Curiosity Killed The Cat/War Killed Everyone Else

‘I paid the price and now I’m Hell-bound’

Christian faith teaches that indulgent desire is the work of Lucifer, and that giving in to these desires indiscriminately is sinning. Lust, gluttony, wrath to name a few. Vengeance is a great, big no-no in Christianity and the ultimate revenge (or murder, for the colloquial) is, on top of a deadly sin, also a breach of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by the LORD.

It is with this in mind that I find it peculiar how Christian presidents and prime ministers across the globe can justify and rationalise their wars and conflicts the way they do. To ‘ensure freedom’, to ‘terminate oppression’ and many other excuses are all rooted in making peace and ‘freeing’ the people from whoever the invaders believe to be oppressing the inhabitants.

Thus, it is sad to realise that the peace process of ‘freeing’ a nation is perpetrated through combat and in combat there is, always, vengeance. Revenge for an attack, a fallen ally – anything. The government officials behind the military can kick back and excuse themselves all they want – they are not the ones raging an angry war somewhere in the Middle East, the soldiers are! Soldiers are either already angry or they become angry on the battlefield. Their powerful superiors in Europe and America let the bitter soldiers fight their moral fight, so that they themselves distance themselves from sin. They may, per law, be responsible for the lives taken in their given conflict – but their conscience is clear in regards to enemy combatants. They become numbers, and the greater the number; the greater the success.

War is about numbers, about casualties. It is about vengeance and anger, not about freedom. Freedom is the justification.