Death and the Atomic Bomb
The development of nuclear physics is a part of Richard Rhodes’s book The Making of the Atomic Bomb. One thing is clear from his history – scientists were scared to death that the Nazis or the Japanese (or, in the case of Churchill, Russians) would develop the “super bomb” before the Allies could. Looking at that history from the perspective of contemporary world affairs, it does not seem that modern politicians have the same concern over Iran or North Korea and their development of such a weapon of mass destruction.
Be that as it may, one of the scientists involved in the study and development was Karl Compton who worked in a secret laboratory at MIT. Compton came from the Mennonite religion, which was strongly pacifist. When Karl was 48, in 1940, he felt compelled to use his training and knowledge for the war effort. He went to speak to his minister. Karl explains what transpired:
“He wondered why I was not supporting his appeal to the young people of our church to take a stand as pacifists. I replied in this manner: ‘As long as I am convinced, as I am, that there are values worth more to me than my own life, I cannot in sincerity argue that it is wrong to run the risk of death or to inflict death if necessary in the defense of those values’” (Rhodes, 364).
Values worth more than life? Indeed. Most of us recognize that. Our whole military, as a volunteer force, is based on the fact that Americans recognize there are values worth more than life. Liberty, for example.
God also teaches us there are values worth more than life. The very point that God would command the death penalty for nearly two dozen sins in the Old Testament shows that God feels some values are worth more than life.
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If the U. S. government were to announce that they had a fool proof test to prove adultery (in lab tests, it proved accurate 100% of the time) and – in the interest of strengthening our families – they passed a law implementing the death penalty for adultery – how would we react? Would we think it was too harsh? Would we feel it was too intolerant of man’s weaknesses? Can we support God’s values?
The apostle Paul inspires us with values that are more important than life. To fellow Christians who tried to stop Paul from evangelizing in Jerusalem, he said: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).
Earlier, to the elders from Ephesus, Paul had said: “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
Clearly, Paul felt that the Gospel itself was a value worth more than life itself. Finally, something that strikes me is that when Stephen was stoned to death in Acts 7, the God of heaven inspired Stephen to say the exact words that caused him to be killed! Why? Because the Truth is the ultimate value worth more than life itself. To God, having the Truth preached to the Jews was more important than Stephen’s life.
Do we support God’s values? With our lives?
–Paul Holland
