This calls for wisdom and understanding particularly now that our nation is thrown into a state of imbroglio, placed on a dagger point, and the greatest suspense ever recorded in the history of psychology is created in our hearts; killing, raping of women and kidnaping are upon the doorpost of every citizen. Criminal elements (suspected to be herdsmen) invade all corners of every state in the country. Killing, and kidnaping of the priests of God have become the order of the day. Their main target now is the pulpit. The question then remains, ‘should Christian fold their hands and watch them? But remember, they are beating the drums of war. Today it is Okoro, tomorrow Umar may become the victim or Dele will be made to bear the pains of the threat. Nigeria and the entire world may try to judge it, but God will give the final verdict.
What is War?
Scholars and philosophers of different stocks have made various attempts to define war and possibly find out the causesthereof, yet mankind has been eluded by the knowledge of war and its causes. From the philosophers, Karl Marx to Lenin there has been a premise set; indicating that social development is governed by objective laws; Marx, Engel and Lenin using dialectical materialistic method of analyzing the development of human society came to the conclusion that war is the result of direct existing contradictions of a society divided into hostile, antagonistic classes; it is a violent manifestation and continuation of the policies of the exploiter classes (V.I Lenin collective work, Vol. 24 p400).
He continued in his hypothesis of ‘Will’
War is a continuation of policy
By other means
All wars are inseparable from
The political system that engendered them.
In my former epistle about ‘ Christian and War’ I spoke prophetically about the inevitably of war as far as we live in this wide vacuum called earth and the small space called nation, there are bound to be wars and chaotic environment.
Speaking about this war in the scripture, Christ, the greatest philosopher of all time reiterated the continued existence of war. He said:
—— And from the days of John
The Baptist till now, the kingdom
Of heaven suffers violence and the
Violent take it by force
Matthew 11:12(KJV)
During wars almost every young man smashes into the hash realities of making a personal decision about going to war whether in the military services or in revenge over some wrongs done to him.
Sometimes people fanatically fight to defend a particularly faith, people are induced to fight because of the memories of the past events, whether by pacifistic or militaristic patriotism. Time and method change, the controversy is sharp feelings run deep; making arguments on both sides too difficult to handle. However, inspite of the difficulty in resolving the matter, we should be wise enough to weigh the situation conscientiously to avoid wrong choice of words. ‘should Christians Fight Wars’ is our topic.
Origin of War
War did not just start in the terrestrial, it had been in the celestial before it manifested in the physical realm. Heaven the city of God was a place of joy, very comfortable and trouble-free. The world was populated by angels. The business of inhabitants of the world was to sing praises to Almighty God and to minister before His presence.
The minister of external and internal affairs called Lucifer, satan, son of the morning star, the devil; planned coup de’tat against Gods theocratic government. He was also in charge of the most thickly populated area(side of the north). The devil was found guilty of treasonable felony, he factionalized the kingdom of God, gathered some dissident angels unto himself. God the only omniscient, and omnipotent knew satans plan, so He declared a state of emergency, gathered the loyal troop, and fought against the dragon and his disobedient angels (Isaiah 14: 12-14; Revelation 12:7-8, Jude 6). Both satan and his cohorts were cast down.
These activities ended the celestial war, it gave birth to the physical war, which started in the paradise of God on earth. That was Eden where God made to be like heaven. The architect of the physical war was a man, the very incarnate of satan called Cain (Genesis 4:8) He was sent by his master satan, to carry out the evil operation (John 8:44). The scripture narrated how the first two creatures of God’s direct creation (Adam and Eve) not by any human biological process; begot Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel in the field but God banished him and pronounced curses upon him. He became a vagabond, wanderer and alienated from humankind. The spirit of God was taken away from him, he became wicked perpetually. This could be compared to the present wanderers who kill our priests and rape our women without fear.
Be sober, be vigilant because your
Adversary the devil as a roaring lion
Walketh about seeking whom he may
Devour (1 Peter 5:8)
Self-Engendered War
At times because of our selfish desire for material things forsaking spiritual things, our body is then enslaved by these selfish desire. The scriptures put it this way:
From whence cometh the war
And fighting among you
Come they not hence even of your
Lusts that war in your members
(James 4:1)
What we call war can be seen in different perspective just as an individual or society is being affected. War has divergent faces when viewed in its dimensional objective. There are war of defense, war of revenge, cold blooded war and then spiritual war. Each of the above war has functional parties which is subordinate to it. It has to build up the esteemed functional members to achieve its evil machination (war) and as soon as the objective is achieved it diminishes or disappears.
Example, a blind man does not see who eyed or shrugged at him; neither can anybody accuse the dumb of making abusive statements to him. The agents of most of the problems range from mouth, eyes, ears and the engine called ‘heart’ (Matt. 15:17-20)
Can War Be Avoided
When we ask about the origin of war and the reasons for fighting we have exercised the best mind of approach, but many people including philosophers, sociologist, politicians, religious leaders, and military leaders as well as the famous Karl Marx, limited their studies of problems of its exterior to superficial aspect.
