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On 28 Jan 2005 08:33:27 -0800, wrote:

It will be a "great and notable day" when God clears the planet of
people who disagree with you?

That certainly puts you in good company these days.

Have you considered these paragraphs from ekklesia/uk.org? Real
Christians are too busy loving their neighbors to be concerned about
the violent destruction of fellow human beings, bragging about the
"honors" God has given them, or seeking/claiming to work signs and
wonders.

From the site:

The Statement:

Our world is wracked with violence and war. But Jesus said: "Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God"
(Matt. 5:9). Innocent people, at home and abroad, are increasingly
threatened by terrorist attacks. But Jesus said: "Love your enemies,
pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). These words, which have
never been easy, seem all the more difficult today.

Nevertheless, a time comes when silence is betrayal. How many churches
have heard sermons on these texts since the terrorist atrocities of
September 11? Where is the serious debate about what it means to
confess Christ in a world of violence? Does Christian "realism" mean
resigning ourselves to an endless future of "pre-emptive wars"? Does it
mean turning a blind eye to torture and massive civilian casualties?
Does it mean acting out of fear and resentment rather than intelligence
and restraint?

Faithfully confessing Christ is the church's task, and never more so
than when its confession is co-opted by militarism and nationalism.

* A "theology of war" is emanating from the highest circles of American
government.

* The language of "righteous empire" is employed with growing
frequency.

* The roles of God, church, and nation are confused by talk of an
American "mission" and "divine appointment" to "rid the world of evil."

The security issues before our nation allow no easy solutions. No one
has a monopoly on the truth. But a policy that rejects the wisdom of
international consultation should not be baptized by religiosity. The
danger today is political idolatry exacerbated by the politics of fear.

In this time of crisis, we need a new confession of Christ.

1. Jesus Christ, as attested in Holy Scripture, knows no national
boundaries. Those who confess his name are found throughout the earth.
Our allegiance to Christ takes priority over national identity.
Whenever Christianity compromises with empire, the gospel of Christ is
discredited.

We reject the false teaching that any nation-state can ever be
described with the words, "the light shines in the darkness and the
darkness has not overcome it." These words, used in scripture, apply
only to Christ. No political leader has the right to twist them in the
service of war.

2. Christ commits Christians to a strong presumption against war. The
wanton destructiveness of modern warfare strengthens this obligation.
Standing in the shadow of the Cross, Christians have a responsibility
to count the cost, speak out for the victims, and explore every
alternative before a nation goes to war. We are committed to
international cooperation rather than unilateral policies.

We reject the false teaching that a war on terrorism takes precedence
over ethical and legal norms. Some things ought never be done --
torture, the deliberate bombing of civilians, the use of indiscriminate
weapons of mass destruction -- regardless of the consequences.

3. Christ commands us to see not only the splinter in our adversary's
eye, but also the beam in our own. Alexander Solzhenitsyn observed that
the distinction between good and evil does not run between one nation
and another, or one group and another. It runs straight through every
human heart.

We reject the false teaching that America is a "Christian nation,"
representing only virtue, while its adversaries are nothing but
vicious. We reject the belief that America has nothing to repent of,
even as we reject that it represents most of the world's evil. All have
sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

4. Christ shows us that enemy-love is the heart of the gospel. While we
were yet enemies, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8, 10). We are to show
love to our enemies even as we believe God in Christ has shown love to
us and the whole world. Enemy-love does not mean capitulating to
hostile agendas or domination. It does mean refusing to demonize any
human being created in God's image.

We reject the false teaching that any human being can be defined as
outside the law's protection. We reject the demonization of perceived
enemies, which only paves the way to abuse; and we reject the
mistreatment of prisoners, regardless of supposed benefits to their
captors.

5. Christ teaches us that humility is the virtue befitting forgiven
sinners. It tempers all political disagreements, and it allows that our
own political perceptions, in a complex world, may be wrong. We reject
the false teaching that those who are not for our nation politically
are against it or that those who fundamentally question American
policies must be with the "evil-doers." Such crude distinctions,
especially when used by Christians, are expressions of the Manichaean
heresy, in which the world is divided into forces of absolute good and
absolute evil.

The Lord Jesus Christ is either authoritative for Christians, or he is
not. His Lordship cannot be set aside by any earthly power. His words
may not be distorted for propagandistic purposes. No nation-state may
usurp the place of God.

We believe that acknowledging these truths is indispensable for
followers of Christ. We urge them to remember these principles in
making their decisions as citizens. Peacemaking is central to our
vocation in a troubled world where Christ is Lord.

Now if we could only figure out where Muslims who want to kill
Christians 'just because' fit in to all this...

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

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