Most religions offer teaching on war and conflict.

And over time religion

has been at the heart of conflict between nations.
Biblical teachings about war
The Old Testament
The Sixth Commandment (from the Ten Commandments, given to Moses) says,
You shall not murder, but there are occasions hen the !eish "eo"le are told by
#od to attac$ "eo"le ho o""ose them%
The famous &ld Testament 'uotation used to (ustify ar)
*ut if there is serious in(ury, you are to ta$e life for life, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot%
Exodus 21:23-24
The ords are intended to limit revenge, not encourage vengeance% *ut revenge
is not consistent ith the later teaching of !esus%
The New Testament
!esus is often described as a "acifist% +e taught)
*lessed are the "eacema$ers for they ill be called the children of #od%
Matthew 5.9
,hen he as arrested in the #arden of #ethsemane, his disci"les anted to
defend him)
,hen !esus folloers sa hat as going to ha""en, they said, -ord, should e
stri$e ith our sords. /nd one of them struc$ the servant of the high "riest,
cutting off his right ear% *ut !esus ansered, 0o more of this1 /nd he touched
the mans ear and healed him%
Luke 22:49-51
Jesus anger
There are to occasions in the gos"els hen !esus is obviously angry% &ne of
these is in the Tem"le in !erusalem)
!esus entered the tem"le area and drove out all ho ere buying and selling
there% +e overturned the tables of the money2changers and the benches of those
selling doves% 3t is ritten, he said to them% My house ill be called a house of
"rayer, but you are ma$ing it a den of robbers%
Matthew 21:12-13
The other event ta$es "lace outside of !erusalem,
4arly in the morning, as he as on his ay bac$ to the city, he as hungry%
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he ent u" to it but found nothing on it exce"t
leaves% Then he said to it, May you never bear fruit again1 3mmediately the tree
ithered%
Matthew 21:18-19
Most Christians believe that ar and fighting are rong exce"t in the most severe
cases and they base their vies on !esus teaching about love)
/ ne command 3 give you) love one another% /s 3 have loved you, so you must
love one another%
John 13:34
Christian involvement in war
3n the "ast there have been many occasions hen Christians have fought ars
and hen Christian countries have fought each other including)
the Crusades
the 5irst and Second ,orld ,ars
ars in 6ietnam, 7orea, the 5al$lands8Malvinos, South /frica, and
0orthern 3reland
Pacifism
Some Christians, such as The 9eligious Society of 5riends (:ua$ers), are totally
o""osed to fighting and during arfare they are conscientious ob(ectors (ta$ing a
"ublic stance against conflict)% They are "re"ared to go into battle driving
ambulances or doing other duties but they ill not fight%
&ther Christians are "re"ared to fight in the armed services and there are alays
cha"lains attached to military units%
Most Christians today ould "robably not condone any ar that as not fought
according to the !ust ,ar theory% / ar is (ustified if it is fought for a reason that
carries sufficient moral eight% The country that ishes to initiate the use of
military force against another nation must demonstrate that there is a ;(ust; cause
to do so%
Christians believe that they should "rotest hen in(ustice is being done against
other "eo"le, even though they may not be Christians%
5irst they came for the !es
and 3 did not s"ea$ out2because 3 as not a !e%
Then they came for the Communists
and 3 did not s"ea$ out2because 3 as not a communist%
Then they came for the trade unionists
and 3 did not s"ea$ out2because 3 as not a trade unionist%
Then they came for me2/nd there as no one left
to s"ea$ out for me%
<astor 0iem=ller