"I don't know" Oh, how I dreaded this phrase. However, what I am learning is that being honest enough to use this phrase is very important. For a long time I tried with every fiber of my being to have an answer for every question, espescially about God. I am learning, however, to be comfortable with saying that there are just some things that I take on faith. At some point, you have to assume certain things to be true. It is sort of the theological equivelant of an axiom in mathematics.
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so let's test your newfound knowledge that "I don't know" is a valid response to questions... :)
I've been trying to find respectable conservative media sources on the Internet. By respectable, I mean sites that aren't openly propaganda machines for the far right or for Bush, and that actually have reasoned and well-written articles. It might be my increased exposure to the liberal mainstream media, but such sites were hard to find. Finally I turned to crosswalk.com, and started reading some of the news available there (this long story has a point, really).
And here is my question. As people of faith, we are supposed to have the utmost respect for life. The Catholic Church and its theology is often spoken of as one that is for life, as apparent with its strong anti-abortion stance, opposition to the death penalty, support of families, etc.
(here comes the question)
How can a Christian, who is presumably against abortion and pro-life (in the broadest sense of the term), still speak out in favor of war, specifically the war on Iraq? I'm not going to link to the article, but there was an article by a professor at a Christian college, which rather bluntly spoke of killing "hard-core" terrorists, in the hopes that the less fervent ones would choose life. He also said it's better that they hate us, than that they hate us and try to kill us.
And perhaps I misunderstood what Jesus said, but didn't He say that if we seek to save our lives, we will lose them? Didn't He say that those who live by the sword also die by the sword? Didn't He ask us to love, unconditionally, even if that meant that we would have to die? Didn't He demonstrate that in His life and in His sacrifice?
Do we have a right, as Christians, to pre-meditatedly take the life of others, who are seeking to kill us? Would God approve? I mean, that seems to me to be the essential question. Does God approve of it, are we doing our Father's will?
So I don't know, Dave. :) You're the one in seminary. ;-) (Even if I do plan to get there eventually) Do you have an answer? (And don't worry, I'll accept "I don't know" as a valid answer)
wrestling,
not-so-anonymous.
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