The Old Testament contains several references to extreme violence that I find alarming, and something that I've never really understood. God is unchanging, yet post-Christ, he no longer wants you to stone people to death for ignoring the sabbath and so on.
I don't get it, but fair enough, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed.
My question is: Does faith in Christianity include a degree of sympathy for voilent means? In other words, if you believe in and follow Christ, are you likely to support violence as a worthwhile solution to problems, or oppose it?
Are the Christians that support war and violent means doing it as a part of their Christianity, or is this the 'human weakness that will always sin' aspect?
What would Jesus do in the War on Terror?
2006-07-31 20:18:16 · 14 answers · asked by corpuscollossus 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
We are not so much non-violent as non-judgemental. It is not our individual perogative to judge someone guilty and deal out the punishment. In cases of individual slight, the Bible is clear that you should forgive, and love the one who has hurt you.
However, the bible encourages people to be patriotic, and as long as their government is not directly working against God, to support them, both in war and in the punishment of criminals, whatever that punishment may be.
2006-07-31 20:41:27 · answer #1 · answered by acaykath 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good question. Christians are supposed to be peace loving and a lot of the violence in the Old Testament was to protect the Jews. I am called to defend my family though even if that means getting violent. Also God will judge every non-Believer wether in the War on Terror or not and they will be in agony. So I dont know if peace is the right question. I would have to say standing up for what is right is the biggest motivator.
2006-07-31 20:27:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Sympathy for violent means" is more dependent on the culture than the religion in question. Modern-day Christianity would present a general consensus of "no", while Crusades-era Christianity wouldn't give a *** about all this "God is love" and "The meek shall inherit the Earth" crap. This is also the mistake that many people make in categorizing Islam by its practicers rather than its dogma. There is no war of religions, there is a war of mentalities that belong in different eras.
2006-07-31 20:26:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not suppose to be violent, but people sometimes turn it into a violent faith:
Inqusition
Crusades
Chrisitan identity, etc.
Read the new Testament, esp Apostle Paul's letters on love and forgiveness
2006-07-31 20:32:10 · answer #4 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of Course it's non-violent. One of the ten commandments is not to kill, and killing includes violence, which you aren't supposed to do anyway.
But, people on earth are obviously not perfect, so a few might think a fight might do the work.
Otherwise, it's non-violent.
2006-07-31 20:25:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
sure, that is a faith of peace. The sword, as spoken in Matthew isn't a real sword, the sword is a variety of ones conception of God and Jesus. The sword is the recognize God. So, one perchance at odds with relations members as to what's ideal or righteous, and so Jesus says use the Sword ( the recognize God ) to provide his message to them. One ought to remember that a lot of human beings on the instantaneous did not count on Jesus or God, and many times households were divided on that situation.
2016-11-27 05:28:23 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even Peter packed a weapon and tried to protect so I guess it was ok in Jesus mind/teachings to protect yourself.And IF someone came to my house and tried to hurt my family they would surely die at my hands.Jesus said merely that there would be wars and rumors of wars and to love your foes.
2006-07-31 20:29:30 · answer #7 · answered by jas3tm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, He will punish the violent people in the judgement day, even whether they are christians, Christinaity is not a teaching violent, because after jesus's crucification he cleaned all of our sins.
2006-07-31 20:24:42 · answer #8 · answered by Sky lark 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christianity is non-violent. The world isn't.
2006-07-31 21:38:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In response to your first question: Is the Dalai Lama Catholic?
2006-07-31 20:23:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