" 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields [b] with fire"-Psalm 46:9
Wars around the world
Biblical View
After watching a documentary called "The War" (3rd week of September 2007), I decided to do some re"search" on this topic in the most read book all-time.
Old Testament " 1 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, [a] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea [b] ). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled."-Genesis 14"Make plans by seeking advice;
if you wage war, obtain guidance. "-Proverbs 20:18
"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every women who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." -Numbers 31:17
Above is a verse shared (Jan 09') with me with a commenter asking about these particular verses. Why would a "loving" God let His servant (Moses) kill? I'm not a Bible scholar, but from my "small knowledge"-God wanted to "purify" that land the Israelites claimed from the Midianties. He is a "just" God too...
Related Sites: Verses 13-24:
We have here the triumphant return of the army of Israel from the war with Midian, and here,-from biblebrowser.com "II. They were severely reproved for saving the women alive. It is very probable that Moses had commanded them to kill the women, at least this was implied in the general order to avenge Israel of the Midianites; the execution having reference to that crime, their drawing them in to the worship of Peor, it was easy to conclude that the women, who were the principal criminals, must not be spared. What! says Moses, have you saved the women alive? v. 15. He was moved with a holy indignation at the sight of them. These were those that caused the children of Israel to commit this trespass; and therefore, 1. It is just that they should die. The law in case of whoredom was, The adulterer and adulteress should surely be put to death. God had put to death the adulterers of Israel by the plague, and now it was fit that the adulteresses of Midian, especially since they had been the tempters, should be put to death by the sword. 2. "It is dangerous to let them live; they will be still tempting the Israelites to uncleanness, and so your captives will be your conquerors and a second time your destroyers." Severe orders are therefore given that all the grown women should be slain in cold blood, and only the female children spared.
III. They were obliged to purify themselves, according to the ceremony of the law...
" Blue Letter Bible.org Commentaries "Num 31:1-6
...Their land was not designed to be given to Israel, nor would Israel have meddled with them if they had not made themselves obnoxious to their resentment by sending their bad women among them to draw them to whoredom and idolatry...
God will have us to reckon those our worst enemies that draw us to sin, and to avoid them; and since every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lusts, and these are the Midianites which ensnare us with their wiles, on them we should avenge ourselves, not only make no league with them, but make war upon them by living a life of mortification. God had taken vengeance on his own people for yielding to the Midianites’ temptations; now the Midianites, that gave the temptation, must be reckoned with, for the deceived and the deceiver are his (Job 12:16), both accountable to his tribunal; and, though judgment begin at the house of God, it shall not end there, 1 Pt. 4:17. ...
Num 31:7-12
...The Midianites’ wiles were Balaam’s projects, it was therefore just that he should perish with them, Hos. 4:5....
Num 31:13-24 The Bible says kill
Reader comment on article: A Democratic Islam?, from danielpipes.org The Prophet Prohibited The Killing of Women and Children: But What About Those Night Raids?
By
Bassam Zawadi from answering-christianity.com
New Testament: " 19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh."-Revelations 19
Articles: Holy War
in the Bible, from biblia.com What does the Bible say about war?, from gotquestions.org "Many people make the mistake of believing the Bible says, �You shall not kill,� and seek to apply this command to war. However, the Bible actually says, �You shall not murder� (Exodus 20:13). The Hebrew word literally means �the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice.� God often ordered the Israelites to go to war with other nations (1 Samuel 15:3; Joshua 4:13). God ordered the death penalty for numerous crimes (Exodus 21:12; 21:15; 22:19; Leviticus 20:11). So, God is not against killing in all circumstances, but rather only murder. War is never a good thing, but sometimes it is a necessary thing. In a world filled with sinful people (Romans 3:10-18), war is inevitable. Sometimes the only way to keep sinful people from doing great harm is by going to war with them.
War is a terrible thing! War is always the result of sin (Romans 3:10-18)...." What does the Bible say about war?, from twopaths.com "Just War Theory
Clearly, the Christian ideal is total elimination of war and brotherly love among all people. However, in this imperfect world, war may be forced on those who do not desire it. St. Augustine (354 - 430) and St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) are primarily responsible for formulating the theory of the Just War which has remained the majority Christian approach to war to this day. There are many variations on the just war theory, but these are the basics:
""Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."-Matthew 26:52
"This is a video tribue I put together to honor all who serve our country. Vocals by Mal Pope and Julie Costello (City of Gold) Song: This is your land."
"BuzzFocus.com - Trailer for the 2008 Iron Man movie. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard " Iron Man (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "...Stark flies off to Afghanistan for a successful demonstration of Stark Industries' new weapon, the "Jericho" cluster missile. On the way back, however, the military convoy is attacked. In the ensuing firefight, Stark is wounded by one of his own company's bombs, which knocks him unconscious and embeds shrapnel in his chest, one fragment dangerously close to his heart. Waking up hours later in an Afghan cave, Stark discovers an electromagnet attached to his chest, powered by a car battery and designed to keep the shrapnel from piercing his heart and killing him.
