Women in Combat Roles

[Texas Aggie]

Hi Everyone,

How does God view women in combat? Is it wrong to allow a physically and mentally capable woman to serve in a combat position if she is a willing and capable volunteer?

I realize that women were not required by God to register for possible conscription as indicated in Numbers 1:1-3; however, does He strictly forbid women warriors who willingly volunteer for military service?

Can we allow our daughters to become fighter or bomber pilots? Can we allow them to be in the infantry (as long as they can meet all the physical requirements placed upon a man)? Can we allow our daughters to be in the military (if they so desire) and have the potential to lead men into battle?

What is God's mandate concerning this? Is there anything within His law strictly forbidding a female warrior? Are there any scriptural examples of women engaged in combat that are rebuked or supported by God?

Thanks for your insight.

 

[Blueridge Believer]

I can see nothing in the holy scripture that allows for a woman to serve in such a capacity officially. There were cases where women were advisors (in the case of Deborah), or actually killed a man during the course of a military pursuit sush as Jael, the wife of Heber, who smote Sisera through the head with a tent spike. However, the God ordained rules of warfare in Duet. 20 are largely disregared by nations today.

Deu 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Deu 20:2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
Deu 20:3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
Deu 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Deu 20:5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
Deu 20:6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
Deu 20:7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
Deu 20:8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.
Deu 20:9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Deu 20:13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
Deu 20:14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
Deu 20:19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:
Deu 20:20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

 

[Texas Aggie]

I can see nothing in the holy scripture that allows for a woman to serve in such a capacity officially.

Thanks for the info. I can not see anything either; however, I also can not find anything that disallows a woman to serve in such a capacity officially.

Does God find this practice unacceptable?

Any more thoughts? Anyone?

 

[smhbbag]

CBMW » Women in Combat

I think that's a pretty good start.

A key excerpt:

WHEREAS, The moral justification for military combat service is the duty to protect vital national interests, of which the most vital and most essential is the welfare, security and good order of families; and so moral justification for combat service is derived from, and is thus essentially linked to, the divinely assigned role and responsibilities of self-sacrificial male headship of the family

Disregarding my objection to the 'national interest' part, this is the fundamental reason I have for wanting to keep women out of combat. If all the men are dead, or a woman is providentially placed in an opportune spot to act, then they should have at it.

And I think their definition of manhood is relevant here:

At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships.

It goes to the core of who God made us. No man should be left at home and defended afar by his wife, sister, mother or daughter. Any man who is must feel ashamed.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Read Doug Wilson's Federal Husband where he has a section on why women should not fight in the military.