In today’s first reading from Exodus, God hands down the Ten Commandants to the people of Israel. These laws were given as a pledge by God to be the one God of the people and an invitation to them to share God’s holiness by being in this relationship of a covenant. The 10 Commandments and all the rest of the laws were meant to be a means by which the people could express their being in relationship with God. They were not so much a list of "thou shall’s" and "thou shall not’s," as they were an invitation to remember the holy lives to which the people of Israel were called.

The 5th Commandment, which we just heard in Exodus, was "Thou shall not kill."

This week the United States went to war with Iraq. In the course of any war many people are killed on both sides of the conflict. As a result, I am sure many people have questions about the war. The results of the last polls I saw said that 78% of the American public supported our action against Iraq. On the other side of the coin, the media has reported massive anti-war demonstration both in this country and worldwide.

The subject of war can be found throughout the bible. This is so because, historically, life itself has been full of war, and the bible, which not only tells us about God, but also about mankind, therefore, addresses the most significant events in human history, many of which are, sadly, wars.

Is God for war or against it? I believe that it depends on the circumstances. The bible reflects many different positions on war, sometimes for it, sometimes against it. Sometimes God blesses the efforts of men in war, and sometimes he frustrates those efforts. Sometimes he is distant and seemingly uninvolved; and at other times He is directly involved.

There appears to be paradoxes in the bible with respect to war. In the gospels we hear Jesus say: "Blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of God." On the other hand, the Old Testament is filled with numerous episodes where God goes before his people in war. We must remember that we cannot divorce the God of the New Testament from God of the Old Testament. They are one in the same.

Generally speaking, however, I believe God is opposed to war, but God is also against sin. The problem is that we cannot get rid of either of them, because we live in a world where both exist and are inevitable. Consequently, in certain circumstances, God recognizes that sometimes war must be waged in order to curb the sinful aggressions of evil people.

I, personally, do not advocate war and am very much opposed to war, unless, it is the final recourse to remedy and intolerable action or situation. Many governments, heads of state and many people around the world have strongly expressed disapproval with America’s present action against Iraq. Saying that, however, we must bear in mind that all these same sentiments were expressed in the Gulf War in 1991. I wonder what the Middle East would look like today if America had not liberated Kuwait and sent Saddam Hussein back to Baghdad.

Let’s look at the moral issues related to our war with Iraq in the light of biblical truth.

Although Jesus is not a pacifist, the primary thrust of his whole life and ministry was against war and violence. In his Sermon on the Mount we hear, "Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called sons of God," and further, "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter "Evangelium Vitae" – that is "Human life is sacred and inviolable," states …"to kill a human being in whom the image of God is present, is a particularly serious sin. Only God is the Master of Life!" But he goes on to say that unfortunately there are many tragic occurrences in the life of the individual and society that are paradoxical and require us to have a deeper understanding of this commandment, as to what it prohibits and what it prescribes. He then states that the right to protect one’s own life as set forth in the Old Testament, and the duty not to harm one’s neighbor, as confirmed by Jesus, are difficult to reconcile in practice…and that no one can renounce the right to self-defense out of lack of love for life or for self. …And "moreover, legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life, the common good of the family or of the state."

Chapter 13 of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans states: "Let every person be subordinate to higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed…. Authority… is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer."

President George Bush is our head of state and has the grave responsibility and duty to defend the common good of our country. In view of the present circumstances he could be viewed as God’s servant bringing wrath and punishment to the evildoer, as described in Romans. The Bible recognizes that if there were no one to enforce justice, chaos and evil would prevail. The President, as our national leader, is clearly authorized to use force when it is necessary. In the words of Romans: "he does not bear the sword for nothing."