Stark has been captured by the terrorist group known as the Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. ....After being rescued by his friend and company military liaison Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard) and returned to the United States, Stark declares at a press conference that his company will no longer manufacture weapons. "
*see GoodnewsUMM: Politics-Government Distrust
"But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge."-Job 36:12
"This is the trailer for the Robert Redford directed film, Lions For Lambs, starring Tom Cruise.
http://www.ifitsmovies.com."
*just saw this (Sunday, January 4th of 09') Lions For Lambs - The Decisions, from youtube.com "Two determined students at a West Coast University, Arian and Ernest, follow the inspiration of their idealistic professor, Dr. Malley, and attempt to do something important with their lives. But when the two make the bold decision to join the battle in Afghanistan, Malley is both moved and distraught. Now, as Arian and Ernest fight for survival in the field, they become the string that binds together two disparate stories on opposite sides of America. In California, an anguished Dr. Malley attempts to reach a privileged but disaffected student, who is the very opposite of Arian and Ernest. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C. the charismatic Presidential hopeful, Senator Jasper Irving, is about to give a bombshell story to a probing TV journalist that may affect Arian and Ernest's fates. As arguments, memories and bullets fly, the three stories are woven ever more tightly together, revealing how each of these Americans has a profound impact on each other--and the world. "
Related Sites: Lions for Lambs (2007) , from imdb.com "..So many negative comments about this movie. But I think we should take a moment to assess what the movie is about. Starting from the title to the credits, the movie is not about a heroic battle or an indelible mistake by a over zealous, self absorbed government. It is about understanding a mindset. If any of you have ever read Francis Fukuyama... its about history repeating itself. Its about the common man being a pawn, about how life really is not a 'great equalizer'. Redford does a brilliant job looking at showing the dynamic impact numerous aspects/events and individuals who impact our lives truly have. The self serving ego of one senator, or the inability of a teacher to persuade a student, or a reporter having to turn a blind eye to conscience because of a need to put a meal on the table the next day. It is nice to finally watch a Hollywood war related film without a heroic massacre.... Hearts and Minds: Senator Meets Reporter, Selling a New, Improved War
Article Tools Sponsored By
By MANOHLA DARGIS
Published: November 9, 2007 (movies.nytimes.com) "..Career Politicians, the Fourth Estate and Disaffected Youth all earn a stern knuckle rapping in “Lions for Lambs,” Robert Redford’s big-screen lecture about civic responsibility and its absence in the Age of Iraq. Those who remain shocked, shocked that elected officials, certain journalists and cosseted college students sat idly by, huffing Hummer fumes and nodding out on 24/7 infotainment (all Britney, all the time), while the administration led the charge, first into Afghanistan and then into Iraq, may find much to embrace here. Everyone else will continue to nod out or resume banging their heads against the wall in bloody frustration..."
-Science Fiction
Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith Trailer
Related Sites: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "...Palpatine places Anakin on the Jedi Council as his representative. The Council, who suspect Palpatine of corruption, order Anakin to secretly monitor him, while denying the headstrong young Jedi the rank of master. Angered by the snub and his spying duties, which he feels are treasonous, Anakin begins to lose faith in the Jedi. Anakin becomes intrigued when Palpatine mentions the power to prevent death, an ability, Palpatine claims, which can only be gained through the dark side of the Force. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, is sent to the planet Utapau where he engages and kills General Grievous. Back on Coruscant, Palpatine reveals himself to Anakin as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who has been controlling both sides of the war. Anakin reports Palpatine's treachery to Jedi Master Mace Windu, who engages and subdues Palpatine in a lightsaber duel, turning the Sith Lord's Force lightning back onto its source and hideously scarring Palpatine's face. Anakin, believing Sidious is his only hope to save Padmé, intervenes and cuts off Windu's hand right before he can execute Palpatine. This allows the Sith Lord to regain his defense and kill the Jedi Master. Anakin then submits to the dark side and becomes Palpatine's new apprentice, Darth Vader.
Palpatine initiates Order 66, a pre-programmed directive within all clone troopers to kill their Jedi commanders, while Vader kills all the Jedi within the Jedi Temple, including the Jedi younglings. Obi-Wan and Yoda survive the extermination and meet up with Senator Bail Organa, who brings them to the Jedi Temple. Meanwhile, Palpatine reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. Vader meets briefly with Padmé, then heads to the volcanic planet of Mustafar, where he slaughters the remaining Separatist leaders. Yoda and Obi-Wan infiltrate the overrun Jedi Temple, where Obi-Wan witnesses security footage of Anakin slaughtering the young Jedi. Yoda tells Obi-Wan that they must kill the Sith Lords if they are to restore peace to the galaxy, although Obi-Wan is reluctant to kill his friend....
