That question has plagued men and caused men tobe angry with and judge  God for centuries.  We judge Him by questioning His every action.  "Why does God allow [this or that]?" And, "Why didn't God stop [that thing]?"  Or, "Why did God allow that person or child to die?"  Our judgments also  come in the form of, "I can't serve a God that does that."  And "Why does God allow War?"

We have so many wise and educated men and women of God, preachers and prophets who have attempted to give answers to that and the other questions.  They have succeded in some cases, but failed in most.  Why?  Because we, mankind, refuse to accept the answers or simply can't deal with the answers.

Many ministers have tried to explain why God allows war through expalining the justification for war.  Others have attempted to explain why war is allowed by spiritualizing the act of war.   Still others lay the blame for war completely at Satan's doorstep.  The truth is we fight wars and God allows it to happen for very simple reasons.

First is the spiritual cause.  God created man and woman to live in peace in a perfest world.  However, one act of violence, brother slaying brother out of jealousy, brought the first act of "war" into the world.  When Cain killed Abel, they proved James, chapter 4, verses 1 thru' 3.  It reads:

"Where do wars and fights come from among you?  Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have.  You murder and covet and cannot obtain.  Yet you fight and war.  You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

We ask for what we want out of greed and when we don't get it, we fight for it either personally against each other or we go to war.  Like Hitler did.  Or Idi Amin.  Or Ho Chi Minh.

When we go to war God doesn't stop it because man has dominian, or lordship, over the earth, and we have dominian over our actions.  In other words Brothers, we can choose whether or not to go to war. 

You see God did not make us puppets or robots by which He completely controls us.  He gave us a free will and the ability to choose to do right or choose to do wrong.  God also made it so that being a just God He cannot and will not interfere in the actions of man when those actions can be controlled by man himself, i.e. going to war.

For centuries there has been what was considered "righteous justification for war."  It is quite simple.  First, is the cause just?  Second, is the reason that a larger, more powerful nation is taking control of (invading) a smaller less capable nation for selfish reasons (stealing land)?  Third, are people being murdered?  (The Jews in WWII.  The refugees in Darfar today.  The Kurds in northern Iraq.)  Fourth, is there a consensus the aggressor nation is a problem?  (The United Nations agreed unanimously that Iraq was a problem.)  Fifth, is there a reasonable expectation a war will succeed in a minimal amount of time?  (This takes into consideration cost in lives and money.)

Without at least three of these conditions being met, the Church Fathers did not believe that war was to go forward.  Seocndly, we must remember that often times, wars are fought because men make treaties, not because of covenant made by God.  An example is Vietnam.  The United States entered Vietnam because of a little known treaty signed in 1947 called the SEATO treaty (South East Asia Treaty Organization).  The treaty was meant to protect the Southewest to the Southeast Pacific from falling to the Communists.

Therefore Brothers, our anger at God for allowing war, is not justified.  Our anger is misdirected and should be turned to more positive activities like educating the people and standing against war unless it is necessary.

I said to you all once before, Veterans hold the key.  We know what war is and we should be the ones talking about going to war.  We must be outspoken.  And our generation, Vietnam Veterans, are the power.  We would be a formidable group if we would unite as one voice and allow the Spirit of God to lead us.

I invite your questions and discussion: frank@cedarvalleypointman.org

Blessings to all,

Frank