Fantasizing about war a sin?

[johnnyt3000]

Is it sinful to imagine yourself as a soldier in combat? Imagining yourself shooting the enemy etc.? I understand hateful and angry thoughts toward a neighbor is wrong, but in my case it’s not referring to anyone in particular, I guess you can say what i’m doing is just playing a video game in my head. What do you think?

 

[PietroPaolo]

Well, being a soldier in combat, shooting the enemy etc. is not sinful, so I can’t see how fantasizing about doing something that isn’t sinful can be sinful.

Now, if you are imagining committing war crimes and torturing people, that would be different. But imagining yourself as a soldier (especially a virtuous war hero, fighting in a just war) is fine.

 

[Book_Worm]

Sorry, but I don’t see fantasizing about killing people, for any reason, as a healthy thing to be doing.

It may not be a sin, but it think it’s something to discuss with a mental health professional.

 

[PietroPaolo]

Sorry, but I don’t see fantasizing about killing people, for any reason, as a healthy thing to be doing.

It may not be a sin, but it think it’s something to discuss with a mental health professional.

What do you think of little boys playing war? Ought they to be carted off to “mental health professionals?” Fighting for a just cause is fine and wanted to fight for a just cause is a healthy part of being male. Perhaps you are female and don’t get that. That’s okay and healthy too. There’s enough things girls do that I don’t understand (how can you choose to walk around in shoes that seem impossible to walk in?) That doesn’t mean they are insane! Jesus Himself told His apostles “if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

 

[Kamaduck]

I’m a really, really nonviolent female, and even I spend a fair amount of time thinking about fantasy of science-fiction themed warfare- it’s not so much about killing people, just about action and heroism. In my case, I imagine things when I write, as war features heavily in some of my stories. Sometimes it just helps to visualize real-life problems as monsters that can be slain. When I was younger, I imagined myself as a hero just because heroes are cool, and it was fun. If the OP likes imagining himself as a war hero, I think that’s OK.

Now, if he fantasizes about torture or something, that’d be cause for concern. Just liking the idea of fighting, though, seems pretty normal.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

What do you think of little boys playing war? Ought they to be carted off to “mental health professionals?” Fighting for a just cause is fine and wanted to fight for a just cause is a healthy part of being male. Perhaps you are female and don’t get that. That’s okay and healthy too. There’s enough things girls do that I don’t understand (how can you choose to walk around in shoes that seem impossible to walk in?) That doesn’t mean they are insane! Jesus Himself told His apostles "if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one

How about the middle ground?

For some reason every time there is a war thread, that quotation comes up, but people tend not to mention the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the peacemakers.” I wonder why.

It is not a sin to fight in a just manner for a just cause. It is, as you say, “fine.” What’s better than fine is securing a just peace. We should set our priorities in that order, right?

and wanted to fight for a just cause is a healthy part of being male. Perhaps you are female and don’t get that. That’s okay and healthy too. There’s enough things girls do that I don’t understand (how can you choose to walk around in shoes that seem impossible to walk in?) That doesn’t mean they are insane! Jesus Himself told His apostles “if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

I really wish you used a better analogy. I really do.

 

[PietroPaolo]

I really wish you used a better analogy. I really do.

What’s wrong with my analogy? Women do things that seem “crazy” to men, but are normal and healthy for them to do, just as men do things that seem “crazy” to women, but are normal and healthy for us to do. I was replying to someone who was calling for the intervention of “mental health professionals”. I find the analogy to be very apt.

For some reason every time there is a war thread, that quotation comes up, but people tend not to mention the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

I didn’t quote it, but it is implied when I made a distinction between wanting to fight a just war and wanting to torture people. Sometimes peace can only be made through virtuous combat.