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Re: written and signed by over 200 U.S. theologians
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David McKellip
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Oct 21, 2004 23:17 PDT
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I was quoting from Sojo Magazine by Jim Wallace.....I just loved what it said so I passed it on.... Now you academics want me to prove there were 200 ... what fun is this...
go to the Sojourners site......for more information....Ask Jim Wallace.... let him authenticate his information....Get me off the hook..... Blessings to all
----- Original Message -----
From: J. Douglas Archer<mailto:J.D.Ar-@nd.edu>
To: cob-@topica.com<mailto:cob-@topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: [cobnv] written and signed by over 200 U.S. theologians
Dave,
Could you give us a cite which will identify who the "over 200 U. S.
theologians" are? Being an academic, I'm always interested in knowing who
said what when. Thank very much for posting the statement.
Doug
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
arch-@nd.edu<mailto:arch-@nd.edu>
Mt. Pleasant COB
Northern Indiana District
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
At 03:36 PM 10/20/2004, you wrote:
>How Long Oh Lord?
>
>Confessing Christ in a World of Violence
>
>Our world is wracked with violence and war. But Jesus said: "Blessed are
>the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt.
>5:9). Innocent people, at home and abroad, are increasingly threatened by
>terrorist attacks. But Jesus said: "Love your enemies, pray for those who
>persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). These words, which have never been easy, seem
>all the more difficult today.
>
>Nevertheless, a time comes when silence is betrayal. How many churches
>have heard sermons on these texts since the terrorist atrocities of
>September 11? Where is the serious debate about what it means to confess
>Christ in a world of violence? Does Christian "realism" mean resigning
>ourselves to an endless future of "pre-emptive wars"? Does it mean turning
>a blind eye to torture and massive civilian casualties? Does it mean
>acting out of fear and resentment rather than intelligence and restraint?
>
>Faithfully confessing Christ is the church's task, and never more so than
>when its confession is co-opted by militarism and nationalism.
>
>- A "theology of war," emanating from the highest circles of American
>government, is seeping into our churches as well.
>
>- The language of "righteous empire" is employed with growing frequency.
>
>- The roles of God, church, and nation are confused by talk of an American
>"mission" and "divine appointment" to "rid the world of evil."
>
>The security issues before our nation allow no easy solutions. No one has
>a monopoly on the truth. But a policy that rejects the wisdom of
>international consultation should not be baptized by religiosity. The
>danger today is political idolatry exacerbated by the politics of fear.
>
>In this time of crisis, we need a new confession of Christ.
>
>1. Jesus Christ, as attested in Holy Scripture, knows no national
>boundaries. Those who confess his name are found throughout the earth. Our
>allegiance to Christ takes priority over national identity. Whenever
>Christianity compromises with empire, the gospel of Christ is discredited.
>
>We reject the false teaching that any nation-state can ever be described
>with the words, "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not
>overcome it." These words, used in scripture, apply only to Christ. No
>political or religious leader has the right to twist them in the service
>of war.
>
>2. Christ commits Christians to a strong presumption against war. The
>wanton destructiveness of modern warfare strengthens this obligation.
>Standing in the shadow of the Cross, Christians have a responsibility to
>count the cost, speak out for the victims, and explore every alternative
>before a nation goes to war. We are committed to international cooperation
>rather than unilateral policies.
>
>We reject the false teaching that a war on terrorism takes precedence over
>ethical and legal norms. Some things ought never be done - torture, the
>deliberate bombing of civilians, the use of indiscriminate weapons of mass
>destruction - regardless of the consequences.
>
>3. Christ commands us to see not only the splinter in our adversary's eye,
>but also the beam in our own. The distinction between good and evil does
>not run between one nation and another, or one group and another. It runs
>straight through every human heart.
>
>We reject the false teaching that America is a "Christian nation,"
>representing only virtue, while its adversaries are nothing but vicious.
>We reject the belief that America has nothing to repent of, even as we
>reject that it represents most of the world's evil. All have sinned and
>fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
>
>4. Christ shows us that enemy-love is the heart of the gospel. While we
>were yet enemies, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8, 10). We are to show love
>to our enemies even as we believe God in Christ has shown love to us and
>the whole world. Enemy-love does not mean capitulating to hostile agendas
>or domination. It does mean refusing to demonize any human being created
>in God's image.
