Message #1511

[Martin]

I can't see how the killing of an umarmed man counts as 'wielding the sword to protect us'.  Nor can I see how we are supposed to be 'protected' by the destruction and maiming of so many civilians.  To me it seems a dead cert that those sorts of action will make enemies and incite retalliation.

For what it's worth I think you are misinterpreting Romans 13 as a passage that is applicabe to this case.  In Afghanistan, it could easily be argued that the Taliban were 'the authority', and in Pakistan the Pakistanni Government are 'the authority'.  Should people look upon these as powers instituted by God, to be obeyed and not questioned?   And our western powers are not 'authorities' like the Romans were.  Since the introduction of democracy we are the authority, we are the decision makers and those in positions of power are our servants, put there by us.  We have a personal responsiobility to lobby for change when our countries commit crimes of torture and assassination, we have a personal responsibility to speak out when others' lives are recklessly put at risk or treated as second class, as if they are not important.  The Bible is not some instruction manual for those who wish to blow the brains out of their foes.   Paul would be aghast if he knew his words were being interpreted by people like you, as some sort of licence to exterminate.