Music
-Rock
Guns N' Roses - Civil War (Music Video)
"Music Video For Guns N' Roses Civil War With 'Breakdown' Intro "
National missile defense
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "...as a generic term is a type of missile defense: a military strategy and associated systems to shield an entire country against incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). The missiles could be intercepted by other missiles, or possibly by lasers. They could be intercepted near the launch point (boost phase), during flight through space (mid-course phase), or during atmospheric descent (terminal phase)..."
"Days earlier, Deierlein, 38, and his buddies had handed out Flintstones chewable vitamins to a crowd of smiling mothers only blocks away. Deierlein had told them: These will help your children grow stronger and taller.
�Shukran, shukran!� the women had replied in Arabic. �Thank you, thank you!�
The vitamins, as well as toys, crayons and coloring books, were gifts from Americans, donated to a makeshift charity Deierlein had created shortly after arriving in Iraq.
But on this day, as Deierlein and the others stepped onto the street, no one spoke to them. No children ran up to say hello....more
"North American theatrical released date: September 16, 2005..." Lord of War - The life of a bullet, from youtube.com Wikipedia "..is a 2005 political crime thriller film written and directed by Andrew Niccol which starred Nicolas Cage. It was released in the United States on September 16, 2005, with the DVD following on January 17, 2006 and the Blu-ray Disc on July 27, 2006. Cage plays the antiheroic protagonist, an illegal arms dealer with similarities to Russian arms dealers Viktor Bout[1][2][3] and Leonid Minin. The film was officially endorsed by the human rights group Amnesty International for highlighting the trafficking of weapons by the international arms industry.[4][5].." The Lord of War, Amnesty International USA "..Every year, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children die because of the uncontrolled trade in conventional arms, especially small arms and light weapons. Ruthless arms brokers -- like the Lord of War character -- play a major role in weapons proliferation, including to abusive armed groups and countries under UN arms embargoes..." Arms industry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "..In the Cold War Era, arms exports were used by both the Soviet Union and the United States to influence their standings in other countries, particularly Third World Countries. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, global arms exports initially fell slightly, but have since grown again to cold war levels.[4] The United States is the overall top supplier of weapons. The United States is also the top supplier of weapons to the developing world, accounting for around 36% of worldwide weapons sales, followed by Russia, Britain, Germany and China..."
""Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."-Matthew 26:52
"...is hierarchical. The use of formalized ranks in a hierarchical structure came into widespread use with the Roman Army. In modern times, executive control, management and administration of military organizations is typically undertaken by the government through a government department within the structure of public administration, often known as a Department of Defense, Department of War, or Ministry of Defence. These in turn manage Armed Services that themselves command combat, combat support and service support formations and units...
Pt 1 - World War 1 American Legacy, documentary series WW1
"World War 1 American Legacy is a documentary series on DVD about the American involvement in WW1 and how it changed our country. The series was filmed in High Definition to portray the most detailed WWI images ever seen on screen."
-General Four writers in New York discuss their first-hand experience of war, from spacewar.com
U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000
Iraqi election officials say voters approved new constitution (Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Posted: 8:08 a.m. EDT (12:08 GMT) CNN)
Wikipedia "was a worldwide military conflict which lasted from 1939 to 1945. World War II was the amalgamation of two conflicts, one beginning in Asia, 1937, as the Second Sino-Japanese War and the other beginning in Europe, 1939, with the invasion of Poland. It is regarded as the historical successor to World War I.
This global conflict split a majority of the world's nations into two opposing camps: the Allies and the Axis. Spanning much of the globe, World War II resulted in the deaths of over 60 million people, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.[1]
World War II was the most widespread war in history, and countries involved mobilized more than 100 million military personnel. Total war erased the distinction between civil and military resources and saw the complete activation of a nation's economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities for the purposes of the war effort; nearly two-thirds of those killed in the war were civilians. For example, nearly 11 million of the civilian casualties were victims of the Holocaust, which was largely conducted in Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union.
The conflict ended in an Allied victory. As a result, the United States and Soviet Union emerged as the world's two leading superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War for the next 45 years. Self determination gave rise to decolonization/independence movements in Asia and Africa, while Europe itself began traveling the road leading to integration." AFRICA
Axis:
Allies: ASIA
Allies: United States of America, AustraliaPhilippines
Axis: Japanese EUROPE
Allies: British, U.S.A. , Canada, Russians
*fought in the following countries too: France, Poland
Axis: Germans, Italians
"It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
Till it was a battle cry
I'll come back
When you call me
No need to say goodbye
Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye
Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget
Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
Till they're before your eyes
You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say goodbye
You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say goodbye... "
*see GoodnewsEverybody: European-British
WWIII?
*must be careful of "man" interpretations because only God knows!
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