When Christians kill

On a good day I'm only of three of four minds on the issues of war and violence. I'm not well read enough to discern the differences between various theories of Biblical justification for killing someone. I've heard a variety of coffee-table arguments, of course, but I always get hung up on Christ's admonition that we turn the other cheek. At the same time, I keep a handgun and practice with it for the sole purpose of ventilating anyone who tries to hurt my family. But then there are plenty of gaps between my convictions and my actions.

I thought about this as I passed one of those signs in someone's yard yesterday, the one that proclaims:

Another neighbor for peace.

It seems such a sign is only telling half the story, and ought fully to read:

Another neighbor for peace at any cost, up to and including the slitting of his own throat.

There's an inherent silliness to notions that the peace-producing solution, in the face of believers in a murderous death cult who think they can earn a place in heaven by beheading Jews and otherwise murdering men, women, and children, is to make nice with them.

Then I think: Good thing the Christians in Rome didn't concur. I easily forget that God's plan in the world is not necessarily my physical security. And then I think about this turning the other cheek business, and I'm back where I started, suspecting that Christians should not engage in war and capital punishment, yet keeping my 9mm Smith & Wesson oiled, and being thankful for well-armed U.S. Marines standing in the gap.

I suppose I can sort it out when I get the time and inclination (though I'm still likely to get it wrong). The reality is that I benefit from the protection provided by thousands of men who have no qualms about killing people they suspect to be bad. In some church services, when Memorial Day is upon us, the pastor will ask veterans and servicemen to stand, so the rest of us can applaud. I don't know when violence is justified for a Christian, but I know I am thankful for the men who stand. And I believe I would be proud of my sons, regardless of my own conclusions about war, were they one day to stand with them.