Israel - Hezbollah is it just? Continued...
Originally I did not think this topic would warrant a second article. After reading a couple of comments and re-reading the first message, my thinking has changed.
Not because I disagree necessarily with what I am hearing, but that the first article was written before I had completely formed my opinion.
It is a fact that Hezbollah, which is an elected part of the Lebanese government, is in violation of the Geneva convention regarding its utter disregard of the Lebanese civilian population. Protocol I, Art. 51 sec. 7, makes it a violation to use civilians as human shields. Protocol I, Art. 37 sec. 1, likewise disallows blending into the civilian population.
Israel on the other hand is guilty of indiscriminate bombing resulting in the destruction of innocent civilians. See Protocol I, Art. 57 sec. 2b and Protocol I Art. 85, sec. 3.
See the Geneva Conventions for yourself
If the argument were purely secular, the international community has a case against both combatants.
That however is not the concern of this article. The concern of this article is does Israel have just cause to pursue and is it executing this war in a just manner?
I would ask you to be consistent on your thinking, applying the same standard, His standard to both sides. To lay aside any eschatological bias. The lives of thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters depend on it.
Does the Israeli government have the right to defend its population? Certainly, just read Romans 13. Not only do they have the right, but the obligation. That is unquestioned.
Israel's actions have brought me to the conclusion that they are waging a war of hatred, revenge and using excessive force with no regard to the civilian population.
Lebanon has more Christians than any other Middle Eastern country. Our Christian brothers and sisters.
Quoting an article titled "Another point of view : Evangelical blindness" by Martin Accad, Academic Dean of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon written for Christianity Today;
"According to the Lebanese health minister, Israel is even using phosphoric bombs, which are forbidden under international conventions! Are my people to consider Iran more dangerous than this? Are we safely in good hands with such actions? Come with me to Beirut and see how inoffensive Israel is.
Read the article here
A phosphoric bomb is a weapon that bursts into flames and has been referred to as a chemical weapon.
Again quoting Martin Accad, from a follow up article for Christianity Today titled "Who is my neighbor";
"Examples are endless, but the point is that whenever an armed force carries out military operations so indiscriminate that they repeatedly result in the killing of non-combatant civilians, these should be called "terrorist" acts. On the Lebanese front, the media says that about 35 Israeli and more than 350 Lebanese non-combatants have been killed, with hundreds more injured and hundreds of thousands displaced. Ms. Ansari, Middle East and North Africa program director of Save the Children, U.K., said her "contacts in Lebanon reckoned that up to 45 percent of the casualties were youths." That is about 150 children, up to one hundred families left childless. All of these are acts of terror, and they are still going on, and the international community has been unable (or rather unwilling) to take a decisive stance by calling for a ceasefire."
Read the article here
What of Hezbollah? They are with very poor accuracy firing missiles into Nazareth! Home of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Killing without care Christian, Jew and Muslim, Arab and Jew.
I find no justice, no righteousness in this conflict. Only wanton destruction and uncalled for death.
There can never be lasting peace in the Middle East without the Prince of Peace himself!
Quoting the Apostle Paul ; How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 NIV
If we allow the continued self-destruction of Israel and Lebanon, Christ church in the region will suffer along with the region.
What can you or I do you might ask? PLENTY! Again quoting Martin Accad ; PRAY!!!
1) Pray for the displaced, injured, and mourning who are living in areas that are being subjected daily to heavy shelling.
2) Pray that the Church in Lebanon will be "salt and light" to the community, that God would be glorified in all that is said and done.
3) Go to the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary website and ask them for their regular updates on the relief efforts.
4) Find out which other organizations are doing relief work in Lebanon and get involved in moral and financial support.
Not because I disagree necessarily with what I am hearing, but that the first article was written before I had completely formed my opinion.
