Pick up any newspaper, watch any news program and you will see stories of people making war on their neighbors. Human history is full of stories of war.
I was a very angry, and confrontational young man. As a teen I got into a lot of fights in school. I willingly took part in war, Viet Nam. That conflict taught me the tragic waste of life that is war. I have not had a physical confrontation since. Verbal? If you traveled had with me on my commute to New Jersey you might have learned a few words not found in Websters dictionary. 🙂
Neither I, the society I live in, or the world I share with my fellow men and women, can claim to be truly civilized. Not as long as we make war on each other.
I can think of only two groups that don’t make war, the Amish and the Jains of India.
You can read about the Jains here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism
In researching the Amish, and their source of guidance that leads them to “non-resistance”, all of the Internet sites I found, with information about the Amish, is written by people who are not Amish. I did find the following site maintained by The National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom. This organizations defends Amish communities in courts of law.
http://www.holycrosslivonia.org/amish/intro.htm
From their FAQ page:
http://www.holycrosslivonia.org/amish/amishfaq.htm#pacif
“Some of the Biblical references for peace and non-resistance are: Matthew 5:38-48; John 18:36; Romans 12:18-21; and I Corinthians 6:18.”
Further – “Both Amish and Mennonites are committed to a lifestyle of peace and non- violence. Yes, this pervades every aspect of life. However, no one can predict with certainty how anyone would really react to an absolutely unprecedented crisis such as described above. Emotions as well as thoughts are involved and the situation is personalized. Having said this, we would hope that as people who have practiced a lifestyle of peace, we would not resort to force and violence in a crisis situation such as the one described.
We must briefly make several points:
- There is no assurance that use of force would save my life or the life of my family if confronted by an attacker.
- We could recall many accounts of unhoped for deliverances, whether by mediation, nature, or divine Providence, when Christians refused to use force when confronted by an attacker.
- If the result is death at the hands of the attacker, so be it; death is not threatening to us as Christians. Hopefully the attacker will have at least had a glimpse of the love of Christ in our nonviolent response.
- The Christian does not choose a nonviolent approach to conflict because of assurance it will always work; rather the Christian chooses this approach because of his / her commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.
The analogy to war in the situation described above tends to break down when we think of the vast preparations for war — accumulation of weapons, training of the military, etc. War is planned and seldom is aggression so clearly defined with the defense staying on its home turf.”
Finally to the Bible study part. 🙂
Mathew 5:38-48 (King James Version)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
What is your interpration of Mathew 5:38-48?
Do you believe the Bible does sanction the use of violance to defend yourself, your family, your faith?
The World Through My Eyes 
7 comments
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July 30, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Indian Lake Papa
If you ever get to MI to visit us we shall take you to an Amish community. Violence? Not a preferred choice – but war is a part of life. Try to take my family and / or my home and you may get your last surprise! Whats that saying?? “You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!” :o)
July 30, 2009 at 10:08 pm
edfromct
I have never been to Amish country. Maybe someday I may make the trip. With the humidity now at 75%, even thought its past 10 pm now, I don’t have the motavation to make it out my front door. 🙂
You are right that war is still part of life. I dream of the day when it won’t.
July 31, 2009 at 12:59 am
lovewillbringustogether
In The Sermon on the Mount (Matt Ch:5) Jesus is clearly attempting to address the errors the ‘Chosen Ones’ of Isreal have been making when attempting to follow God’s Will through their interpretations of His Commandments and Holy Ordinances of the Jewish Religion in the Talmud and Torah which are largely copied in the Old Testament of our Bible.
The Jews had listened to their Human will in following written Law and not been lead by their Holy Spirit when interpretting and applying the Law which had been given to them by God through Moses by reason of the ‘Hardening of their Hearts’. (in favour of man’s need and desires over God’s).
This was why Jesus said He had come to earth, sent of His Father, to bring the lost sheep back into the fold of the Good Shepherd.
