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Pop-quiz: Whose God sent a nation's troops to a barren land to fight a war against a smaller and weaker nation under the banner of imperialism, spreading democracy and freedom? Answer: Yours.
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I would feel much different about our current war if we, too, had a member of the church spearheading it, truly seeking God’s blessings and direction.
If we truly are in Iraq right now to spread freedom and peace, why are we also not in North Korea? And Darfur? And Palestine? And Iran? And countless other places which are currently experiencing civil unrest?
Amalickiah and his group were dissidents. They were countrymen. They had been living under and enjoying the blessings of peace and prosperity provided under the rule of their government with judges. And then they rebelled.
If we had this situation today, we would be justified in squelching sedition and treason in a like manner. We are not justified in spreading freedom and peace in other lands where we have no authority.
You’ll notice that Moroni didn’t take this pre-emptive war to the Lamanites (citizens of another government). It was to his own countrymen who had committed treason. And when they mixed in with the Lamanites and attacked, only then did Moroni fight those of another nation.
I would feel much different about our current war if we, too, had a member of the church spearheading it, truly seeking God’s blessings and direction.
Really? If it just so happened that Bush was a Mormon, you would really feel “much different” about his actions? So do you question his christian religious beliefs? Do you really think he went into Iraq to kill people for fun?
If we truly are in Iraq right now to spread freedom and peace, why are we also not in . . . countless other places which are currently experiencing civil unrest?
This is bad logic! An extension of your thinking seems to say that we should never attempt to fight against evil if we can’t extinguish it all at once. It’s called strategy. The imminent issue is terrorism. I’m sure if N. Korea tests a nuke etc. we would go to war. Whether people like it or not, we are currently fighting WWIII. In WWII we didn’t just go around dropping atom bombs on every opposing country. Indeed, we didn’t even get involved with Japan until they attacked us. You have to take one bite at a time.
You’ll notice that Moroni didn’t take this pre-emptive war to the Lamanites (citizens of another government). It was to his own countrymen who had committed treason.
This doesn’t persuade me. In terms of morality, what difference does it make? Moroni was concerned about liberty. Also, the war was not on home turf; he pursued the enemy in foreign lands — i.e. the “wilderness”. And even if it was directly against his own people on their own turf, the principles of preemption and imperialism remain. If the dissident Nephites had taken over and infiltrated their own governments away from Moroni, how is this different than fighting a foreign war?
Speaking in general terms and morality, Moroni actively established his brand of liberty through preemptive war.