Protestantism

» HeadZenCards - Difficult

Brian, you say: "Pacifism is an unworkable philosophy unless EVERYONE is a pacifist. Then, it works great. But, given human nature, it doesn't work so well."

I agree with you about that and that WWII was a "just" war. But WWJD?

Jesus is supposed to have said:

Matt. 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

(And a Hiroshima for a Pearl Harbor....)

5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

(Would THAT have worked after Pearl Harbor?)

5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

(If that ain't Pacifism, I don't know what is. Goofy stuff.)

5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

(And let him walk a mile in thy coat, cloak, and shoes...)

5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

(Didn't the Japanese want steel and oil from us in early 1941? I'm glad America didn't follow THAT rule.)

5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

(And smite the children of your enemies...)

5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

(We should have loved Hitler?)

5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

(And called on his followers to commit infanticide...)

5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

(Publicans? Republicans? No, they don't...)

5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

(The Heil Hitler salute?)

5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Jesus sounds fairly pacifistic to me. But what he says doesn't work so well. Agreed?

-- posted by HeadZenCards