In Matt 5 Jesus is giving to all of us who have such hardened hearts (even though we may believe our heart to be otherwise) the CORRECT interpretations of God’s Will to all mankind.
As always we have the choice of interpretting His Words in whatever way feels best to us – OR – we can interpret it through our Spirit and hear what it is telling us through our Christ-Like spirit and will.
If we choose to do the former we have learned nothing through Christ’s Coming and sacrifices and are forever ‘lost’. We will suffer the fate of all those who put their own understanding and belief in themselves ahead of belief and faith in God.
In Matt 5:38-48 Jesus is again saying: Love God First; Love your neighbour (all mankkiid you meet) AS yourself (they have no greater nor no less rights as you).
I see The Words of Christ as saying it is better that any who do not give and show love to all mankind die so that only those who do show God’s Love and obey His Commandments remain alive – and indeed sooner rather than later – we will).
If we fail to understand this down here we don’t get a second chance up there.
If anyone wants to believe it is right to fight and kill for your life down here you may get your choice: you get to live down here – if you believe it is wrong you will get God’s Choice and live with Him.
It’s quite a clear choice really.
War has NEVER been, is not now, nor will it ever be a part of MY life… at least not with any other human being/child of God. The only war i have any right to wage is the one between my earthly flesh and my Holy Spirit’s leading me.
Papa – i would beg you to consider that no earthly life, your Children’s, your own, Nor even Mama’s is worth losing your eternal life for. Never Break God’s Greatest Commandments – love with ALL your heart and all your mind the things that are of Him and not those of this world.
No-one but you and God can kill the spirit that lives in you and your family, our lives here on Earth are simply ‘borrowed’ from Him, they are not ours to try and ‘defend’ – unless we have been deceived into believing it is so.
If our lives here are worth defending in ANY way – God will do so – if our faith is sufficiently built up in us.
There is no circumstance i can conceive of where it is considered ‘Christian’ to take the life of another in order to ‘save’ mine. War is absolutely not a Christian practice.
That says a heck of a lot about so-called ‘Christian’ countries.
For what profiteth it you if you gain the whole world, but lose your soul?
(apparently, Prior to Christ’s Birth, God ‘spoke’ to ‘His’ People to go to war and kill people in His Name – frankly i have never personally heard Him tell me to do so from any other source than a man’s (politician’s) mouth. I prefer to believe the Word of Jesus Christ over any other man. I choose not to kill any man that i am commanded to love as myself).
<B
July 31, 2009 at 5:47 pm
edfromct
As I suspected we are in complete agree here.
I have often cited religion as a major component in many conflict, one of several of course. This was one of the reasons I have had a negative view of religion. However here are two groups (The Amish and the Jains) whose faith leads them to practise non violence.
In particular the Amish beliefs from my blog post:
3. If the result is death at the hands of the attacker, so be it; death is not threatening to us as Christians. Hopefully the attacker will have at least had a glimpse of the love of Christ in our nonviolent response.
4. The Christian does not choose a nonviolent approach to conflict because of assurance it will always work; rather the Christian chooses this approach because of his / her commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.
Love, I think you sum it up very well:
“If anyone wants to believe it is right to fight and kill for your life down here you may get your choice: you get to live down here – if you believe it is wrong you will get God’s Choice and live with Him.”
August 1, 2009 at 4:25 am
lovewillbringustogether
i REALLY like it when we agree 😀
the rare occasions we may see things differently don’t destroy the respect.
A good combination methinks!
<B
August 3, 2009 at 1:57 pm
edfromct
Yes Love, no two people are going to agree on everything. Respectful disagreements, where we exhanges ideas, hopefully keeping an open mind, are the best way to learn from others about the world.
Now all we have to do is get governments to interact with each other the same way. 🙂
August 5, 2009 at 1:59 am
lovewillbringustogether
better yet we could just each run our own country! 😀
But then i would have no-one to blame when things go ‘wrong’ – Hmmmm.
<B