Military service permitted; no pacifist theology; Christians may bear arms in defense
The Cherubim and Seraphim Church does not forbid military service or bear arms. There is no pacifist tradition within the C&S, and believers are not prohibited from serving in the military or from using force in self-defense. This stance reflects the C&S's evangelical Protestant heritage and its African context, in which pacifism has little historical presence.
The C&S's theology of spiritual warfare and engagement with demonic forces does not translate into rejection of physical warfare or military service. Rather, the church distinguishes between spiritual warfare (prayer, fasting, rebuking demons) and physical warfare (military conflict, self-defense). Both are understood as legitimate forms of resistance to evil — the former against spiritual forces, the latter against physical enemies and threats.
Believers who serve in the military are expected to maintain their Christian commitments — to pray, to avoid involvement in gravely immoral acts, and to serve with integrity. The C&S does not celebrate warfare but acknowledges it as a reality of human existence and as something in which believers may participate when the cause is just and defensive.
Key Distinctions
- Official stance:
- believers in military expected to maintain Christian integrity
- Practical stance:
- permitted; no prohibition against bearing arms
Scripture References
Sources
- Cherubim and Seraphim Teachings on Church and State
- Hastings, A. 'The Church in Africa' — study of political theology in African Christianity