Do you understand the reasoning behind Jesus pacifism? Even Buddha believed you must be practical and defend?

Question

yourself.

Answer 1

Ironically, the only man I know of who has ever lived exactly the way Jesus said to live was not a Christian. His name was Ghandi.

Answer 2

What role does "Jesus Pacifism" play in the Crusades, Pogroms, Salem Witch burnings, IRA and the Holy Inquisition?

Answer 3

There's a huge difference between personally "turning the other cheek" and expecting justice on a national level or for society.

I personally must forgive but I want justice from the police and I want protection from soldiers. I don't think Jesus taught pacifism, but rather not to take personal vengeance.

Answer 4

I believe He was sent to be docile to show us how to act. He never lost it even when he was upset. Even when he overturned the gambling tables and ran the animals that were being sold out of the temple he was in control. He was an example of how to stand for your beliefs and still have a loving kind heart. The Bible says let your nay be nay. You can be angry without sin. Its how you react that can get you in trouble. Jesus didn't go after the people in the temple that were defiling it. He destroyed their businesses and ran them out, but he did not attack anyone. He stood up for his beliefs without loosing his honor. That is an example for us to follow.

Answer 5

Jesus understood what we don't even dream of yet. He came to us while we "are" in the worst possible "mode" mankind could ever be "in." He knew it to be impossible to extract evil with evil. So what we mistakenly term "pacifism," in reality is the key to the power that destroys evil. You do not destroy evil with a fist, a gun, or angry thoughts.

Answer 6

He told his disciples to carry swords at least once in the gospels. The Biblical Jesus accepted self defense as valid.

Answer 7

Let me think....

Jesus said "The kingdom of heaven comes by violence, and violent men take it."

He told his disciples just before his arrest to sell their coats if they had to to buy a sword.

He spoke about how at his return he would "tear them (eveil doers) asunder and appoint them a place with the wicked".

He went into the temple on a least two occasions and just physical form (and a whip) to drive people out of it.

Remind me again how Jesus was a "pacifist"?

Answer 8

His pacifism went only so far. He was very dissappointed at the gambling going on in the temple and "tore the place up"...he was no wuss

Answer 9

Jesus was never a pacifist.
He just recognized who the true enemy was.
He is presently seated at the right hand of God, waiting until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. (Psalm 110:1)

Answer 10

Under the New covenant, which was not instituted until Jesus death (Heb. 9:16; which came after the 2 swords allowance, which He also warned against using), true Christians are in a spiritual kingdom (Col. 1:13), and thus the weapons of their warfare are not carnal (2Cor. 10:3), but spiritual, "as we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against ...spiritual wickedness in high" places (Eph. 6:12).

We are never to retaliate to take vengeance, even in heart, but forgive and "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; {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." (Mat 5:44-45).

Yet God judges also sin, and as vengeance is His, we are to leave such to Him whose judgment is according to truth.

But God also gives to government the sword (Rm. 13; 1pet. 2:13, 14), and the only place i see where corporeal force may be judiciously pro-actively exercised by Christians is in the home, in child disciple (as my daddy found it necessary for me, thank God), in which parents ought to be the government

As far as self defense,"resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Mt. 5:39). Many times i have stood witnessing in places where i was physically threated, and one man put a knife to my throat (he wanted to see if i would flinch) but we should put their reaction in the Lord's hands, knowing nothing can harm you unless God allows it, and make sure you are prayed up and in His will as best you know . But Mt. 5:39 also and likely primarily means verbally, as Jesus,

" when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: {24} Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet 2:23-24).

But defending the truth and Christian testimony is another story as regards verbal response, and we must often "answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit" (Prv. 26:5).

Yet we are also called to lay down our life for others, and when we see the defenseless attacked i think we should could ("prayerfully if possible) intercede to divert the attacker or restrain him if need be, like the Christian who restrained a hijacker a few years ago. But this only applies to the immediate situation, and the believer ought also be willing to show grace to the attacker as well.

As for Buddha, unlike the Bible, little extant writings exists until about 1,000 years after he lived, and as one that did not find the truth, her erroneously supposed that annihilating desire was the goal, rather than ordering it's affections rightly, as Jesus showed. Buddha thus taught a very unproductive lifestyle, unlike Jesus, who served others selflessly and sinlessly, then paid for our sins with His own blood, and rose again, that those who truly choose him over sin, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior, may have life, and life abundantly! Thanks be to God..