Just War nonsense. An Augustinian heresy.

Posted on: April 19, 2024 at 17:11:40 CT

“If all men were to do the same as you there would be nothing to prevent the king from being left in utter solitude and desertion and the forces of the empire would fall into the hands of the mildest and most lawless barbarians.” - Roman writer, Celsus (173CE) criticizing Christianity

“If, according to Celsus’s proposition, all the Romans were to be converted they will by praying overcome their enemies- or rather they will not make war at all, being guarded by the Divine Power, which promised to save five whole cities for the sake of fifty righteous men.” - Origen responding to Celsus’ criticism

“One soul cannot be due two masters- God and Caesar… For albeit soldiers had come unto John, and had received the formula of their rule, albeit, likewise, a centurion had believed, still the Lord afterward, in disarming Peter, unbelted every soldier.” - Tertullian

Quote from St. Hippolytus, 170-236 A.D. on soldiers and war

"A soldier, being inferior in rank to God, must not kill anyone. If ordered to, he must not carry out the order, nor may he take an oath (sacramentum) to do so. If he does not accept this, let him be dismissed from the church. Anyone bearing the power of the sword, or any city magistrate, who wears purple, let him cease from wearing it at once or be dismissed from the church. Any catechumen or believer who wishes to become a soldier must be dismissed from the church because they have despised God.”— Hippolytus

It wasn’t until the Edict of Milan in 313 that Christians started to turn away from pacifism that they practiced from the time of Jesus.

Augustine, world class piece of **** human, was one of the major proponents of this heretical nonsense of “Just War”.

But Augustine was an open supporter of torturing people.

In one of the most heretical writings ever, Augustine called upon Paul being blinded on the Road to Damascus to justify torture. Not only did it expose the mixing of the church with worldly empire, warned against by not only Jesus, Paul and John of Patmos, it claimed that Jesus gave them authority for torture.

“But we have shown that Paul was compelled by Christ; therefore the Church, in trying to compel the Donatists, is following the example of her Lord. . . . Wherefore, if the power [of the sword] which the Church has received by divine appointment in its due season, through the religious character and faith of Kings, be the instrument by which those who are found in the highways and hedges—that is, in heresies and schisms—are compelled to come in, then let them not find fault because they are compelled . . “ - Augustine

“"For it is wonderful how he who entered the service of the gospel
in the first instance under the compulsion of bodily punishment,
afterwards labored more in the gospel than all they who were
called by word only; and he who was compelled by the greater
influence of fear to love, displayed that perfect love
which casts out fear." - Augustine

“But yet, before the good sons can say they have "a desire to depart, and to be with Christ," many must first be recalled to their Lord by the stripes of temporal scourging, like evil slaves, and in some degree like good-for-nothing fugitives.“ - Augustine

“Why, therefore, should not the Church use force in compelling her lost sons to return, if the lost sons compelled others to their destruction? … Is it not a part of the care of the shepherd, when any sheep have left the flock, even though not violently forced away, but led astray by tender words and coaxing blandishments, to bring them back to the fold of his master when he has found them, by the fear or even the pain of the whip, if they show symptoms of resistance;” - Augustine

Yes.. just war was not part of the early church. But actively promoted while the Church was being influenced by Rome, by a man who encouraged torture.