Boy is this one unpopular to-day, and I would argue it isn’t one to keep around these days but as seen in France, Germany, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe this isn’t quite so simple. It is a complicated ruling and one that atheists looooooove to use at every opportunity against the faithful. The reason they do this is that they are a religion, one with their own precepts, their own ceremonies and one with their own head. One must bear in mind that all religions have this ideal, but none more so than communism/socialism/atheism which at the end of the day follow the same ideals.
Other than disagreeing that France is the greatest country on Earth (she is not, imo), I would agree with everything you’ve said. I believe that the men of the West are waking up to what they may irrevocably lose - one can only hope and pray it is not too late.
A small numbers of genuine authentic Christians, disciples and followers of Jesus have refused to kill other human beings. They have based this on the demands of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who laid down his own life instead of punishing the enemies of his people. These Christians, disciples of Jesus continue to believe that prayer and selfless obedience to God's way of peace and love have a greater influence on the final outcome of events than do bullets and bombs. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7
Jesus never approved of killing in any context. This belief was rooted in Jesus’ command to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:39-44) as it is frequently alluded to or quoted. It was both Jesus’ teaching and his example of the cross that provided the foundation for this nonviolent ethic of enemy-love. Jesus stated His kingdom is NO part of this world that if it was his followers, servants would have been fighting, that He might not be delivered over to the Jews. But our Lords kingdom is not from the world. John 18:36
The nonviolent response of Christians to persecution and defamation was seen as a fulfillment of prophecy and a major identity marker of following Jesus. (“We came in accordance with the commands of Jesus to beat the spiritual swords that fight and insult us into ploughshares, and to transform the spears that formerly fought against us in pruning-hooks.” Origen, Against Celsus 5.33).
The nonviolent response of Christians to persecution and defamation was often given as evidence of the value of Christianity to the Roman empire. It was argued that Christianity was making Rome more just and virtuous. This means that the enemy-love ethic had become a widespread way of living for Christians. If not, the arguments would fall flat in the face of opposing evidence.
The militant Ecclesia upon this earth associated with the hosts of Heavenly true authentic light beings with our weapons bring not of this world- but might in tearing down strongholds and is the word of the testimony to the blood of the lamb training and fully trained. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-20- praying against the works of the devil-destructive and constructive intercessory prayer for others oppressed by satan-how evil spirits cause believers to resist the truth they NEED- the casting out of evil spirits- some conditions - true fasting and prayer binding and loosing- the gift in discerning of the spirits- faith is not to be an effort- other aspects of prayer and teaching & preaching various spheres of prayer and intercession crushing the head of the enemy as Jesus did. Genesis 3:15 Making war upon all the powers of darkness, terrifying them through overcoming by the blood of the lamb. The true people of God now need leaders trained to lead them in this war. As we do in Heavenly father, Jesus Christ, the Holy spirit and His (S)word.
The aversion to Christian military service is primarily a result of its commitment to enemy-love rather than a focus on idolatry. While the idolatry infused in the Roman military constituted by mandated sacrifices and the taking of a public oath (sacramentum), was a concern in the writings of the early Church, but not THE concern. Violence was the main source of contention as both issues are almost always addressed together.
(To my knowledge, there are only two explicit instances, Tertullian The Crown 12.1 and Clement of Alexandria Commentary on 1 Cor. 26.98, which deal with Idolatry only. Various accounts of martyrdoms occurring in the military, especially Marcellus and Julius the Veteran, also only address the issue of idolatry.)
Military and war imagery within the Old and New Testaments were reused and reimagined by the Church Fathers to draw a distinction between the Church and the Empire. The early Christian community really did wage war, even on behalf of the emperor, but it was done in accordance to Scripture, like Ephesians 6:11-17. Armed with the power of the spirit, word of God, prayer, and their nonviolent enemy-love, the Church fought against the spiritual forces of evil that were the source of violence and warfare. The imagery was retained, but it was clear that the Militi Christi was made of martyrs and those who prayed fervently for peace.
The early Church of disciple Christians took on following Jesus non-violent ethic of enemy-love seriously. Many of these writers suffered persecution for their beliefs, some even demonstrated it in martyrdom. We cannot so easily dismiss them or their understandings infused and led by God's spirit simply because they don’t live in the modern world.
We don’t follow Jesus because its practical, we follow Jesus because He is the Lord and King, and as Christians, He is our Lord and King. Also, Rome made that same argument about how impractical Christianity and their nonviolent ethic was, and Tertullian responded, “The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church” (Apology 50.13).
Non-violence worked. In the first three centuries, the Kingdom of God did not require Christians to serve in physical combat, but in spiritual warfare. They were conscripted to love and serve their Lord, Jesus Christ, and reflect his non-violent ethic of enemy-love to the world. Our weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God is the natural outworking of the gospel of peace.
and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths . . .
. . . and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.”
ISAIAH 2:3-4; MICAH 4:3
“And that it did so come to pass, we can convince you. For from Jerusalem there went out into the world, men, twelve in number, and these illiterate, of no ability in speaking: but by the power of God they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God; and we who formerly used to murder one another do not only now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also that we may not lie nor deceive our examiners, willingly die confessing Christ.”
