TABOR - Tradition and Contemporaneity in the Romanian Orthodox Church
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First World War in Biblical Light: The Religious Causes of Its Begining
More than a century has passed from since the beginning of the Great War, so I decided to take a look at it and shed a biblical light on it. First of all, I analyzed the vectors of the Old Testament wars, paying special attention to the legal field, starting from Deuteronomy 20, where Israeli soldiers were called to fight with much restraint, unlike their blood-thirsty neighbors. The war in the Bible is an accident; God does not scatter crimes and divine punishment everywhere, but only in some special cases and with pedagogical purposes. It is only with pain and shame, because He expects the penitence of the guilty – not his death. The involvement of the Romanian Army in the First World War and the way they fought shows a burning desire to recover the lost territories at any costs. I have analyzed the biblical and spiritual dimensions of this national ideal, focusing on the idea of the “holy war” in this operational theater that incorporates fear, fright and regrets from all over the world.
 

CĂTĂLIN VARGA