Ambra – Ditto. As I mentioned in one of my posts, Christians need to be equipped with THE WORD and properly. We know that Satan quotes Scripture, and if he can do it…

Andy – I was just about to say that!

John – Well-said.

To everyone: I’m enjoying having you guys around and reading your reactions. Blogging is a revolution in communication. We live in different parts of the country (and world), yet we come together here, in this virtual location, to share ideas and thoughts. Thank you for making me a part of it. We all may contribute a verse.

In Luke 6:37, Jesus says “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

I think what this means is that we are to be mindful that we too are sinners. If we are to be protected from judgement then we must not judge others. Of course offenders must be judged, condemned, and punished, but that is by a government, which God himself has established (Rom 13:1).

There are many sins that we all continue to commit because of our own weakness. To an absolutely pure God, we are as unworthy of eternal life as the worst terrorist. And yet to some few people, God has given a gift of saving faith. The correct response is to be ever thankful that in God’s grace He has chosen to forgive us. The least that we can do for those who will not be forgiven by God is to have forgiveness for them ourselves because instead of us they were selected by God to demonstrate His ultimate justice.

As for Iraq, “and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” (Isiah 58:10).

I went and saw The Manchurian Candidate today. It was an awesome movie, minus the Bush-bashing. I mean, there were obvious parallels drawn to Halliburton and Iraq, and many very subtle things like newspaper headlines and the like that I zeroed in on and rolled my eyes over, but the movie was still fairly gripping.

I’d particularly like to thank you for this one. Being a conservative Christian myself I’m often conflicted about my inner desire for justice and the belief my religion is based upon peace and forgiveness.

I don’t pretend to be astute in the study of the Bible, but in what I have read and what I have studied, I have no recollection of Jesus ever requiring us to forgive those who will show no remorse for the crimes they have perpetrated and make clear they plan to perpetrate again.

If we have learned anything in the last few years, it should be that if we truly desire justice then we cannot have peace at this time. Not with artocities such as were occuring in Iraq under Saddam, in Afganistan under the Taliban and the artocities that are occuring at this exact moment in the Sudan.

Yes life is sooo unfair, but there is only so much we can do about it. People tend to confuse what the Bible says and the distinctions it makes between personal, societal and national rights and wrongs. What do you think the “laying down a life for another” implies? Over 900 of our troops laid down their lives so that Iraqis may have a chance at a better life. It’s too late for the millions that died already under Saddam, but on a scale, I’d say that was a good return on our sacrifices to terminate Saddam sooner rather than later.

But as for your “logical conclusion”, it’s what we’re doing right now. So if we have to fight, we have to go for max effect/return. That means picking your battles, recalculate the effects before moving on to the next priority.

After 9/11, Afghanistan was the 1st priority, then Iraq. Who’s next? We’ll have to wait and see after we get to the point where we can redirect our forces. Likely Iran, since they’re bound and determined to go nuclear sooner than later.

The fortunate thing about NK is that they are truly an island and we can “ignore” them for the time being while doing what we can to collaspe them from the inside out. Our military forces would be better utilized in containing and or taking out regimes that threaten to take out their neighbors. Between communism and islamofascism, the jihadiis are the greater threat. The hope is that China will come around of its own accord–mainly waiting for the red-book hardliners to die out.

Iraq is central to the Middle East and hence, the geopolitics was logical. A side benefit is that not all Arab countries are sympathetic to radical islamism. Between what’s going on in Iraq and the general war on terrorism, that’s a pretty good reason why Libya has “moved” away from terrorism. Even now there is discussion of non-bordering arab states to take part in Iraq’s security. What’s unilateral about that?

With Africa, it is whole different set of equations, and right now, the vaunted UN is not interested in doing anything about Sudan. If anyone thinks about doing anything, it would once again be declared unilateral.

In and of itself, the concept of “unilateralism” is a crock. Also, we as a nation don’t have the stomach for war for the sake of war, so we’re not about to take on any and everyone. From the Jacksonian point of view, Iraq got what was coming to it and the hope is that others will take note. So that when we tell Sudan to stop the genocide, they will know we’re serious and not the same old, same old as the UN, NATO or what have you of a cabal of surrender monkeys.

Is war only right if it serves the best interest of America?

For example, there has been ongoing civil war and persecution in the Sudan. I would assume based upon the foundation of your argument, that EVERYWHERE an injustice is committed by one group against it’s people, the US should unilaterally step in and imposes it’s will militarily or economically correct?

If we are using the biblical argument, Christ never made reference to justice as it relates to ECONOMIC GAIN, or preservation of self-interest in areas other than physical protection.

The bottom line is if you ideology is carried out to it’s logical conclusion, America should not just be at war with Iraq, but also Iran, Syria, the Militia in Sudan, China, North Korea, and those are just the countries of the top of my head.

If war is right based upon the pursuit of justice, then apply it to it’s logical end and we will be at war with many, many, many nations…

But noooooooooooooooooo. It’s those “evil” and greedy U.S. corporations that covertly inject themselves into the head of the Vice Presidential candidate (read: Richard Cheney). Funny, but wasn’t he also to blame for the global freeze-over in “The Day After Tommorow”? Didn’t they even have a Cheney look-alike actor in that roll? Our current VP must be Satan himself, I guess. Who’d a thunk it?!

*sigh* Evil Democracy is to be blamed for everything, with Evil Capitalism at it’s heart. But…. wait…… Isn’t it that same “Evil” Capitalism run by those “Evil” Corporations that’s paying those enlightened thespians? And isn’t it that “Evil” democracy that’s giving them the Freedom to display their vacuous inanity on the silver screen for all to see?

*sigh* …whatever…

Thanks for posting it again.

Thank you for standing tall.

I think personally, as individuals, turning the other cheek, and especially mercy, are crucial. Forgive and … move on (they have the right slogan). AFTER the guilty have confessed their guilt, preferably; though for a surviving victim, forgiveness is important for their future happiness.

For SOCIETY, justice is crucial — and justice requires violence.

The Pope is not supportive of Bush’s Iraq war; nor was the WW II Pope a martyr against Hitler (much anti-God, anti-Pope criticism is based on that, today). There is a real, unresolved Christian tension between fighting injustice with violence vs. enduring the injustice with merciful forgiveness.

Would Streep oppose D-Day and accept “containment” of Hitler? I’m 90% sure that Streep is fully supportive of legal abortion — which most Christian believers oppose. (hm, now I have to look and see if it’s mentioned – nope)

Oops, clearing the money changers out of the temple. The one time Jesus uses force.

Yep, using religion for making money can be a problem (Swaggert? Robertson?). I wish the Church would go for employment maximization.

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one.

Glad to see someone like Denzel pushed aside Holly politics and said what needed to be said.