u/Grouchy-Newt-995

I am interested in starting a discussion to understand Christian perspectives on pacifism.

My own opinion is that while pacifism is ideal, it is not a realistic expectation to have. The maintenance of society requires a police force to enforce laws and a military force to enforce national security.

I believe it is possible to be a Christian and support using violence in self defense or the defense of others. I will readily concede that the police can be immoral and the military can be immoral.

However, I find that the position that: “true Christians ought to be pure pacifists” to be unrealistic and not rooted in reality, despite pacifism being an ideal that we should move towards.