Should Christians celebrate war? | Roger E. Olson

Should Christians celebrate war?

The simple and obvious answer is no. Christians should not celebrate war. Jesus was a man of peace. The Bible tells us, his followers, to live in peace. The ancient Christians (2nd-4th centuries) almost without exception condemned war and forbade Christians from participating in wars.

And yet many American (and other) Christians celebrate the war. They shouldn’t.

They should celebrate peace.

This year (2024) was not the first time that my thoughts turned to this topic, as many local churches held special events, including some “worship and country services,” to commemorate the American Revolutionary War.

Another question is whether Christians should ever rebel against authority with violence. Romans 13 seems to contradict this and says no. And yet we Americans, including most Christians, celebrate this momentous event, which involved much violence, every year on July 4th.

I am an American patriot. I celebrate America. But I think our independence from Britain could have been achieved peacefully. It would have taken longer. And I worry about the motives of our founding fathers. Were the American colonists THAT oppressed?

I celebrate the ideals of the American Declaration of Independence – that all men are created equal.

But I find it difficult to celebrate Independence Day because I think of the bloodshed that goes with it. Don’t tell me that fireworks are a reminder of peace! They are a reminder of bombs, cannons and musket fire. Of people who were killed.

I do not believe that Christians should celebrate any death other than that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His death was voluntary. “He could have summoned ten thousand angels…” And his death was necessary for our salvation. But even then, I do not celebrate the violence done to him; I celebrate and remember his voluntary death on the cross and the peace it brought every Communion Sunday.

I can only celebrate the peace that war brings when it does so.

Yes, I can honor the lives of those who died in war.

But I cannot celebrate war itself. “War is hell.” Christians should not celebrate hell.

*Note: If you choose to leave a comment, please make sure it is relatively short (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, polite and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and does not contain images or links.*