Anarcho-capitalism

[Editor: This is Part 3 in an on-going conversation between Anarcho-Capitalist A.B. Dada and Natural Law advocate LexNaturalis. You can visit the other parts here: On the Necessity of War, War (from a Christian Anarcho-Capitalist perspective)]

by LexNaturalis

Determining what is right and what is wrong is one of the more difficult things that a person can do in life. This author makes no claims of greatness or omniscience, so the reader is challenged to always question and thoughtfully consider what is written. The issue has been raised of the rightness or morality of warfare. “On the Necessity of War” discusses why this author feels that war is, at times, an essential part of life. That assertion has been questioned so, for the sake of the reader, the issue will be discussed again from a new perspective. The previous article discusses the Natural Law background of war, so this article will discuss a religious background of war.

One of the fundamental truths of the Bible, for a Christian, is that it is infallible. That is, the Bible is the word of God and is, doctrinally, without error. Another fundamental truth for the Christian is the fact that it is possible to have disagreements on some issues and still be in perfect harmony with the will of God. One of this author’s favorite passages is Romans chapter 14. For the sake of the reader, a portion of this passage is reproduced below.

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand…. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. [Romans 14:1-4, 12-13; NKJV]

The key idea behind that passage is that there are cases where doing, or not doing, are both acceptable in the eyes of God. However, if one man’s action (although right) causes another man to stumble or sin, then the first man is guilty. It is this author’s contention that to war, or not to war, is such a case. If a man feels war is wrong then for him to engage in warfare is wrong. If a man feels war is correct, and the war is a just war under Natural Law, then it is acceptable for him to engage in warfare.

It has been said, “[the] Christian war-mongerers [sic] that exist in society today ignore God’s Word repeatedly.” In that same context it was also said, “[many] Christians wrongfully believe that Romans 12 and 13 force us to follow all governments, even tyrannical ones.” The second assertion is correct in that some Christians do believe wrongly that Romans commands obedience to tyrannical governments. This author does not believe such to be the case and has, in previous writings, expounded upon that idea. The first assertion, however, is incorrect in that God’s Word does not forbid warfare. It is this thesis that will be discussed through the rest of this article.

Romans 13 does, however, speak of force in a positive context. Romans 13:4, in speaking of the state, says, “For he [that is, the state] is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” If the state is God’s minister and it is the state that “[executes] wrath on him who practices evil,” then it can be concluded that there must be some person doing the execution of wrath. Swords do not bear themselves nor do states run themselves. The Roman Empire was not a particularly peaceful nation. It regularly engaged in warfare. God ordered Roman Christians to pay taxes to a government that practiced warfare. The Roman Empire paid soldiers through monies that were, in part, raised through taxes. Therefore, God ordered Christians to fund warfare. If, as it has been asserted, warfare were a sin it must be said that God ordered sin. As this is clearly an absurd idea, it must be said that warfare cannot always be sin.

Likewise, God ordered the Israelites, at numerous times, to engage in warfare. It is this author’s assertion that God does not vacillate nor does His nature change. By His own admission “I AM.” That admission is clearly a statement of eternal “present” in that God is always present and always ‘is.’ God cannot have been something and now is something else for he always IS. There are numerous examples of God commanding warfare in the Old Testament. If war is sin now then only two cases are possible. God has changed what sin is or God commanded sin. It is, by definition, impossible for God to command sin. It is also impossible for God to redefine sin as that would imply a change in the nature of God. This author does not believe God’s nature is mutable therefore it must be concluded that war is not sin.

Discuss this article at the anarcho-capitalism forum.

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LexNaturalis is a freelance writer and thinker from central Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife. He promotes personal responsibility to augment personal freedom.