War in Gaza

[Robert]

This may be an answer to Israel actions in Gaza. We forget their history. They do not. They are not Cristian. They even say they do not forgive. There are still over 100 hostages being held.

[Josh]

Muslims don’t forgive either - so what happens next? Endless feuds and war forever?

More importantly, why does America need to be funding this to the tune of billions of dollars?

[temporal1]

P.39:

I think there could have been more separation between the militants and non-militants.

If the militants deliberately defy the separation and infiltrate the non-militants (which has been their strategy), then we are just back where we started. And wouldn't self-identifying as a militant be painting a target on your back?

[Josh]

P.39:

I think there could have been more separation between the militants and non-militants.

If the militants deliberately defy the separation and infiltrate the non-militants (which has been their strategy), then we are just back where we started. And wouldn't self-identifying as a militant be painting a target on your back?

Does this justify killing children and bombing churches?

[Soloist]

P.39:

If the militants deliberately defy the separation and infiltrate the non-militants (which has been their strategy), then we are just back where we started. And wouldn't self-identifying as a militant be painting a target on your back?

Does this justify killing children and bombing churches?

From a Christian perspective no.
From a Jewish perspective, how did they handle war in the Bible on the sabbath? (Well… Deuterocanon at least)

From a secular military perspective… there are certain laws that are supposed to govern how one is to attack schools, churches, hospitals but historically, no one actually follows those laws and just attacks.

[Ken]

P.39:

Does this justify killing children and bombing churches?

From a Christian perspective no.
From a Jewish perspective, how did they handle war in the Bible on the sabbath? (Well… Deuterocanon at least)

From a secular military perspective… there are certain laws that are supposed to govern how one is to attack schools, churches, hospitals but historically, no one actually follows those laws and just attacks.

Guerilla warfare has always involved combatants hiding within populations. Whether it was colonial minutemen, Apache warriors, the Viet Cong, or Josephus leading the Jewish Zealot rebels against Rome in the 1st Century AD. That doesn't justify turning cities into rubble and massacring civilians.

[RZehr]

That doesn't justify turning cities into rubble and massacring civilians.

While I personally agree, I also believe in taking it much further and saying that nothing justifies war at all.

And the evidence has always been, that warriors have always been willing to turn cities to rubble if necessary. Whether it was colonial minutemen, Apache warriors, the Viet Cong, or Josephus leading the Jewish Zealot rebels against Rome in the 1st Century AD. Cities and villages were totally destroyed.
Not always gratuitously, but if necessary. And that necessity is determined by the attackers, and never by the cities defenders. This is just real factual and observable history.

We need to get away from the idea that war can be done surgically and with high ethics, when it is inherently unethical and messy. Because as long as we convince ourselves that there is a right and wrong way to wage war, war is easier to justify. It just needs to be done “right”. How about not done at all?

[Ken]

That doesn't justify turning cities into rubble and massacring civilians.

While I personally agree, I also believe in taking it much further and saying that nothing justifies war at all.

And the evidence has always been, that warriors have always been willing to turn cities to rubble if necessary. Whether it was colonial minutemen, Apache warriors, the Viet Cong, or Josephus leading the Jewish Zealot rebels against Rome in the 1st Century AD. Cities and villages were totally destroyed.
Not always gratuitously, but if necessary. And that necessity is determined by the attackers, and never by the cities defenders. This is just real factual and observable history.

We need to get away from the idea that war can be done surgically and with high ethics, when it is inherently unethical and messy. Because as long as we convince ourselves that there is a right and wrong way to wage war, war is easier to justify. It just needs to be done “right”. How about not done at all?

What is war?

Is militarizing our southern borders against the drug cartels war? It looks a lot like war. Watch the movie Sicario.

What about the predictions of violence we hear about if Trump doesn't win the election? We have even heard people talk about such predictions here. Is that war?

Is protecting shipping through the Red Sea war?

What about fighting cocaine trafficking in Colombia?

The last time the US actually declared war was WW2. There has been a awful lot of fighting since then.

[Soloist]

What is war?

Is militarizing our southern borders against the drug cartels war? It looks a lot like war. Watch the movie Sicario.

What about the predictions of violence we hear about if Trump doesn't win the election? We have even heard people talk about such predictions here. Is that war?

Is protecting shipping through the Red Sea war?

What about fighting cocaine trafficking in Colombia?

The last time the US actually declared war was WW2. There has been a awful lot of fighting since then.

When Anabaptists speak of war, they are not using the political expediency of “conflicts”
We call it war anytime our military is used against another sovereign nation and may agree on some past that.

[joshuabgood]

Thinking killing people helps solve the problem of people killing people is like thinking that the answer to rape is more raping to ensure the raping stops. It's a fools errand. You can't drive out darkness with darkness...only light.

Only love and forgiveness can stop the killing. This latest war on Gaza will solve nothing. It will just be one more piece of the long story of violence between Israel and Palestine. Same is true for the intifada and October 7th.