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In the end Gollum brings his own downfall in ROTK, but the hobbits saved themselves from a similar fate through their compassion (if that’s the right word).

I didn’t say we should, I said we could. There is an entire doctrine about when Christians may engage in self-defense, and the means by which they can do so. They may be justified in actions up to and including the firebombing of civilians in Dresden and the atomic bombs in Japan. We will at some point be justified in nuking Mecca, but we are not there. We have to do all we can to avoid such actions. But the problem is, we are not taking any actions to defend Christendom. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying throughout the world, wherever Muslims have contact with civilization. There should be push back, there should be outreach to convince them their religion is a backward invention of a mad man, there should be containment, there should be protection of minorities, and whatever we need to do militarily for all those actions is authorized. What we don’t do is kill indiscriminately or without necessity to a higher, moral purpose.

But only at the cost of our souls - and isn’t that kinda the point that differentiates between good and evil? It’s like in the Hobbit when the opportunity to kill Gollum arose, but instead Bilbo takes pity on him. In the end Gollum brings his own downfall in ROTK, but the hobbits saved themselves from a similar fate through their compassion (if that’s the right word).

That is a tricky one, trickier than you might think -

Joshua 6:16, 17, 21 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent . . . And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

I think we can solve this problem decisively, without damage to our souls, if we do it for the right reasons and knowing not just that wiping out enemy orcs is safer but that it is right. It is possible to know such a thing, although I will admit it is easier to feel confident in such knowledge when you have a true prophet leading you into battle.