>
>We reject the false teaching that any human being can be defined as
>outside the law's protection. We reject the demonization of perceived
>enemies, which only paves the way to abuse; and we reject the mistreatment
>of prisoners, regardless of supposed benefits to their captors.
>
>5. Christ teaches us that humility is the virtue befitting forgiven
>sinners. It tempers all political disagreements, and it allows that our
>own political perceptions, in a complex world, may be wrong.
>
>We reject the false teaching that those who are not for the United States
>politically are against it or that those who fundamentally question
>American policies must be with the "evil-doers." Such crude distinctions,
>especially when used by Christians, are expressions of the Manichaean
>heresy, in which the world is divided into forces of absolute good and
>absolute evil.
>
>The Lord Jesus Christ is either authoritative for Christians, or he is
>not. His Lordship cannot be set aside by any earthly power. His words may
>not be distorted for propagandistic purposes. No nation-state may usurp
>the place of God.
>
>We believe that acknowledging these truths is indispensable for followers
>of Christ. We urge them to remember these principles in making their
>decisions as citizens. Peacemaking is central to our vocation in a
>troubled world where Christ is Lord.
>
>********************************
>Brethren Nonviolence,
>Another Way of Living
><http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/<http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>
>********************************
********************************
Brethren Nonviolence,
Another Way of Living http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/<http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>
********************************
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<DIV>
<DIV>I was quoting from Sojo Magazine by Jim Wallace.....I just loved what it
said so I passed it on.... Now you academics want me to prove there were 200 ...
what fun is this...<IMG title="Smiley emoticon"
style="FLOAT: none; MARGIN: 0px; POSITION: static" tabIndex=-1
alt="Smiley emoticon" src="cid:004701c4b7fd$96c63ec0$CA84F40C@computer"
MSNNonUserImageOrEmoticon="true"> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>go to the Sojourners site......for more information....Ask Jim Wallace....
let him authenticate his information....Get me off the
hook..... Blessings to all</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>From:</B> <A title=mailto:J.D.Ar-@nd.edu
href="mailto:J.D.Ar-@nd.edu">J. Douglas Archer</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=mailto:cob-@topica.com
href="mailto:cob-@topica.com">cob-@topica.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 21, 2004 12:24
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [cobnv] written and signed
by over 200 U.S. theologians</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Dave,<BR><BR>Could you give us a cite which will identify who
the "over 200 U. S. <BR>theologians" are? Being an academic, I'm always
interested in knowing who <BR>said what when. Thank very much for
posting the statement.<BR><BR>Doug<BR><BR>+++++++++++++++++++++++++<BR><A
title=mailto:arch-@nd.edu
href="mailto:arch-@nd.edu">arch-@nd.edu</A><BR>Mt. Pleasant
COB<BR>Northern Indiana District<BR>+++++++++++++++++++++++++<BR><BR>At 03:36
PM 10/20/2004, you wrote:<BR><BR>>How Long Oh
Lord?<BR>><BR>>Confessing Christ in a World of
Violence<BR>><BR>>Our world is wracked with violence and war. But Jesus
said: "Blessed are <BR>>the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
children of God" (Matt. <BR>>5:9). Innocent people, at home and abroad, are
increasingly threatened by <BR>>terrorist attacks. But Jesus said: "Love
your enemies, pray for those who <BR>>persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). These
words, which have never been easy, seem <BR>>all the more difficult
today.<BR>><BR>>Nevertheless, a time comes when silence is betrayal. How
many churches <BR>>have heard sermons on these texts since the terrorist
atrocities of <BR>>September 11? Where is the serious debate about what it
means to confess <BR>>Christ in a world of violence? Does Christian
"realism" mean resigning <BR>>ourselves to an endless future of
"pre-emptive wars"? Does it mean turning <BR>>a blind eye to torture and
massive civilian casualties? Does it mean <BR>>acting out of fear and
resentment rather than intelligence and restraint?<BR>><BR>>Faithfully
confessing Christ is the church's task, and never more so than <BR>>when
its confession is co-opted by militarism and nationalism.<BR>><BR>>- A
"theology of war," emanating from the highest circles of American
<BR>>government, is seeping into our churches as well.<BR>><BR>>- The
language of "righteous empire" is employed with growing
frequency.<BR>><BR>>- The roles of God, church, and nation are confused
