The Drums of War

[EJA]

Brickroot, Dai Bread did not say that Jesus used violence <I>in defense</I>; Dai Bread said that He used violence at times. That is correct. For example, His chastisement of the Temple moneychangers involved tipping over their tables and whipping them. That's violent enough to be considered assault today, I believe. <P>Having clarified Dai Bread's statement, I would like to address the common fallacy that Jesus was a pacifist. Far from it, He said, "I come not to bring peace but a sword." He recommended turning plow shares into swords when the need came to fight, too. Of course, He also recommended turning swords into plowshares when there was no longer any need to fight. (That time remains yet future.) His total submissiveness when going to the cross was to his Father, not to the unjust rulers and fickle crowd who demanded His blood. In John 18:36, Jesus partly explained this, stating that were it not His Father's will that He die, He would command His servants to fight so that He would not be crucified. Since, however, it was the Divine will that He die for the sins of all mankind, He did not resist. This is further elucidated in Luke 22. The context is the last night that Christ and His disciples were together before His death. Christ's tone is clearly one of final advice in view of His impending departure. One bit of advice He gives is that any of His disciples who did not possess a sword sell his garment and buy one. He knew that the disciples would be in peril of their lives as He was being tried an executed, and for a good while thereafter. Consequently, He bid them to be prepared to protect themselves. In keeping with His submission to His Father, however, He commanded His disciples not to fight with the Temple guard that came to arrest Him. As for His advice to turn the other cheek, that was how to behave in response to an insult -- a slap in the face. It is not applicable when an assailant is inflicting grave bodily harm or threatening life. Furthermore, it is in the context of interpersonal dealings; applying it ot international dealings is preposterous. A nation's first responsibility is to protect it's people.<p>[ 02-10-2003: Message edited by: EJA ]

[dai bread]

Thanks EJA. An excellent summary, if I may say so.<P>I found the quote below in the BR home page's items of interest, and thought it apposite:<P>"As Burnham writes in his contribution to the New Grove article on Beethoven:<P><BR>Beethoven’s music has served throughout the last two centuries as a kind of potent and free-floating moral force that can be harnessed for any number of political enterprises. . . . His music has fought wars and celebrated victories, consoled and scorned, empowered and overmastered."