Can a Christian be a soldier or police, and kill someone, and still be a Christian?

[Heirbyadoption]

From Jesus?

And the 10 Commandments. The 5th Commandment (or 6th depending on the version) is "Thall Shall Not Kill"
That is pretty unambiguous. There is no "except in the following circumstances..." contained in the 10 Commandments for any of them.

Is all killing murder? Because that verse literally says something to the effect of "Thou dost not murder" doesn't it?

Signtist, I'm still curious for context here, per my earlier question: Are you referring to the idea of "all killing" meaning the taking of life by anyone whatsoever, or are you addressing the taking of life specifically by Christians?

[Ken]

And the 10 Commandments. The 5th Commandment (or 6th depending on the version) is "Thall Shall Not Kill"
That is pretty unambiguous. There is no "except in the following circumstances..." contained in the 10 Commandments for any of them.

Is all killing murder? Because that verse literally says something to the effect of "Thou dost not murder" doesn't it?

Signtist, I'm still curious for context here, per my earlier question: Are you referring to the idea of "all killing" meaning the taking of life by anyone whatsoever, or are you addressing the taking of life specifically by Christians?

I think the text of the 10 commandments pretty clearly translate to “murder” rather than “kill”. You can go sites like the Bible Gateway and look at all the various translations and they mostly use the term murder rather than kill. Which makes sense because the ancient Hebrews from that time were a warlike people and the early Old Testament books are full of endless killing during war and judicial killings (death penalty), mostly sanctioned by God.

If you turn to the New Testament, most of the references to killing are actually references back to the 10 Commandments and not some new universal prohibition against all killing. For example, Matthew 5:21 is a direct reference to the 10 Commandments. Which are, of course, a prohibition against murder and not state sanctioned killing in war or capital punishment.

I think where most Anabaptists pick up a prohibition on military service is from the doctrine of nonresistance. Which is coming at the issue from a different angle. Because I don’t think you will find any sort of direct prohibition on military service or police service in the Old or New Testaments. It is all inferred from the teachings on nonresistance.

[steve-in-kville]

Everyone talks a big game until you have to defend you own family. Then the talk stops. Trust me.

[Josh]

I don't exactly know where we get the idea that all killing is wrong.

Maybe it isn't a question of wrong as much as a better way with the chance of true redemption and immortality.

The idea man can kill someone and negate Jesus’ ability to save them always seemed a bit off to me.

[Josh]

Everyone talks a big game until you have to defend you own family. Then the talk stops. Trust me.

There are plenty of testimonies of nonresistance people choosing not to do exactly that. I can refer you to some books, if you wish.

[steve-in-kville]

Everyone talks a big game until you have to defend you own family. Then the talk stops. Trust me.

There are plenty of testimonies of nonresistance people choosing not to do exactly that. I can refer you to some books, if you wish.

Please do.

I must have sat under all the wrong sermons or something. Sorry for the outburst.

[Signtist]

I don't exactly know where we get the idea that all killing is wrong.

As differentiated from the taking of life specifically by Christians, you mean? Or as in lumping all taking of life under the same umbrella, including the death penalty by Rom 13 authority, or...?

Well the commandment to not murder was to God's people, so whoever God's people are today. They (back then) were obviously allowed to kill. For example, in protecting their property or defending their homes, especially after dark.

Jesus tells us to love "our enemies", but if a neighbour is at the point of killing his wife, and I beat him over the head with a kitchen chair to stop him, I never hurt my enemy. I hurt the neighbour who was hurting his innocent wife. How do we figure those scenarios?

[Signtist]

The idea man can kill someone and negate Jesus’ ability to save them always seemed a bit off to me.

I'm not disagreeing. I don't like the idea either.

[Josh]

Everyone talks a big game until you have to defend you own family. Then the talk stops. Trust me.

There are plenty of testimonies of nonresistance people choosing not to do exactly that. I can refer you to some books, if you wish.

Please do.

I must have sat under all the wrong sermons or something. Sorry for the outburst.

In the modern era, Pablo Yoder's books "Living out Jesus' Peaceful Revolution" and "Ways of Wasala" are probably the best works on the topic.

[Josh]

The idea man can kill someone and negate Jesus’ ability to save them always seemed a bit off to me.

I'm not disagreeing. I don't like the idea either.

It's kind of like an intellectual, rational way to try to "talk someone into" nonresistance. Which I think is the wrong approach.