Capitalism, which has been grouped to be synonymous with feudalism, has never been able to put an end to war, rather, it has made them more vicious. Those who seem to be materialistic like burgeois and their super ideologies are unwilling to seek real ways of saving mankind from wars, they resolved that war was an incomprehensible phenomenon consequent upon sinister traits inherent in human nature.
Since we cannot accept Karl Marx or support the bourgeois materialism we may then see another proponent of peaceful co-existence. This is the man who originated the theory of eternal space based on ‘mutual legal guarantees’ but it is as if he lacks knowledge of the origin of war. Kant in his theory teaches that war has external or natural element that could necessitate violence. He finally concluded that war needs no special causes; it seems to be inherent in human natures.
In this regard, human temperaments seem to compel us to believe that war is inherent in human nature. Temperaments are innate tendencies that induce us to behave positively or negatively in favour or against our wills. These temperaments may not die but can be controlled. .
Man is a rational being capable of choosing between good and evil. We shall not be fast in judging matters until we have assessed what will be the consequences of the action if it is implemented by the dictates of our temperaments.
Let us watch US imperialism as compared with bourgeois ideology of the inevitability of global war. There are only two incompatible rules or systems in the whole universe, they are positive and negative, yes and no, black and white and finally peace and violence. These are the two opposing concepts that can never agree, they are all inherent in the human nature. In the same way, socialism and capitalism can hardly come to terms.
Today, the only convincing yardstick for measuring the extent of progressiveness and humanness of the two opposing factors socialism and capitalism or any of the contradicting words as already mentioned and of social forces, ideologies and the statements that represent them; is to ask how each of them responds to matters of war and peace?
Critically, watching the two systems, socialism is simple, amenable and adaptable. It is like righteousness of God. It’s ideologies are oriented to peace and social progress. There is the belief that socialism is based on firm conviction that Global war can be prevented. This conviction underlies the peaceful foreign policy of the socialist countries.
While imperialism on the other hand owing, to the very nature of its monopoly that is capitalism is fundamentally opposed to the idea of peace and progress.
According to scholars, the history of imperialism is replete with justification of arms race and substantially the idea of inevitability of wars including global or nuclear catastrophe. We then conclusively say that war is inherent in such people, owing to their being. Then this other people called socialists, did they learn war, or is there any advantage in fighting war? Then, I ask: Should Christians fight war? What do people gain in fighting and killing, wasting lives and property?
The question again is: Where does Nigeria belong? A Democratic Nation with genocidal records of floods of blood of innocent citizens wasted on a daily basis by a particular race who feel they can arrogate power to themselves with their traditional system of oligarchy. Shouldl Christians Fight? Another dangerous terrorist group Boko Haram intends to destroy and subject other people to their stark ignorance by killing and terrorizing people. Should Christians still fold their hands?
Evil Faces Of War!
There is little education in
Gun except to kill and how
To rule by force
Harold Sheram
If we want to be justified in our conclusion To fight or not to fight war in favour or against Christian faith, we should be compelled to go back to memories of past events of what happened to Christian Igbo race in particular in 1966 and more.
Year of Sorrow
The weapon of mass destruction, natural hatred for a popular race, monopoly and dominance over other citizens have perpetuated problems of peace and necessitated war all over the universe including Nigeria.
1st October 2000 marked a Great Day in the lives of Igbo people of Nigeria. They celebrated remembrance of their heroes and millions of other people who lost their lives during the Nigerian Civil War from 1966 1970. A thirty-month operation that almost wiped out a tribe called the Ibos (Igbos) out of the map of Nigeria.
Heads rolled, there was a deluge of blood , economy destroyed no one knew Hausa, Christian or Igbo Muslem. Guns were shot and bullets released from their nozzles, all to kill whatever comes its way.
Tears still gush the eyes of Japanese whenever they watch the film of the devastating event of Japan. The American Atomic Bombshell dropped on the beautiful cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused a great havoc.
Meanwhile, the need for peace world over has really become the daily statement of both electronic and newspaper media. Both politicians, religious leaders and business people are praying for peace. Peace keeping agencies have been inaugurated from giant, intermediate and small countries. Nigeria, Africa, United State of America, and other continents are seriously involved in the search for peace.
In 1986, the whole world jointly inaugurated International Year Of Peace as initiated by the United Nations Organization. Ordinary people in their categories resorted to applying different kinds of measures, little knowledge and strategies in order to control wars and attract peaceful co-existence between one nation and the other one religious group and the other, between one race and the other but all efforts seem to prove abortive.
Then, as it affects Christians with their belief in the sanctity of human life and that their weapons of war are not carnal, for they fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. What should be their reaction if war comes to their doorpost, as it appears to loom in our land this period? Let us think about this.
To be continued….
THE ECHO 