right to do wrong and never right to take revenge…” Sadly, neither Jesus nor Socrates is on the Texas State Supreme Court.
Jesus on War
Avoiding evil is Christian. Fighting evil is not. Even as Jesus is arrested, one of his followers pulls out a sword to defend him, and Jesus says:
“Put your sword in its place, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.” [Matt. 26:52]
Not exactly “Bring it on!” is it? Jesus’ attitude toward war has been tremendously unpopular over the centuries because it doesn’t satisfy our bloodlust, nor does it get rid of the bastards who keep bothering us. So, we ignore it. Countries buy weapons and make war in the name of Christian values all the time.
And please don’t haul up passages like Matthew 10:34:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Here, it’s Jesus wielding the sword, not you. He’s the Son of God; it’s his job to pass judgment. The Lord never said, “Vengeance is ours .” The sword is an instrument of divine justice, not human law enforcement.
In one other passage, Luke 22:36 , Jesus recommends that his disciples buy a sword before he sends them out to evangelize. Apparently he anticipated how people might react to strangers at their door wanting to talk about the Lord. Maybe a little insurance was in order. But it’s not as if he sent them out on a military campaign. He doesn’t say, “Blessed are the sharpshooters,” despite what the NRA might think. Jesus was not about killing, even the bad guys, and that drives us absolutely crazy. How do you deal with a guy who says stuff like this:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” [Matt. 5:43–44]
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” [Luke 6:27–28]
Can you imagine running for office on this platform? “Love the terrorists and forgive those who attacked us.” Not a winning campaign slogan—especially in the churchy parts of the country. Ironic, huh? We’re such a Christian nation that anyone who bases his candidacy on the Sermon on the Mount can’t get elected.
Spin the Gospels all you want, there is absolutely nothing Jesus said or did that justifies war for any reason. Not even to defend your country. The whole idea of the Christian Soldier is an oxymoron. Sure, you want to fight evil. Problem is, everyone thinks they’re fighting evil, even the evil guys. The result: Everyone fights. Yet evil never seems to go away—especially when we try to eliminate it by killing people.
I admit this pacifist philosophy isn’t a formula for a country’s longevity. But Jesus kept insisting, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Longevity wasn’t the priority. Holiness was.
Jesus on Family Values
Despite today’s pious bellowing about Family Values, Jesus was not much of a family man. He never married, never had kids, never officiated a wedding, never paid much attention to his mother, and never promoted family life. When asked how one could serve him, he didn’t say, “Find a nice Jewish girl, settle down, get a job, make babies…” He told people to drop everything and follow him. That’s the answer of a cult leader, not a family man.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” [Luke 14:26]
He’s really serving up the Kool-Aid here. This is very cultish talk. It hardly squares with “Honor your father and your mother.” Nor does it jibe with Matthew 15:4 , where Jesus quotes God (a.k.a. himself) saying, “‘He who speaks evil of his father or mother, let him surely die.’” Kind of a mixed message we’re getting here.
Generally
Jesus on War
Avoiding evil is Christian. Fighting evil is not. Even as Jesus is arrested, one of his followers pulls out a sword to defend him, and Jesus says:
“Put your sword in its place, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.” [Matt. 26:52]
Not exactly “Bring it on!” is it? Jesus’ attitude toward war has been tremendously unpopular over the centuries because it doesn’t satisfy our bloodlust, nor does it get rid of the bastards who keep bothering us. So, we ignore it. Countries buy weapons and make war in the name of Christian values all the time.
And please don’t haul up passages like Matthew 10:34:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Here, it’s Jesus wielding the sword, not you. He’s the Son of God; it’s his job to pass judgment. The Lord never said, “Vengeance is ours .” The sword is an instrument of divine justice, not human law enforcement.
In one other passage, Luke 22:36 , Jesus recommends that his disciples buy a sword before he sends them out to evangelize. Apparently he anticipated how people might react to strangers at their door wanting to talk about the Lord. Maybe a little insurance was in order. But it’s not as if he sent them out on a military campaign. He doesn’t say, “Blessed are the sharpshooters,” despite what the NRA might think. Jesus was not about killing, even the bad guys, and that drives us absolutely crazy. How do you deal with a guy who says stuff like this:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” [Matt. 5:43–44]
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” [Luke 6:27–28]
Can you imagine running for office on this platform? “Love the terrorists and forgive those who attacked us.” Not a winning campaign slogan—especially in the churchy parts of the country. Ironic, huh? We’re such a Christian nation that anyone who bases his candidacy on the Sermon on the Mount can’t get elected.
Spin the Gospels all you want, there is absolutely nothing Jesus said or did that justifies war for any reason. Not even to defend your country. The whole idea of the Christian Soldier is an oxymoron. Sure, you want to fight evil. Problem is, everyone thinks they’re fighting evil, even the evil guys. The result: Everyone fights. Yet evil never seems to go away—especially when we try to eliminate it by killing people.
I admit this pacifist philosophy isn’t a formula for a country’s longevity. But Jesus kept insisting, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Longevity wasn’t the priority. Holiness was.
Jesus on Family Values
Despite today’s pious bellowing about Family Values, Jesus was not much of a family man. He never married, never had kids, never officiated a wedding, never paid much attention to his mother, and never promoted family life. When asked how one could serve him, he didn’t say, “Find a nice Jewish girl, settle down, get a job, make babies…” He told people to drop everything and follow him. That’s the answer of a cult leader, not a family man.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” [Luke 14:26]
He’s really serving up the Kool-Aid here. This is very cultish talk. It hardly squares with “Honor your father and your mother.” Nor does it jibe with Matthew 15:4 , where Jesus quotes God (a.k.a. himself) saying, “‘He who speaks evil of his father or mother, let him surely die.’” Kind of a mixed message we’re getting here.
Generally
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