Hey [Friend]:

Nice to hear from you. Our door is always open to you.

I'll respond in CAPS below to the issues you brought up

Hi Arthur, Sandra, and the Hsieh family,

Today's email is to inquire about your thoughts about the War w/ Iraq. For the past several months, I've been thinking about the ramifications of this conflict and whether or not the US is truly right in their endeavor to begin a pre-emptive war with Iraq. It seems that most individuals that I come across are pretty much split on their views. I've seen their various reasons and both sides make very valid cases. One particular person that I recently talked to has somewhat raised a very good point that makes me wonder if President Bush is right in his pushing of this war. My friend is a seminary student and a born again Christian. His view is that as Christians we should go the way of the Cross ~ ie. suffering, since Christ's example was to endure his beatings, so should we. My friend's analogy extends to this war as well. His understanding suggests that we should not go to war but to endure the possible future event that Iraq would one day do the unthinkable and unleash it's weapons of mass destruction onto US soil (do you think that's biblical?). I can't but think there's a lot of legitimacy to his thought process, but at the same token, we can also say that we are taking a biblical route by bringing down a harsh regime like that of Iraq, (i.e. is it better to do justice and help those in Iraq or should we sit by and have them live in fear and tyranny?) The situation is a 2 fold one that seems to never come w/ a concise answer.

FIRST OFF, LET ME SAY THAT MY HEART IS HEAVY AT THE PROSPECTS OF WAR AND FOR THE LIVES AND FAMILIES AND NATIONS THAT WILL BE HURTING. I'M SADDENED. WHEN I THINK OF FAMILIES THAT WILL BE TORN APART (ON BOTH SIDES), MY HEART TRULY GOES OUT TO THEM.

WAR OUGHT TO ALWAYS BE A LAST RESORT.

AS FOR MY ASSESSMENT OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S DECISION, I MUST SAY THAT I SUPPORT HIS DECISION BASED ON THE REASONS HE HAS GIVEN. OF COURSE, I AM TRUSTING AND RELYING UPON HIS CLAIMS AS BEING TRUE. IF HIS EVIDENCE IS INDEED VALID, THEN I SUPPORT HIS DECISION. EVEN IF I DIDN'T AGREE WITH HIS DECISIONS BUT CONCLUDED THAT THEY WERE NOT UNBIBLICAL, I WOULD STILL HAVE TO SUPPORT HIM (THOUGH NOT AGREE) AS ROMANS 13 AND 1 PETER 2 HAVE INSTRUCTED ME TO DO.

AS FOR YOUR SEMINARY FRIEND, I WOULD HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH HIS ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION, THOUGH I FEEL HIS HEART AND APPRECIATE HIS DESIRE TO FOLLOW CHRIST. HERE ARE MY REASONS:

YOUR FRIEND, ACCORDING TO YOUR WORDING, IS MAKING THE FALSE ASSUMPTION OF TREATING AMERICA AS IF IT WERE AN INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN OR EVEN A CHURCH. THE USA IS NEITHER - IT IS A COUNTRY RUN BY A GOVERNMENT.

HIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT OF GOING THE WAY OF THE CROSS APPLIES TO CHRISTIANS AND THE CHURCH. AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE REPEATEDLY CALLED TO SUFFER FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND FOR CHRIST AND THE CHURCH (EX. 1 PETER), FOR IF OUR LEADER (JESUS) DID, SO SHOULD WE. THE FIRST THREE CENTURIES OF THE EARLY CHURCH WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A CHRISTIAN BLOODBATH AT THE HANDS OF THE ROMAN EMPERORS. YET THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS IS THE SEED OF THE CHURCH, AND THE MORE PERSECUTION CHRISTIANS RECEIVED, THE QUICKER THEY GREW. THERE ARE CHRISTIANS TODAY UNDER THE SAME PERSECUTION.

THIS THOUGHT IS NOT THE SAME FOR HUMAN GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER. YOU REMEMBER THAT GOD ORDAINED THREE INSTITUTIONS WITH AUTHORITY IN THIS WORLD - CHURCH (TO MEET SPIRITUAL NEEDS AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF PEOPLE - LIKE FEEDING THE POOR OR CLOTHING THE HUNGRY), PARENTS (TO NURTURE, EDUCATE, DISCIPLINE, ETC. CHILDREN), AND GOVERNMENT (TO PRESERVE LIFE, PROTECT PROPERTY, PROTECT AGAINST INEQUITY).

DID YOU GET THAT? GOD HAS GIVEN AUTHORITY TO GOVERNMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADMINISTERING JUSTICE AND PRESERVING LIFE AND PROPERTY. IT IS TO YIELD THE SWORD AGAINST EVIL. THAT IS ITS JOB. (YOU MUST READ ROMANS 13). THAT'S WHY IT IS SAID THAT GOD HAS GIVEN GOVERNMENT THE POWER OF THE SWORD.

