WAR, THE MILITARY, AND THE FLAG

There has recently been a widespread internet controversy over the views of a couple of Bible-believers, connected with this work, on the subject of the Christian American’s involvement with war and the military. Bible Baptist Church and its pastor, associate pastor, deacons, and trustees would like to define their position on these matters.

1. War is clearly the result of sin (James 4:1).

2. But as Bob Jones Sr. observed: "War is God’s judgment on sin here; Hell is God’s judgment on sin hereafter."

3. The Lord is a God of war (Exod. 15:3).

4. God calls nations to war against other nations (2 Chron. 35:21; Ezek. 28:7, 29:19) and draws them into battle with each other (Ezek. 38:4; Zeph. 3:8).

5. From a human, political standpoint, most of the wars America has enbroiled herself in have been of dubious origins.

6. Every war since World War II has been an "unconstitutional" war since Congress never has actually "declared war" against anybody.

7. The Constitution has been a joke since the Civil War and is used or ignored at the convenience of those who wield the political power in the United States.

8. For the moment, the citizens of the United States still have some amount of freedom of speech to legitimately critize the government of the United States for its involvement in wars.

9. A president can be a saved, moral man (like George W. Bush) and still make wrong decisions about things like war, terrorism, and Israel.

10. Every American has a right, at the moment, to participate or not participate in the political system. Sometimes participation changes the actions of the government; sometimes it does not. As Will Rogers used to observe, "There’s not a dimes difference anymore between the two parties."

11. The spiritual condition of the United States is shot. God cannot bless any nation for living like many of the citizens of the Unites States live. Any blessing that this country still enjoys is the result of "credit" given this nation by God when it still believed the Bible and feared God, by a bunch of saints who are still praying for God’s mercy and are living right and putting out the Gospel, and by God’s purposes for the United States.

12. Neither Jesus Christ nor the apostles forbade any Christian from serving the government; either in leadership, bureaucracy, or the military. The admonition to people in those positions was not to use the power of those positions to take or do more than the law allowed (Luke 3:12–14).

13. A Christian should only serve in the military if he feels the Lord has called him to do it. Since the job of the military is to kill the enemy, a Christian should be certain that God has called him to kill people in the wars of his country. Joshua was called to do that. David was called to do that. Oliver Cromwell was called to do that. Of course, any Christian who is drafted should obey and go into the military (Rom. 13).

14. Since God can use "the wrath of man" to praise Him (Psa. 76:10), a Christian in the military should use the opportunity to do what many military chaplains won’t or can’t do: give a clear testimony of salvation to the lost around him and try to win them to Christ, disciple and ground converts in the clear teachings of the Scriptures, and expose himself to needs of the lost in other lands.

15. We appreciate every man who served his country honorably and well in the military, especially those Christians who lived for God during their military stint. We appreciate the freedom and way of life this has made possible for us. We believe the examples of dedication and sacrifice by even lost men in military service should serve as incentives to all Christians to serve their Captain as well as or better than they (Heb. 2:10).

16. Since a Christian is to obey "the powers that be" (Rom. 13:1–9) and submit to the ordinances of the government (1 Pet. 2:13–15) and honor those in leadership over us (1 Pet. 2:17), it is reasonable for the government of the United States to expect and receive a certain amount of loyalty and allegiance. Since the flag is a symbol of a time when America feared God and tried to live according to the Bible (the symbolism of the white stripes), and since a Christian is to be under God and then under the government, there is a sense in which any Christian can say the pledge to the flag in good faith and conscience. However, we allow the liberty of any Christian to refuse to say the pledge based upon a weak conscience in the matter.