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_W.;___H_Y_N_O_rr_?_______
___;;;,_bY-Jon
Hill
WHY NOTANOTHERWAR?
S
orne of us have lived lhrough
lhe "war
10
end all wars,"
sorne lhróugh lbe war lhat was
foughl lo "make lhe world safe for
democracy" (or was il commu–
nism?) . Most have lived lhrough lhe
"police action" in Korea and the
nalional disgrace in Vietnam. The
United States in particular and the
Western world in general are s ick and
tired of war-they don' t even like to
hear about it occurring anywhere in
the world, and try to intervene diplo–
matically to prevent it. " Biessed are
the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God," Jesus
proclaimed in Matthew 5:9.
But somehow wars seem to form
an outline of human history. There
are very few years-six or so- in all
recorded history when sorne nation
was not at war with another (and
sorne unrecorded war probably oc–
curred during those six!). Wars are
20
always justified in elegant language
a nd are fought for " noble pur–
poses." Sorne are even dignified by
the term " holy war"- whatever thal
is. Wars are fought to obtain " free–
doro ," to maintain "freedom," to
pre vent grea ter wa rs, to ri g ht
wrongs, to punish aggressors, to de–
fend the homeland, to expand the
homeland, etc., etc., etc.
More wars have been fought,
more people have died, been en–
slaved, made homeless, orphaned or
poverty st ricken since "peace" was
negotiated at the end of the war
(World War 11- that's when we took
10
numbering them) than at any
o th er comparable time in mankind's
history. Yet the most succinct de–
scription ofwar is commonly agreed
upon: "War is hell!"
Despite all the slogans, whal is
the cause of war? "From whence
come wars and fightings among
you? Come they no t hence, even of
your lusts that war in your mem–
bers? Ye lust. and have no t: ye kili,
and desire to have, and cannot ob–
tain: ye fight and war, yet ye have
nol . because ye ask not. Ye ask, and
receive nol, because ye ask amiss.
tha t ye may consume it upon your
lusts" (James 4: 1-3).
Let's face it: Wars a re not fought
for
any
of the reasons proclaimed by
the war slogans we have heard.
Even though we hear aboul "jusi
wars," there has never been one ye t!
No, wars are fought for one and
only one reason : lust, greed, get,
take, gain, accumulate (power and
property).
What about wars of defense? De–
fend ing against the lust of other
warmongers?
1'11
grant that one, but
how oflen have you seen "defense"
used to justify offense?
Wars are wonderful tools in the
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1978