Forgiveness in War

I am under attack right now by deceitful psychopathic individuals  who may simply be ignorant rabid dogs biting the hand that feeds.  I do object that those who killed God in our society also destroyed the ten commandments for their personal benefit. "Thou shalt not bear false witness,' went out the window in exchange for  Marketting and PC.
I have been in similiar situations on other occasions. I  have asked for guidance as a Christian from the elder men and women I turn to when I feel persecuted.   Sometimes they tell me "Get down off the cross, we can use the wood."  Other times they tell me, you are right. Now they tell me I am right. These people are hurtful, nasty people who are in fact shooting at you with 'false accusation's and  slandering your name.  I'm not psychotic. I'm not mad. I'm not even bad. But they are.
Christians are supposed to love and forgive.  I 'm not a particularly loving or forgiving Christian and have a memory for resentments that is prodigious. I go to church and read the gospel because I 'need to' as much as I 'want to'.  Often the experience is more like an enema than anything else.   My God was 'forgiving'.  So my friend says 'What Would Jesus Do?"   I say, he'd kick ass and throw the lying theives out of the temple.

My minister told  me that it was very Christian to 'duck' when people were shot at you.  When Hitler said that "Germans were ready to die for the fatherland," Patton, replied, "that's just what we want you to do."

 C.S. Lewis gave the  WWII talks later published as "Mere Christianity'. He supported the  British soldiers fighting against the Neopagan Nazi hoards.   The Nazis had conquered Europe and were exterminating Poles, Jews, Gays and just about any one else who wasn't in favour of  National Socialism lead by  Adolf Hitler and his girlfriend,  Eva Braun.
My psychiatrist minister friend said that yes, Jesus might well cleanse the  temple of  bad men, drain the swamp so to speak,  but if you plan to go to war, he told me,  "you should put on  the armor of God."

Ephesians 6

11. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to sad.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, Holy Spirit and prayer, supplication and perseverance.

I kneel before God and ask his guidance.

However if I am being attacked right now, I duck.  I also return fire if this can't be avoided..  Jesus taught , Love God and Love Your Neighbour AS Yourself.  The idea that Jesus and his followers were wholly hippy pacifists does not hold with the biblical evidence of the apostles armed with swords.  It is true that Christians 'turn the other cheek' so are not 'easily offended', not like the evil kneejerk offence activists today.

In psychiatry we learned that we must protect ourselves from the dangerously insane because they 'knew not what they did' .  If we let an insane person hit us then we would be doing them harm as well because when the mentally ill were 'allowed' to hurt others their restrictions and drugs were increased.

We  were taught to avoid violence where possible. If violence occured we  'controlled' the violence with the least restriction.  This was unlike the encouragement for neglect and cowardice so often heard today. In the asylum we did not retaliate.  We did not take revenge. Indeed our patients might well think we were invading white coated aliens.  Truly we ourselves might behave similiarly with such beliefs.

So how can I protect myself especially knowing that the Cold War depended, as much of the history of the world has depended, on the fundamental laws of the jungle. Dangerous predators rarely attack each other but prefer the docile herds.  The oldest law of the world is the Chinese Law of the Fish, "there are big fish and little fish and the little fish have to be fast and numerous. "  Big fish counter each other with equal threat and given the potential of dangerous counteraction negate the 'value' of attack.

Hitler invaded his neighbours because  they were weak.  Chamberlain caused WWII as much as Hitler. It takes two to tango.

The members of alcoholics anonymous which began with Christians before becoming a universal self help organization based on  non religious 'spirituality' cautions those in recovery against even "righteous anger'. The reason is that people who have been alcoholic or drug addicts are at risk of relapsing with extreme emotions and tend towards over reaction and catastrophisation especially in early recovery.  However, the members of AA joined the American Armed Forces and fought offensively and defensively with bravery and reknown in the terrible WWII Italian campaign.  Abstinent men in recovery, members of AA, Christians  successfully fought the elite Nazi troops killing them en mass.  They did not relapse either.

So how can I be forgiving in war.

My minister said, forgiveness comes 'later'. It's the antidote to resentment.  Resentments are described as taking poison and hoping the other guy dies. They are toxic and go contrary to the teaching of 'love thy neighbour as thyself' or 'do unto others not as they do unto you' but rather 'do unto others as they would do unto you.'

For now I'm putting on the armour of God.