Israel Declares War

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ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
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Guilty as charged. I remember claiming I wasn't an expert in war and I don't know the best strategies outside of boots on the ground for this nuanced situation in Gaza. It is densely populated and the terrorists are right next to the Palestinians civilians.

Rather than coming up with pointless strategies as if we are generals (you're free to day dream on your own if it entertains you), could we come to an understanding that we shouldn't indiscriminately blow up a bunch of civilians to make it more safe for the IDF to go in with boots on the ground?
As long as we can also come to an agreement that it is absolutely unacceptable to have people in Gaza firing missiles at Israel and it must be stopped immediately.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
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Elaborate how and why we need to account for the 1000+ Israeli civilians that were murdered to substantiate a claim that "Israel doesn't want to kill civilians". I'm not seeing it.
not a problem, I am starting a thread to address your analogy.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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As long as we can also come to an agreement that it is absolutely unacceptable to have people in Gaza firing missiles at Israel and it must be stopped immediately.
So you have a condition to agreeing not to obliterate civilians... Interesting, I expected a non-answer but not that. :unsure::unsure::unsure:

I can't expect terrorists to follow international law, but I should be able to expect a legitimate state (Israel) to follow it.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
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So you have a condition to agreeing not to obliterate civilians... Interesting, I expected a non-answer but not that. :unsure::unsure::unsure:

I can't expect terrorists to follow international law, but I should be able to expect a legitimate state (Israel) to follow it.
Tell that to all the legitimate states in the world, because everyone of them including the US bombs a city before putting boots on the ground. Were you paying attention during the Gulf wars?

How many civilians were killed in the Gulf War?

Most of the fatalities were American, while 47 British personnel died. According to the Imperial War Museum, between 20,000 and 35,000 Iraqi soldiers died during the ground war. Civilian deaths resulting from the conflict are estimated at between 100,000 and 200,000.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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Tell that to all the legitimate states in the world, because everyone of them including the US bombs a city before putting boots on the ground. Were you paying attention during the Gulf wars?

How many civilians were killed in the Gulf War?

Most of the fatalities were American, while 47 British personnel died. According to the Imperial War Museum, between 20,000 and 35,000 Iraqi soldiers died during the ground war. Civilian deaths resulting from the conflict are estimated at between 100,000 and 200,000.
I do. I'm pro-life. It makes no difference which nation does it... it's a sin in our Heavenly Father's eyes. Children are the most vulnerable people and need to be protected. Not just American children, Japanese children, Israeli children, Palestinian children, etc... If we put a condition as to not obliterate them, we are lost.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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I'm reminded of a woman who told me that the unborn child that was aborted from a raped victim was just "collateral damage". Maybe I'm hyper sensitive, but it tears my heart out to hear such a thing.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
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I'm reminded of a woman who told me that the unborn child that was aborted from a raped victim was just "collateral damage". Maybe I'm hyper sensitive, but it tears my heart out to hear such a thing.
That would be a better analogy, a pregnant woman is rushed to the hospital to deal with a life threatening cancer, a tumor is being removed, but during the operation the woman loses the baby, indicating the innocent lives lost as collateral damage to dealing with the cancer.
 

Everlasting-Grace

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2021
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No one expects a war to be fought with 0 civilian casualties. We just don't want more civilian casualties than Hamas terrorist casualties. Could we at least agree to this point? 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I want none

But sadly, when you have a group like hamas. who use them as shields. you will have more.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged. Likewise a zionist is a victim of Islamic terrorism.
Well, this kinda sort of maybe goes back to the part of the convo earlier when a couple of people were trying to say how anti-Semitism should not be considered as aimed at Jews, or does not apply only to Jews, simply because Jews and Arabs share a common ancestor who spoke the same language. And it is true that Isaac and Ishmael share the same earthly father, but that does not mean their progeny ever were or became the same nation of people, so those who pretend they should be considered that way are pushing a false narrative. Even Jacob and Esau engendered different nations, and they were bona fide twins with the same mother and father. Mohammedans claim Ishmael as an ancestor and assert he was the child of promise and not Isaac. That's why their ideal man/hero is an adulterous war-mongering pedophile despite God calling Isaac Abraham's only son, more than once. Any other political or hidden meaning in what you said may have been lost on me LOL. I am at work and fairly busy...
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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That would be a better analogy, a pregnant woman is rushed to the hospital to deal with a life threatening cancer, a tumor is being removed, but during the operation the woman loses the baby, indicating the innocent lives lost as collateral damage to dealing with the cancer.
If we use this analogy, then the surgical oncologist used a chainsaw to cut out the cancer instead of a more appropriate tool which caused the death of the unborn baby. This gives credence that the doctor didn't really care about the unborn life or he would have used a more viable option. You can ask me "which tool should the surgeon have used", I don't know. I'm not a surgeon, but surely there was something better than a chainsaw.

