Jesus Rejected Violence

[Bloodblister Bob]

An excellent and timely piece by Gary Kohls about truly following Jesus:

"If we understand and accept the ethical teachings of Jesus, we will then begin to question the wisdom and morality of having half of our federal income taxes expropriated for past and present military spending in a world where there need be no mortal enemies. And in reordering our ethical, political and economic lives is such a moral way, we will somehow be certain to receive the blessings Jesus promised to the peacemakers."

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/kohls4.html

[tanyev]

1. Who Would Jesus Waterboard?

Nobody. Under any circumstances.

[RC]

2. Christianity was named after Christ, a social liberal, hippie, Jew.

So why are the Jesus freaks so for violence against there brothers?

[Ezlivin]

3. But Jesus didn't have to get answers out of terrorists

...who knew where the secret bomb was planted that was due to go off in less than 2 hours with no commercial breaks.

Or something like that.

Hey, Jesus would have just asked help from his Father, who knew a thing or two about scaring the bejezus out of people.

[JPZenger]

4. God's Politics

I love one quote from author of the book God's Politics. To paraphrase, he said he can find hundreds of places in the New Testament where there is talk about the importance of helping the poor and the sick, but he can't any place that says that a Christian priority is a Capital Gains Tax Cut.

[MemphisTiger]

5. Jesus doesn't need political parties

n/m

[htuttle]

6. Modern 'Christianity' was actually devised under Emperor Constantine

...and it bears little resemblance to the original 'Jesus Movement' of the turn of the millenium.

Constantine developed the religion after asking for a god's help in winning a battle, so it's little surprise to me that the religion he defined glorifies war. Read the Nicean creed developed under his tenure to define Christianity -- nothing in THERE about feeding the poor or comforting the weak.

If you want to meet the philosophical descendants of the original Jesus Movement, go to a Grateful Dead show -- you'll likely find them dancing in a circle in the parking lot. They might ask you for spare change, but you'd probably be able to get some tasty lentil soup in the process...

[Igel]

7. Jesus rejected government.

He had no part in enforcement. He had no criticism of the largest empire, the revenues of which largely went to Rome or to further Rome's goals--conquest, pagan worship, and the opulence of the rulers and oppression of the common folk; he paid taxes to Caesar. He even paid taxes to the Temple, or instructed that they be paid, while condemning those who governed it, and no doubt tithed strictly when he was apprenticed and working.

There is no place in Xianity for government, self-defense, or forced taxes (unless you like the OT tithe system, but even then, there's no enforcement mechanism). It's not compatible with being on a jury, or making important decisions that others may disagree with. Hence the revisions needed for Xianity to gain authority, and the revisions needed to maintain authority.

Kohls' article is a glowing exposition of how to mix church and state, no less than an alternative version of theodicy.