Doamne ajută.
(...) it has nevertheless always considered killing even in such cases to be a sin.
In St. Pauls epistle to the Romans, God is referred to as a "God of peace" (Romans 15:33). The development of a war is a result of a separation from God, which is also a separation from peace and love. Since God is the source of our existence, separation from God leads to chaos and destruction.
"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword" (Isaiah 1:19-20).
"for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).
"for the authority (civil) does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:4).
Christians are focused on peace and must work towards preserving a loving attitude that is not separate from God.
"My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews" (John 18:34).
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another" (John 13:34).
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9).
The Church during the first centuries was very negative towards the participation of Christians in war. Origen was completely against the idea of Christians participating in any form of military duty.
Neither St. Ambrose nor St. Augustine accept the "just war" theory but recognized the reasons that lead to it the defense of those unjustly treated. Never has the Church presented nor accepted a theory of "just war".
According to Fr. Stanley Harakas, there is no ethical reasoning for war in the writings of the Greek Fathers. Fr. Harakas states that the fathers wrote that only negative impacts arise from war. Even in unavoidable circumstances, Fr. Harakas mentions that the fathers thought of war as the lesser of greater evils, but none the less evil. Fr. Harakas declares that the term "just war" is not found in the writings of the Greek Fathers. The stance of the Fathers on war is pro-peace and an Orthodox "just war" theory does not exist.
St. John Chrysostom
"Christians above all men are not permitted forcibly to correct the failings of those who sin. Secular judges indeed, when they have captured malefactors under the law, show their authority to be great, and prevent them even against their will from following their own devices: but in our case the wrong-doer must be made better, not by force, but by persuasion" (St. John Chrysostom, "On the Priesthood").
The Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church
Any act of violence contradicts the ethics and principles of the Kingdom of God. St. Basil states that although the act of violence may be required for the "defense of the weak and innocentit is never justifiable."
Canon 83 of the Holy Apostles
"If any Bishop, or Priest, or Deacon is engaged in military matters, and wishes to hold both a Roman (i.e.; civil) and a holy office, let him be deposed. For "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars; and unto God the things that are Gods" (Matthew 22:21).
Church and State
Christianity is responsible for first introducing the belief of non-violence. A true Christian would rather be killed than to kill. However, it is the civic duty of a Christian to obey the civil authority, not only because of fearing punishment, but since it is ethically and honorably conscience. It is inevitably understood that the will of the civil authority will conflict with Gods will over time, and its important to understand that "we must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29).
The Church and the Roman (Byzantine) Empire
"How could they be regarded as martyrs or equal to the martyrs those who kill others or die themselves at war, when the divine canons impose a penalty on them, preventing them from coming to Divine Communion for three years."
Most Happy, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
Address in Athens, Greece on May 24, 1999
As declared by Patriarch Bartholomew, "...the irrationality of war is evident from its effect on humanity and on the natural environment."
Patriarch Bartholomew references St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
E destul de clar, cred.
Bucurii.
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