Should Christians Celebrate War?

The simple and obvious answer is no. Christian should not celebrate war. Jesus was a man of peace. The Bible tells us, his followers, to live at peace. Ancient Christians (2nd-4th centuries) almost universally condemned war and forbade Christians to participate in war.

And yet, many American (and others) Christians celebrate war. They shouldn’t.

They should celebrate peace.

My thought turned to this subject not for the first time this year (2024) as many local churches held special events, including some “God and country services,” to celebrate America’s War of Independence.

Another question is whether Christians should ever revolt against authority with violence. Romans 13 would seem to contradict that and say no. And yet we Americans, including most Christians, celebrate that momentous event that included much violence every Fourth of July.

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

I celebrate the ideals embedded in America’s Declaration of Independence—that all people are created equal.

But I struggle to celebrate Independence Day because of the commemoration of bloodshed involved. Don’t tell me the fireworks are commemorating peace! They commemorate bombs and cannons and muskets firing. People being killed.

I do not think Christians should celebrate any killing except that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His death was voluntary. “He could have called ten thousand angels….” And his death was necessary for our salvation. But, even then, I don’t celebrate the violence done to him; I celebrate and commemorate each Lord’s Supper Sunday his voluntary death on the cross and the peace it brought about.

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

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.

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