From:

Dear Joe,

At Church you asked me why I believed Christians should be pacifists. Well, for the first 300 years all Christians were pacifists. They believed as I believe that God's kingdom is all about bringing peace into the world. I believe the Commandment in the Bible "Do Not Kill" in Exodus 20:13 applies not only to committing murder but also to killing the enemies of the state. God created all people and he loves all people. How can I destroy something God has created?

Some Christians say that we should fight for worthy causes but in the Bible, Peter was told off by Jesus for trying to use force for a good cause. When Jesus was arrested, Peter drew his sword to protect Jesus (surely a worthy cause?) but Jesus said "Put away your sword.. Those who use the sword will die by the sword." Matthew 26:52

This seems to be a direct order not to use weapons- even if the cause seems worthy.

Hope my musings are helpful. I would advise you to think of a different career. How about the police or paramedics?

Yours,

Ian Makepeace