tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post8001899442978505294..comments2024-03-16T10:05:23.129-07:00Comments on LA Quaker: Guns and the GospelLA Quakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084465501021443492noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-12844532054452692462014-03-19T20:46:38.619-07:002014-03-19T20:46:38.619-07:00I understand your concern that we not "do not...I understand your concern that we not "do nothing" when faced with violence. Neither Jesus nor Gandhi nor any other advocate of nonviolence calls for passivity. They call instead for "nonviolent resistance" to evil. There is a rich literature, with many examples, of how one can counteract violence nonviolently and successfully. If you like, I can provide examples. Studies show that arming people seldom helps in situations where they are threatened by armed terrorists. Again, I can provide you with a video that shows this very convincingly. There are many cases of unarmed, nonviolent protesters resisting armed tyrants--take, for example, the women of Liberia who help oust the warloard Charles Taylor. But the message of Jesus goes beyond effectiveness. He says his disciples, "Those that live by the sword die by the sword." Jesus utterly renounces violence, even in self-defense. We may not agree with Jesus on this point, but he is very clear and I don't know how we can honestly say we are followers of Jesus and also of Mars (the God of War). LA Quakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11084465501021443492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-83882923165668233862014-03-14T10:32:37.280-07:002014-03-14T10:32:37.280-07:00I don't understand your leap in logic from Jes...I don't understand your leap in logic from Jesus' comment that 2/12 being armed was 'enough', to saying that 2 swords was not enough to take on the Roman legions. Surely the point is that A) not all are called to be armed and fight to protect others and B) 2/12, or 17%, is a reasonable proportion of armorage. Thus follows the more logical queries, to wit, what if 17% of the adults at Aurora were armed instead of being targets in a gun free zone? What if 17% of the adults at VA Tech were armed instead of being targets in a gun free zone? I am haunted by these interrogatives. Having preached non-violence all my life, when I saw the pictures and stories of the theatre victims I wondered if God would really call me to sit there and do nothing while others are being killed. Going back to the literal source of the discussion, it would be much more difficult for any dominating political force to be effective if 17% of the adult subjects were armed. What do you reckon?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-91229478803853473492013-02-09T18:59:34.366-08:002013-02-09T18:59:34.366-08:00Your interpretation of the passage on the sword ma...Your interpretation of the passage on the sword makes sense to me. Thank you for sharing it, Friend.<br />-Chris WynnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-48597304205370025332013-02-09T12:06:35.494-08:002013-02-09T12:06:35.494-08:00I've had the same thought Friend on the revisi...I've had the same thought Friend on the revision of Jesus' teaching about swords. I've thought about making a t-shirt with this on the back, and on the front it would say "I'm unarmed and not at all dangerous."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com