Reprinted from NewsMax.com
Is ‘Mainstream Christianity’ Morally Relevant Right Now?
Tom Marsland
Thursday, March 20, 2003
Pope John Paul II recently condemned America and Great Britain’s “alliance of the willing” for wanting to liberate the Iraqi people and stop Hussein’s proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Clearly, Pope John Paul II is a decent man by almost any standard, but he’s somehow sadly devolved the notion of peace to a level not consistent with the intent of his (and my) faith’s fundamental beliefs.
This moral confusion is not just a ‘Catholic leadership thing.’ Guilt abounds everywhere, as the blood of Saddam’s victims lies at the feet of virtually all of mainstream Protestantism as well!
In condemning free nations for desiring to liberate oppressed peoples from despotic regimes, virtually all World Council of Churches member congregations have sided against war … therefore against freedom for the Iraqi people, and thereby with Saddam, and with the U.N. too.
One would expect the U.N. to be corrupted by this world’s ill values, but would not expect the same corruption of values from the mainstream Christian Church. The ‘liberal church’ has said, “Wars are moral only when approved by the U.N.”
This turns the traditional moral authority given the church over to the U.N., a worldly organization with despotic regimes such as Libya at the head of its Human Rights Commission. Even Iraq is in key leadership positions at present.
From abortion to homosexuality, there is wholesale flight from godly virtue in many, if not most, denominations. Forgotten are the faith’s once noble stands for the oppressed, for the innocent of this world, for those without a voice (perhaps abortion has promulgated this?).
Statements such as “Jesus would never endorse warfare” sound good, but are totally false.
Jesus’ teaching offered the church’s founding fathers perfect moral clarity. Through inspired writing, the Christian Bible set in stone immutable principles for the governance of His Church in this world.
From Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
In Luke’s Gospel, He said: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” and “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
From John’s Gospel: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”
In essence, he is self-defining his ‘peace’ as being different from that of the world’s peace, which usually looks at peace as ‘absence of present hostilities.’
Peace is NOT the eternal absence of warfare amongst nations, which would only ensure ‘victory by default’ for every evil regime! Righteous undertaking of warfare by nations is commanded by God in Christianity’s book! Such a nation ought therefore to believe its own inspired writings or bail on the faith, as commandments are not a voluntary matter.
I am not saying right-thinking Christians ought to look at Iraq as a Holy War. Let’s leave that sort of talk to Islam. I am simply stating that there are religious principles that direct nations to justly quench the flames of evil, not fan them with appeasement and rhetoric.
The Prophet Jeremiah warned us (nation states) that turning one’s back on the suffering of others made one guilty too, and subject to God’s punishment as well: “Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done – burn with no one to quench it.”
Now, you may or may not share any of these beliefs, but it’s not your beliefs I’ve been writing about. I am referring to inconsistency of belief and actions in the mainstream church. Why does modern Christianity ‘walk’ on these elements of God’s nature? It does disservice to all, as it provides an incomplete picture of His nature and our responsibilities.
If honest, there is at least one thing that all may agree upon: It is hypocritical to say you are a Christian and then live by a code entirely outside the principles of Jesus, a believer in just war and the author of a terrific book about it.
Editor’s note:
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