THE CHURCH IS GIVEN THE POWER OF THE KEYS (TO HEAVEN) AND IS TO GOVERN THE SPIRITUAL LIVES OF ITS MEMBERS ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD. NOW THE CHURCH IS NEVER TO YIELD THE SWORD TO SPREAD HIS KINGDOM, FOR THAT IS NOT ITS ROLE.

NOW, YOUR FRIEND IS ESSENTIALLY MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T EXERCISE SELF-DEFENSE BECAUSE JESUS (AS A PERSON) DIDN'T EXERCISE SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST HIS AGGRESSORS. HE IS PRESUMING THEN THAT GOD WOULDN'T APPROVE OF THAT.

HOWEVER, IN THE OT, BEFORE ISRAEL DEMANDED AND WERE GRANTED A HUMAN KING, GOD WAS THEIR KING. THEY WERE A THEOCRACY AND GOD INTENDED TO BE THEIR LEADER. DURING HIS "REIGN" AS THEIR KING, HE LED THEM TO WAR ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS. AGAIN, ANY GOVERNMENT'S PRIMARY ROLE IS TO PROTECT ITS PEOPLE FROM EVIL AND ENSURE JUSTICE AND EQUITY, USING LEGAL FORCE.

WITH RESPECT TO PRESIDENT BUSH, HE IS CARRYING OUT THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT HIS PEOPLE. IF IT IS TRUE THAT IRAQ HAS SIGNED A TREATY IN 1991 TO DISARM AND IT HAS CONTINUOUSLY BROKEN THAT PROMISE, THEN THERE MUST BE REPERCUSSIONS FOR THAT. IN ANY SOCIETY, THE BREAKING OF A PROMISE OR CONTRACT, WHETHER SMALL OR LARGE, IS PUNISHED IN A COURT OF LAW. GOD HAS GIVEN GOVERNMENT THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THAT.

IN THE CASE OF IRAQ, THE TREATY WAS MADE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD (INCLUDING THE US). IF IT ACTUALLY HAS NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH, THEN THERE MUST BE CONSEQUENCES, FOR THE WORLD IS NOW IN DANGER.

AS FOR THE US, IN PARTICULAR, THE GOVERNMENT MUST PROTECT ITS PEOPLE AGAINST 9/11 TYPE ATTACKS. IF THE PRESIDENT'S ACTION TO WAR IS MERELY OUT OF SPITE FOR IRAQ, THEN IT IS WRONG. IF IT IS TO OVERTAKE THEIR COUNTRY TO COLONIZE THEM AS OUR OWN, THEN IT IS WRONG. IF IT IS TO PROTECT ITS PEOPLE BY REQUIRING THAT A PREVIOUSLY AGREED UPON TREATY BE ABIDED BY, THEN I'D SAY THERE'S JUSTIFICATION.

AS FAR AS THE US SIDE GOES, THE 3,600 OR SO WHO DIED IN 9/11 FAR EXCEEDED THE 300 SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN THE PERSIAN GULF WAR.

NOW AS FAR AS JESUS GOES, HE WAS ESTABLISHING A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM (REMEMBER HIS WORDS TO PETER, "UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH" - NOT MY GOVERNMENT) AND HIS COMMISSION TO US IS TO HELP PEOPLE BECOME CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, EVEN IF WE MUST SUFFER TO DO SO. BUT THAT IS NOT A DIRECTIVE TO A GOVERNMENT TO LET ITS PEOPLE SUFFER.

The political landscape has been interesting as well. From what I hear, Roman Catholics are siding w/ the Pope and that even President Bush's grass roots Protestant/Born again Christians are some what split on this topic. Do you know what Macarthur's, Sproul's, Piper's, Zacharias' views are on the war? From what I also gathered in my conversations with friends, it makes me think the topic is too controversial to bring up, causing people to skirt the issues and topic outright.

I MET WITH RAVI A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO BUT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT. HE DID MENTION IT A LITTLE IN HIS ADDRESS TO US. I BELIEVE HE SUPPORTS THE PRESIDENT. AS FOR THE OTHERS, MACARTHUR WAS ON LARRY KING LIVE AS A PANELIST ON THE MORALITY OF WAR. I DIDN'T SEE IT THOUGH. THE HSU'S DID. HOWEVER ON GTY.ORG IS HIS PRAYER FOR THE PRESIDENT AND THE NATION. I BELIEVE YOU CAN SEE HIS THINKING CLEARLY IN THE TRANSCRIPT OF HIS PRAYER. I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THE OTHERS.

Anyways, just wanted to pick your thoughts to see what you think.....If you get a chance, would be great to hear back from you.....

1 TIMOTHY 2 INSTRUCTS US TO PRAY FOR ALL LEADERS AND THOSE IN AUTHORITY. WE NEED TO DO THAT. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE ENORMOUS PRESSURE HE'S UNDER.

I HOPE THIS IS USEFUL TO YOU. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

ARTHUR