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Religion
See other Religion Articles

Title: Who's taking blame for Christian violence?
Source: Toronto Star
URL Source: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co ... =968256290204&col=968350116795
Published: Jul 26, 2005
Author: Calvin White
Post Date: 2005-07-28 09:43:02 by Zipporah
Keywords: Christian, violence?, taking
Views: 224
Comments: 9

Now that imams in Britain and Canada are standing up and publicly condemning terrorist acts as anti-Muslim and against the teachings in the Qur'an, I wonder if pressure might be put on Christian leaders to take a similar stand.

Contrary to what some might like to insist, Christianity is not the religion of "an eye for an eye" but it is the religion of Jesus, who refined those earlier directions and distilled the ten commandments into two. One was to "love thy neighbour as thyself." Pretty definitive isn't it? As is the edict of turning the other cheek.

Jesus expected to be betrayed. He expected to be arrested by the authorities. There was no exhortations to prepare for battle. There was no bloody attempt to stop the proceedings.

Even as Jesus was brutalized while carrying his own crucifixion cross and being nailed onto the timbers, there was no violent counterforce from his disciples. Not even an outcry.

No matter where one reads in the accounts of Jesus, the only conclusion one can come to is that Jesus was about love.

So where are the Christian leaders when it comes to violent actions by our Western leaders? Where are the televangelists, who every Sunday take over the airwaves to trumpet the message of Jesus, when it comes to taking on bunker busting bombs and mass carnage?

Where are they when it comes to the death penalty prevalent in the majority of American states?

When President George Bush insists that billions of dollars need to continue flowing to the war effort in Iraq which leads to more American body bags and Iraqi graves, why is there no outcry? Why don't the Christian leaders stand up and challenge those decisions, and passionately assert that Jesus would have sought another way of solving the problems?

In this time when Christianity is on the rise all over America, when there is a growing surge in extolling Christian values, why is it that when the born-again Bush says it's better to fight "them" over there than on American soil, no concerted group of leaders stands up and yells that he's got it wrong?

Like Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is also born again.

Yet, their combined leadership has been responsible for excruciating death and injury to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They both claim a righteousness in their policies of destruction. They were even counselled by their secular allies not to resort to the carnage. Where was the equal pressure from the Christian leadership?

Interesting, isn't it, that Muslim fanatics use the idea of holy jihad and rewards in paradise to recruit their dupes into terrible acts of destruction, and in Christian circles there is the solemn assembling for prayer and seeking of blessings for the troops and leaders in their mission of war.

Interesting, isn't it, that polling clearly indicates the Christian right in America is emphatically against bad language on TV and in the movies, horrified by Janet Jackson's bare nipple — but drawn with considerable relish to violence in the same media.

The additional galling irony of Jesus being emblazoned on the foreheads of those in command of the sharpest swords is that Jesus was also all about intelligence. He was all about deeper understanding, about using insight and keenness of mind to solve problems. Think of how the Pharisees tried to trick him by holding up different sections of the law to trip him up.

His disciples picking corn, for instance, and thus working, on the Sabbath. Jesus answered that the Sabbath was for man and not the other way around. There was the adulteress brought before him to be stoned; he responded that any without sin might cast the first stone.

What kind of insight have Bush and Blair employed? What intelligence, what deeper understanding is demonstrated by the tactic of blast and shoot with as much technologically advanced weaponry as is available?

What compassion, what recognition of common humanity is shown when the biggest concern is how to pad the soldiers with as much body Kevlar and the humvees with as much armour as possible so they can kill all the easier without casualties — and thus retain the support of the home front.

How do our current religious leaders think Jesus would react to the concept of collateral damage?

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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 4.

#3. To: Zipporah, Starwind (#0)

I agree with the article and both of yours' comments.

I'm disturbed by the things I've heard from the leaders of christian churches and the members of christian churches both.

Here's what I found - christians believe that killing is good. Christians believe that the rich should be put on a pedestal and not taxed. Christians believe the poor should be heavily taxed. Christians believe that little children should be drugged. Christians believe that american schools should be dysfunctional and teach evil to children. etc. etc. etc.

Red Jones  posted on  2005-07-28   10:26:34 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: Red Jones (#3)

That is the what most would come away with. Nothing that resembles biblical standards at all. Maybe the only book they're being read is Revelation 1 and they see Jesus in battle so war is a good thing to them. Of course they dont realize that His war is not against flesh and blood. They also dismiss the words of the gospel, not surprisingly as most churches are for social gatherings and are very political.

Zipporah  posted on  2005-07-28   10:35:16 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


Replies to Comment # 4.

#6. To: Zipporah (#4)

Nothing that resembles biblical standards at all

that is just the way I feel about it. and when we read revelation I feel it is unclear as to whether there is any violent conflict or battle that will be the time that jesus defeats the enemy. jesus will defeat the enemy. But will there be violence involved? We don't know. and some christian preachers are saying that when we kill Iraqis we are doing god's work. this is insane.

Christians say bush is of god. But bush wants to eliminate taxes on investment income completely. And he wants to raise social security taxes from 16% of payroll to 21% of payroll. At the same time he wants to only use 50% of the money collected in social security tax on social security. The rest of the money he wants to spend elsewhere. So, the repuablicans are busy shifting taxes from the rich to the poor in a big way. The homeless guy who gets 2 days of work a week if he's lucky through a day labor outfit has a higher tax on his income percentage-wise as the rich investor if the republicans have their way. And christians say this is of god. But the bible speaks very favourably towards the poor and contemptuous towards the rich.

I could go on, but you get the point. as you said, biblical standards mean nothing to them.

Red Jones  posted on  2005-07-28 10:42:26 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


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