It is a fact that Hezbollah, which is an elected part of the Lebanese government, is in violation of the Geneva convention regarding its utter disregard of the Lebanese civilian population. Protocol I, Art. 51 sec. 7, makes it a violation to use civilians as human shields. Protocol I, Art. 37 sec. 1, likewise disallows blending into the civilian population.
Israel on the other hand is guilty of indiscriminate bombing resulting in the destruction of innocent civilians. See Protocol I, Art. 57 sec. 2b and Protocol I Art. 85, sec. 3.
See the Geneva Conventions for yourself
If the argument were purely secular, the international community has a case against both combatants.
That however is not the concern of this article. The concern of this article is does Israel have just cause to pursue and is it executing this war in a just manner?
I would ask you to be consistent on your thinking, applying the same standard, His standard to both sides. To lay aside any eschatological bias. The lives of thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters depend on it.
Does the Israeli government have the right to defend its population? Certainly, just read Romans 13. Not only do they have the right, but the obligation. That is unquestioned.
Israel's actions have brought me to the conclusion that they are waging a war of hatred, revenge and using excessive force with no regard to the civilian population.
Lebanon has more Christians than any other Middle Eastern country. Our Christian brothers and sisters.
Quoting an article titled "Another point of view : Evangelical blindness" by Martin Accad, Academic Dean of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon written for Christianity Today;
"According to the Lebanese health minister, Israel is even using phosphoric bombs, which are forbidden under international conventions! Are my people to consider Iran more dangerous than this? Are we safely in good hands with such actions? Come with me to Beirut and see how inoffensive Israel is.
Read the article here
A phosphoric bomb is a weapon that bursts into flames and has been referred to as a chemical weapon.
Again quoting Martin Accad, from a follow up article for Christianity Today titled "Who is my neighbor";
"Examples are endless, but the point is that whenever an armed force carries out military operations so indiscriminate that they repeatedly result in the killing of non-combatant civilians, these should be called "terrorist" acts. On the Lebanese front, the media says that about 35 Israeli and more than 350 Lebanese non-combatants have been killed, with hundreds more injured and hundreds of thousands displaced. Ms. Ansari, Middle East and North Africa program director of Save the Children, U.K., said her "contacts in Lebanon reckoned that up to 45 percent of the casualties were youths." That is about 150 children, up to one hundred families left childless. All of these are acts of terror, and they are still going on, and the international community has been unable (or rather unwilling) to take a decisive stance by calling for a ceasefire."
Read the article here
What of Hezbollah? They are with very poor accuracy firing missiles into Nazareth! Home of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Killing without care Christian, Jew and Muslim, Arab and Jew.
I find no justice, no righteousness in this conflict. Only wanton destruction and uncalled for death.
There can never be lasting peace in the Middle East without the Prince of Peace himself!
Quoting the Apostle Paul ; How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 NIV
If we allow the continued self-destruction of Israel and Lebanon, Christ church in the region will suffer along with the region.
What can you or I do you might ask? PLENTY! Again quoting Martin Accad ; PRAY!!!
1) Pray for the displaced, injured, and mourning who are living in areas that are being subjected daily to heavy shelling.
2) Pray that the Church in Lebanon will be "salt and light" to the community, that God would be glorified in all that is said and done.
3) Go to the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary website and ask them for their regular updates on the relief efforts.
4) Find out which other organizations are doing relief work in Lebanon and get involved in moral and financial support.
posted by Clyde | 9:00 PM
1 Comments:
Hmmmmmmmm....You've been thinking a lot on this, I have not. I have only thought of the merciless killing on both sides. I don't believe either warrants a "justified" war. I believe this is much more than any of us can try to understand. Hatred runs deep, hatred for another's god runs even deeper. I believe it is the ignorance of the people that has caused such a thing and the fear of who the ultimate ruler really is. We know Him as God, our Saviour. They, on the other hand, don't care to acknowledge or altogether just disregard who their Redeemer is truly is.
How blessed are we!!
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