Wait, what?? Why France of all places? And isn’t this just nationalism that you railed against earlier in this article? I don’t want to guess that I am guessing and can’t even bring myself to say.
“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuous in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.”
― Machiaveli
Other than disagreeing that France is the greatest country on Earth (she is not, imo), I would agree with everything you’ve said. I believe that the men of the West are waking up to what they may irrevocably lose - one can only hope and pray it is not too late.
“Trust in the wisdom of the ancients, for they have long since discovered how to boil water.”
Unnamed Terran Morale Officer.
A small numbers of genuine authentic Christians, disciples and followers of Jesus have refused to kill other human beings. They have based this on the demands of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who laid down his own life instead of punishing the enemies of his people. These Christians, disciples of Jesus continue to believe that prayer and selfless obedience to God's way of peace and love have a greater influence on the final outcome of events than do bullets and bombs. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7
Jesus never approved of killing in any context. This belief was rooted in Jesus’ command to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:39-44) as it is frequently alluded to or quoted. It was both Jesus’ teaching and his example of the cross that provided the foundation for this nonviolent ethic of enemy-love. Jesus stated His kingdom is NO part of this world that if it was his followers, servants would have been fighting, that He might not be delivered over to the Jews. But our Lords kingdom is not from the world. John 18:36
The nonviolent response of Christians to persecution and defamation was seen as a fulfillment of prophecy and a major identity marker of following Jesus. (“We came in accordance with the commands of Jesus to beat the spiritual swords that fight and insult us into ploughshares, and to transform the spears that formerly fought against us in pruning-hooks.” Origen, Against Celsus 5.33).
The nonviolent response of Christians to persecution and defamation was often given as evidence of the value of Christianity to the Roman empire. It was argued that Christianity was making Rome more just and virtuous. This means that the enemy-love ethic had become a widespread way of living for Christians. If not, the arguments would fall flat in the face of opposing evidence.
The militant Ecclesia upon this earth associated with the hosts of Heavenly true authentic light beings with our weapons bring not of this world- but might in tearing down strongholds and is the word of the testimony to the blood of the lamb training and fully trained. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-20- praying against the works of the devil-destructive and constructive intercessory prayer for others oppressed by satan-how evil spirits cause believers to resist the truth they NEED- the casting out of evil spirits- some conditions - true fasting and prayer binding and loosing- the gift in discerning of the spirits- faith is not to be an effort- other aspects of prayer and teaching & preaching various spheres of prayer and intercession crushing the head of the enemy as Jesus did. Genesis 3:15 Making war upon all the powers of darkness, terrifying them through overcoming by the blood of the lamb. The true people of God now need leaders trained to lead them in this war. As we do in Heavenly father, Jesus Christ, the Holy spirit and His (S)word.
The aversion to Christian military service is primarily a result of its commitment to enemy-love rather than a focus on idolatry. While the idolatry infused in the Roman military constituted by mandated sacrifices and the taking of a public oath (sacramentum), was a concern in the writings of the early Church, but not THE concern. Violence was the main source of contention as both issues are almost always addressed together.
(To my knowledge, there are only two explicit instances, Tertullian The Crown 12.1 and Clement of Alexandria Commentary on 1 Cor. 26.98, which deal with Idolatry only. Various accounts of martyrdoms occurring in the military, especially Marcellus and Julius the Veteran, also only address the issue of idolatry.)
Military and war imagery within the Old and New Testaments were reused and reimagined by the Church Fathers to draw a distinction between the Church and the Empire. The early Christian community really did wage war, even on behalf of the emperor, but it was done in accordance to Scripture, like Ephesians 6:11-17. Armed with the power of the spirit, word of God, prayer, and their nonviolent enemy-love, the Church fought against the spiritual forces of evil that were the source of violence and warfare. The imagery was retained, but it was clear that the Militi Christi was made of martyrs and those who prayed fervently for peace.
The early Church of disciple Christians took on following Jesus non-violent ethic of enemy-love seriously. Many of these writers suffered persecution for their beliefs, some even demonstrated it in martyrdom. We cannot so easily dismiss them or their understandings infused and led by God's spirit simply because they don’t live in the modern world.
We don’t follow Jesus because its practical, we follow Jesus because He is the Lord and King, and as Christians, He is our Lord and King. Also, Rome made that same argument about how impractical Christianity and their nonviolent ethic was, and Tertullian responded, “The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church” (Apology 50.13).
Non-violence worked. In the first three centuries, the Kingdom of God did not require Christians to serve in physical combat, but in spiritual warfare. They were conscripted to love and serve their Lord, Jesus Christ, and reflect his non-violent ethic of enemy-love to the world. Our weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God is the natural outworking of the gospel of peace.
and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths . . .
. . . and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.”
ISAIAH 2:3-4; MICAH 4:3
“And that it did so come to pass, we can convince you. For from Jerusalem there went out into the world, men, twelve in number, and these illiterate, of no ability in speaking: but by the power of God they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God; and we who formerly used to murder one another do not only now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also that we may not lie nor deceive our examiners, willingly die confessing Christ.”
JUSTIN MARTYR 1 APOLOGY 39
im a bit confused about the Jesus you profess to follow?
Wait, what?? Why France of all places? And isn’t this just nationalism that you railed against earlier in this article? I don’t want to guess that I am guessing and can’t even bring myself to say.