Also, would you agree or disagree that the term "collateral damage" dehumanizes the life of the unborn? Maybe it's just me, but it is disturbing.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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I want none

But sadly, when you have a group like hamas. who use them as shields. you will have more.
Hamas has allegedly setup up road blocks preventing the civilians from walking south, do we just say "Oh well, we tried... bomb them into oblivion!"?
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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not a problem, I am starting a thread to address your analogy.
Your deceptive thread completely ignores addressing why we need to account for the 1000+ innocent Israeli civilians that were murdered to substantiate the claim that Israel wants as few civilian casualties as possible. Not to mention, you compared my analogy with something entirely different. I genuinely didn't expect that from you.

Hopefully you'll just explain here.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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do you do nothing. and let the enemy get away?
It's difficult to determine which is the best plan which yields limited civilian casualties. However, I can unequivocally state obliterating civilians (many of which are children) with airstrikes is not on my list of potential strategies. Then again, using nuclear atomic bombs wouldn't have been my plan at the end of WWII after Germany already surrendered, but many here think it was the best choice.
 

Everlasting-Grace

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2021
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It's difficult to determine which is the best plan which yields limited civilian casualties. However, I can unequivocally state obliterating civilians (many of which are children) with airstrikes is not on my list of potential strategies. Then again, using nuclear atomic bombs wouldn't have been my plan at the end of WWII after Germany already surrendered, but many here think it was the best choice.
In the long run, letting criminals get away, You will cause more civilians to die.

Once again, you show you know nothing about war..
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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In the long run, letting criminals get away, You will cause more civilians to die.

Once again, you show you know nothing about war..
If you believe this, can you admit and say explicitly, "It is better to airstrike Hamas terrorists even though we know it will end up killing more innocent Palestinian civilians rather than choosing an alternative plan which discriminately target Hamas terrorists and minimizes Palestinian civilians."?
 

Ted01

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May 14, 2022
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If you believe this, can you admit and say explicitly, "It is better to airstrike Hamas terrorists even though we know it will end up killing more innocent Palestinian civilians rather than choosing an alternative plan which discriminately target Hamas terrorists and minimizes Palestinian civilians."?
How is one to determine who belongs to Hamas and who doesn't?
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
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How is one to determine who belongs to Hamas and who doesn't?
One side says it doesn't matter, bomb them in hopes you get the Hamas terrorists and if you kill Palestinian civilians, they are just "collateral damage".

To answer your question, it's difficult to do remotely. Bombs don't know if someone is a Hamas terrorist or if it's a husband and wife covering their children in a desperate attempt to protect them. Humans and drones would be better at determining if someone is an armed terrorists or just an unarmed father trying to protect his family. Humans can use physical force a lot more discriminately than airstrikes on densely populated civilian neighborhoods.
 

Ted01

Well-known member
May 14, 2022
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One side says it doesn't matter, bomb them in hopes you get the Hamas terrorists and if you kill Palestinian civilians, they are just "collateral damage".

To answer your question, it's difficult to do remotely. Bombs don't know if someone is a Hamas terrorist or if it's a husband and wife covering their children in a desperate attempt to protect them. Humans and drones would be better at determining if someone is an armed terrorists or just an unarmed father trying to protect his family. Humans can use physical force a lot more discriminately than airstrikes on densely populated civilian neighborhoods.
It seems to me that you see a very real problem but don't really know how to deal with it...?
Welcome to the club.