Holy War Flashcards
Holy War
When believers fight in a war, started by a religious leader, to defend their faith, then this is known as a holy war. They believe that God is ‘on their side’ and will help them to win. They think that in these circumstances war is right. There are many examples of holy war in the Old Testament. The Children of Israel fight to win back their Promised Land (Israel) – for example the battle of Jericho.
Battle of Jericho - Joshua Chapter 6 (Don’t learn word for word, just the basic idea)
The gates of Jericho were shut tight and guarded closely because of the Israelites. No one went out. No one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “I have handed Jericho over to you. I have also handed over to you its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all your fighting men. In fact, do it for six days. Have seven priests get trumpets made out of rams’ horns. They must carry them in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. Tell the priests to blow the trumpets as you march. You will hear them blow a long blast on the trumpets. When you do, tell the whole army to give a loud shout. The wall of the city will fall down. Then the whole army will march up to the city. Everyone will go straight in.
Crusades
The Crusades are another example of a holy war where the Pope sent armies of Christians to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim invaders.
Jihad
Some Muslims think of holy war as ‘jihad’ – a personal challenge done for the love of Allah. For most Muslims jihad means giving extra money to charity, or setting up a food bank, or giving up your holiday to help in a refugee camp. Others have travelled to Syria to help Kurdish fighters to defeat ISIS.
Modern times
Holy war is rarely considered by Christians in modern times. They might join the army, or support the government if they decide to fight a war, but they consider this as a political decision, and nothing to do with their religious beliefs.
