Christians’ “Calamity”

More soul-searching among religious groups over the issue of nuclear weapons is reflected by statements in the magazine The Christian Century: “The earliest Christians did not serve in the armed forces. Roland Bainton notes that ‘from the end of the New Testament period to the decade A.D. 170-180 there is no evidence whatever of Christians in the army.’ . . . Only gradually did Christians abandon their opposition to military service . . . Once Augustine endorsed ‘just war’ as authorizing Christians’ participation in military activities, ‘just war’ soon became whatever war their government engaged in.”

In the opinion of the Christian Century writer:

“Augustine’s [‘just war’] perversion of Christianity on this critical issue was the greatest calamity that ever befell the faith. It has cost Christians endless opportunities to witness for their central ethical principle: love your enemies and do good to them who despitefully use you. It may have done as much to hamper Christian evangelism as anything that has ever occurred.”