Ultimately, Jesus Christ. Also anyone who wants peace in the world. Anyone who sees wars as a form of dominance. I want to meet people who can visualize world peace and in some form pray that we can achieve it, if not in our life time then at least in our children's. We are all on the same team if you think about it. The only thing separating us are national barriers. So I guess I would like to meet some fellow barrier busters.
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WAR VICTIMS
What Would Jesus Say
about War vs. Peace ?
"The word 'love' appears in the gospels no less than 75 times:
'God is Love.' (1 John 4:8) [ Christians are called to aspire is to be Godlike in their love for one another. A true Christian always attempts to act out of love. Violence cannot be a result of love. Violence occurs when we act out of fear, anger, or ignorance.]
'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' Matthew 5:44
'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' Mark 12:31
'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.' Luke 6:27
'Love one another, just as I love you.' John 15:12
[ Note that this message shows up in every gospel, and in each case, is a direct quote of Jesus,Himself.] The word 'violence' shows up in the Gospels 5 times, and is never placed in a positive light. For instance, in Luke 11:38-39, Jesus rebukes a Pharisee, telling him that he is full of violence and evil.
Both Matthew (5:39) and Luke (6:29) recall the Lord telling us that if someone hits us on the cheek, that we should let him hit the other one.
In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus lays out a whole procedure for dealing with someone who has wronged you. At no point in that procedure does it say 'then you can become violent'.
In Matthew 18:21-22, when Jesus is asked how many times we should forgive a brother that has sinned against us, he responds that we should forgive him seven times seventy.
The writings in the bible have been used to justify some of the most horrific things in human history. The crusades, the Spanish inquisition, the enslavement of the African and Native American peoples, and persecution of homosexuality have all been justified by our holy scriptures.
Sadly, this same technique has been used by Muslim extremists to twist and corrupt the word of the Koran. Point is, any holy document can be used to say whatever you want it to, assuming that you're willing to bend and distort it.
But the gospels in their entirety are very clearly a message of hope, love, and tolerance. Anyone that distorts that into a justification of evil acts will be judged by God alongside slave traders, Tomas de Torquemada, and the people that blew up the World Trade Center towers."
According to Matthew 5:9, Jesus said, ""Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,"
According to Luke 1: 76-79, in a vision attributed to the Holy Spirit, the father of John the Baptist prophesizes
"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, . . . to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
A Conservative once tried to justify the ownership and use of guns to me by quoting these words of Jesus to me, "the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one."
What a classic case of "quoting out of context". Here's the text preceding a following that passage, in Luke, Ch. 22: 35 He said to them, "When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals (or a sword), did you lack anything?" They said, "No, not a thing." 36 He said to them, "But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, 'And he was counted among the lawless'; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled." 38 They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." He replied, "It is enough."
Does anyone think that Jesus was recommending the use of swords as anything more than a prop in a play, used not to intimidate, but only to educate?
In Matt. 26:52, Jesus said, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."