the enemy." Americans must and do assume and rely upon their leaders to properly do so. For this reason, it is imperative to elect only honest, God-fearing leaders. American has a pretty good track record on this, except for one or three ex-Presidents that I could think of.

    However, in the currant case Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is universally regarded as a blood-drenched tyrant who really does need to be disarmed. He is responsible for the murder of millions of Iraqi citizens, Iranians, tens of thousands of Kuwaitis, and over 100,000 Kurds (many of whom he gassed). The U.N. Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1441 (the 17th resolution regarding Iraq) again demanding that Saddam destroy all of his weapons of mass destruction as well as his capacity to rebuild such weapons. Without question he has not done so and will never willingly do so. His reign of terror continues, and he has a worldwide reach:

"A powerful bomb exploded at an airport in the Philippines' second largest city on Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring 148," CNN reports from the city of Davao, in the Philippine Islands. One of the murder victims was an American. The most likely culprit is the Abu Sayyaf organization, an al Qaeda-linked terror group. The Washington Times reports that leaders of the Abu Sayyaf organization "say they are receiving money from Iraqis close to President Saddam Hussein." One local Abu Sayyaf commander, Hamsiraji Sali, is quoted as saying he's gotten $20,000 from Iraq, "so we would have something to spend on chemicals for bomb-making and for the movement of our people."

    See also my position paper of the pros and cons of a second Gulf War for more details on Saddam's worldwide reign of terror. His actions are shockingly unjust, to say the least.

    Contrary to what many politicians and television commentators say, there has been no "rush to war." Counting from April 18, 1991, the 15th day after passage of UN Resolution 687, more than 4,330 days have passed since Iraq put itself in material breach of international obligations to disarm. It did so by ignoring that resolution's 15-day deadline for listing the locations, amounts and types of all its chemical and biological weapons, all "nuclear weapons-usable" materials, and for disclosing the location of Scud and other ballistic missiles with ranges above 90 miles. So the current "rush" to war has consumed almost half again as many as all the 3,075 days of U.S. engagement in World Wars I and II and the Korean War.

    The cost of this war is proportional to the evil we confront. Estimates for the fiscal cost of the impending war with Iraq come in around $100 to $200 billion -- still far less than the economic cost of one nuclear device being detonated in a U.S. urban center by Iraq's al-Qa'ida proxies. The United States of American and other nations lost over 3,000 lives on September 11, 2000, and the Jihad on America has cost hundreds since then.  Thousands or tens of thousands of American lives are at risk.  This is too great a price to just risk sitting and do nothing.  

    Sanctions will not, indeed can not work.  Saddam was receiving French anti-aircraft missiles, jet and helicopter parts, Russian arms and munitions, and Chinese rocket fuel all throughout the 1990s -- and even as late as March of 2003. Sanctions were a failure. The UN Oil for Food program was full of fraud and graft, giving hundreds of millions in payoffs to French, German, Chinese and Russian businessmen and, most probably, politicians. Will the truth of this ever come out? Who knows?  Probably not -- the rich and powerful protect each other.  But given the failure of sanctions and Saddam's support for terrorists, the cost of inaction is too high.  Indeed, President Bush made this point when he said "The price of doing nothing exceeds the price of taking action."

    In March of 2003 the left-of-center Brookings Institution reported that "10,000 people could die in a successful attack on a U.S. chemical or nuclear power plant; a nuclear bomb detonated in a major U.S. city could claim the lives of 100,000 people," and that a biological attack in a single U.S. city could cause $750 billion in economic damage, while chemical attacks in malls or movie theaters could cost the economy $250 billion. The study notes that a successful attack on the shipping industry could cost the economy a $1 trillion hit.  Such financial devastation it too high a price for the world to ask America and its allies to pay. It is utter foolishness to leave the security of America in the treacherous hands of the United Nations, or the Pakistanis, French, Russian, Germans or Chinese -- who for love of money gladly sell nuclear, biologic, chemical and conventional arms and munitions to Iraq, Libya, Syria, Iran, North Korea and our other enemies.