Rachel Weeping: A Christian Pacifist Reluctantly Endorses Military Strikes Against ISIS

[hrmjustin]

Buddhism

an infant has been born in Bethlehem who will become "King of the Jews," orders the slaughter of the town's male children two years old and under. Matthew captures the deed's mind-numbing horror by imagining that Rachel, one of the traditional Hebrew matriarchs, "weeps and laments and refuses to be comforted, because her children are no more."

How, I ask myself, would Jesus's followers have acted could they've been in Bethlehem on that frenzied day? Would they have remained silent? Would they have shielded the infants with their own bodies, buying the victims a few more seconds of life? Or would they have picked up any makeshift weapon they could find to protect the innocents from cruel death?


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerry-walters/rachel-weeping-a-christia_b_5765196.html?&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000055

[rug]

1. The answer is in Gethsemane not Bethlehem.

Luke 22

47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him;
48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?”
49 When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?”
50 Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

[hrmjustin]

2. I agree. War is not the answer.

[rug]

6. “No more of this!”

[goldent]

3. These are trying times

It is hard to know what is right. Part of the reason is that it is hard to know with confidence what the facts are.

[hrmjustin]

4. I agree.

It is not all bpack and white but I hate war.

[okasha]

5. I think we all hate it.

I have never been able to accept the idea of a "just" war, but have come to the reluctant conclusion that some wars are necessary. Sometimes the only choice is which evil you'll become complicit in.