The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Lorraine Hannaford of Ontario, Canada from the tape, GC 1301-L, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 14."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1980. All Rights Reserved.

Question

Is there a commandment in the Bible that says that you have to fight for your country and in view of the political scene in the Middle East, lets say United Stated decided to send some troops into the Middle East for their interest in oil, for that reason. Would that be having to fight for your country?

Answer

The way I’d answer that is this. Romans 13 says that, "We are to be subject to the powers that be for they are ordained of God." So if the government of the United States asks me to serve or my son to serve, I would serve. Basically. Only in this regard. If we as a nation were defending the rights of an innocent people who were being attacked--a nonaggressive people. We should have fought to win in Vietnam in my judgement. We should have gone in there, we didn’t, and now millions of people have been slaughtered. And this is part of the loss of the American reputation in the world. We could have gone in there, at this point I’m a MacArthur, right, MacArthur says if you don’t win in Southeast Asia the whole of the East will fall. Just one after another, every single thing he ever said was true. He is my fifth cousin after all. But anyway, I don’t stand by everything he did, he had some problems. I’m reading his biography right now. The name of it is “American Caesar” so you know--William Manchester wrote the book.

But anyway, I feel when we went in there we were defending an innocent people against an aggressive, murdering, atheistic nation. And if that’s what the government chooses to do, I can defend an innocent people. I can defend myself. If we were to go to defend ourselves against an attack of Russia against our nation and our nations resources I think I’d be able to do that. If America ever became an aggressor against an innocent nation for the extension of it’s own power, that’s where I would draw the line.

For example, if you, you talk to a Russian Christian and they cannot even conceive of being in the military, a Russian Christian, they can’t understand an American Christian being in the military. Because their perspective of the military is an overt attacking almost maniacal, power hungry aggression. I mean what do they care, why do they want to slaughter people all over the world? Does it make a Russian leader happier? Does it put more clothes on his back, more food in his belly, more Vodka? What? What does he get? Nothing. It’s a mad demonic, godless thirst for power. That’s all it is. I mean if my government said to me...you know if I was in Russia and they said now you fight and go down and attack and slaughter all these Afghan’s, I couldn’t do that. I’d say I’m sorry I can’t do that. But if we are defending the rights of an innocent people against an attack then that’s something different. That’s the best way that I have to perceive that.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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