by talk of an American <BR>>"mission" and "divine appointment" to "rid the
world of evil."<BR>><BR>>The security issues before our nation allow no
easy solutions. No one has <BR>>a monopoly on the truth. But a policy that
rejects the wisdom of <BR>>international consultation should not be
baptized by religiosity. The <BR>>danger today is political idolatry
exacerbated by the politics of fear.<BR>><BR>>In this time of crisis, we
need a new confession of Christ.<BR>><BR>>1. Jesus Christ, as attested
in Holy Scripture, knows no national <BR>>boundaries. Those who confess his
name are found throughout the earth. Our <BR>>allegiance to Christ takes
priority over national identity. Whenever <BR>>Christianity compromises
with empire, the gospel of Christ is discredited.<BR>><BR>>We reject the
false teaching that any nation-state can ever be described <BR>>with the
words, "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not
<BR>>overcome it." These words, used in scripture, apply only to Christ. No
<BR>>political or religious leader has the right to twist them in the
service <BR>>of war.<BR>><BR>>2. Christ commits Christians to a
strong presumption against war. The <BR>>wanton destructiveness of modern
warfare strengthens this obligation. <BR>>Standing in the shadow of the
Cross, Christians have a responsibility to <BR>>count the cost, speak out
for the victims, and explore every alternative <BR>>before a nation goes to
war. We are committed to international cooperation <BR>>rather than
unilateral policies.<BR>><BR>>We reject the false teaching that a war on
terrorism takes precedence over <BR>>ethical and legal norms. Some things
ought never be done - torture, the <BR>>deliberate bombing of civilians,
the use of indiscriminate weapons of mass <BR>>destruction - regardless of
the consequences.<BR>><BR>>3. Christ commands us to see not only the
splinter in our adversary's eye, <BR>>but also the beam in our own. The
distinction between good and evil does <BR>>not run between one nation and
another, or one group and another. It runs <BR>>straight through every
human heart.<BR>><BR>>We reject the false teaching that America is a
"Christian nation," <BR>>representing only virtue, while its adversaries
are nothing but vicious. <BR>>We reject the belief that America has nothing
to repent of, even as we <BR>>reject that it represents most of the world's
evil. All have sinned and <BR>>fallen short of the glory of God (Rom.
3:23).<BR>><BR>>4. Christ shows us that enemy-love is the heart of the
gospel. While we <BR>>were yet enemies, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8, 10).
We are to show love <BR>>to our enemies even as we believe God in Christ
has shown love to us and <BR>>the whole world. Enemy-love does not mean
capitulating to hostile agendas <BR>>or domination. It does mean refusing
to demonize any human being created <BR>>in God's image.<BR>><BR>>We
reject the false teaching that any human being can be defined as
<BR>>outside the law's protection. We reject the demonization of perceived
<BR>>enemies, which only paves the way to abuse; and we reject the
mistreatment <BR>>of prisoners, regardless of supposed benefits to their
captors.<BR>><BR>>5. Christ teaches us that humility is the virtue
befitting forgiven <BR>>sinners. It tempers all political disagreements,
and it allows that our <BR>>own political perceptions, in a complex world,
may be wrong.<BR>><BR>>We reject the false teaching that those who are
not for the United States <BR>>politically are against it or that those who
fundamentally question <BR>>American policies must be with the
"evil-doers." Such crude distinctions, <BR>>especially when used by
Christians, are expressions of the Manichaean <BR>>heresy, in which the
world is divided into forces of absolute good and <BR>>absolute
evil.<BR>><BR>>The Lord Jesus Christ is either authoritative for
Christians, or he is <BR>>not. His Lordship cannot be set aside by any
earthly power. His words may <BR>>not be distorted for propagandistic
purposes. No nation-state may usurp <BR>>the place of
God.<BR>><BR>>We believe that acknowledging these truths is
indispensable for followers <BR>>of Christ. We urge them to remember these
principles in making their <BR>>decisions as citizens. Peacemaking is
central to our vocation in a <BR>>troubled world where Christ is
Lord.<BR>><BR>>********************************<BR>>Brethren
Nonviolence,<BR>>Another Way of Living <BR>><<A
title="http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/"
href="http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/">http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/>http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/</A><BR>>********************************<BR><BR>********************************<BR>Brethren
Nonviolence, <BR>Another Way of Living <A title=http://www.freewebz.com/cobnv/
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