Billy Sunday was the most famous evangelist in America during the first two decades of the 20th century. Without the aid of loudspeakers, TV or radio, Sunday preached to more than 100 million people the classic evangelical Gospel that remains familiar to many people today. Repent and believe in Jesus, who died on the cross for your sins, and be saved from eternal damnation. The simplicity of Sunday's message prompted millions of early 20th century Americans to examine the state of their souls and consider their eternal fates. Yet when it came to conscientious objectors during World War I, Sunday spared no mercy:
"The man who breaks all the rules but at last dies fighting in the trenches is better than you God-forsaken mutts who won't enlist."
Throughout our nation's history, it's been an axiom that presidents lead us into wars, while Christians provide the flags and the crosses. Barring a few notable exceptions -- Anabaptists, Quakers and early Pentecostals -- evangelical fervor has often promoted an uncritical nationalism that baptizes American military adventures with religious legitimacy. It's no coincidence that the setting of Mark Twain's famous War Prayer --in which Twain delivers a devastating critique of the use of religion to justify imperialism -- is a Protestant Christian church. Given the historical record, it may seem the deck is stacked against American evangelicals organizing into a comprehensive peace movement -- yet that's exactly what's happening.
Enter Evangelicals for Peace.
On Sept. 14, a group of Evangelical scholars, pastors, journalists and activists are gathering together for a summit at Georgetown University to discuss how evangelicals can work together to reduce violence and prevent war. Titled "Evangelicals for Peace: A Summit on Christian Moral Responsibility in the 21st Century," the stated goals of the summit are:
It's been a pleasure of mine to work with Rick Love, as well as the other partner organizations, in thinking through the dynamics of putting this summit together. When it comes to how evangelicals can best draw from the resources of our faith in order to work for peace, many questions naturally arise: questions about the Christian witness to the state, Muslim/Christian relations, the impact of Christian Zionism on U.S. foreign policy, the possibility of Just Peace theory as a middle ground between Pacifism and Just-War theory, the relationship between dispensationalism and peace theology, how the various theological traditions within evangelicalism can create a space for a peace-theology within their existing paradigms.
Very few of these questions lend themselves to easy answers; which is why we need your input. It will take a robust effort to construct an evangelical peace witness to the media, the political powers and the culture at large, and we need your help to make it happen. We are calling evangelicals from all types of persuasions and agendas to find those areas of common ground where we can work for peace together.
I hope to see you there.
Follow Aaron Taylor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/aarondtaylor
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Evangelism is the preaching of the Christian Gospel or the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others WITH THE OBJECT OF CONVERSION. (My Caps)
So, what it boils down to is not about Peace, but Peace Under Belief In Our God.
Or Else ? Only THIS way and your conversion to Belief in OUR God is the way to "Peace" ?
So what is important to this proposed group ? Peace or Conversion ?
Yes, work for peace. Whatever "peace" is. Work ecumenically and with secular groups.
Tag that "Evangelical" bit on the front and you lose credibility because by definition, your purpose is not Peace but Conversion.
This sunday they the evangels will be having patroitism sermons and calling our soldiers heroes for fighting in our illegal wars for corp profits.
Now these soldiers should not be called heroes likewise they should not be blamed for their patroitism as they have been used as pawns by corp america for our wars for corp profits. ie they know not what they do.
If you love our wars then take your next trip to iraq and find out what has really happen to the people there. hold some of their babies that have born deformed due to our bombing and its effect on their water supply.
You must go in person as the american corp media is not going to allow those pics to be shown in america.
http://pubrecord.org/world/5811/depleted-uranium-babies-afghanistan/
warning very upsetting to view this video.
What is the cause of war? War is a consequence of wickedness in the human heart. Until you change the human heart - you will continue to have war.
And you can improve all the living conditions you want to, and you can have huge peace movements and whatever else. You can earnestly desire peace with all your heart. But won't make a difference.
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren't they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you? 2 You want what you don't have, so you commit murder. You're determined to have things, but you can't get what you want. You quarrel and fight. You don't have the things you want, because you don't pray for them. 3 When you pray for things, you don't get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure.
James 4:1-3 (GW)
Until a person comes to Jesus Christ, repents of their sins, and puts their faith / hope / trust in Him - they will not know peace.
Turning the other cheek is very much peaceful protest against evil. When we turn the other cheek, when we do not return evil with evil, we stop its spread. We remove its sting; we remove a tangible target.
This is one of the hardest things for many Christians to do, but I think that Christ requires it of us. I certainly know that I struggle with it (I've got a temper, have no doubt) - but nevertheless, it is what we are commanded to do.
"...on at least two occasions in the mid-1920s Sunday received contributions from the Ku Klux Klan.
"Sunday also opposed eugenics, recent immigration from southern and eastern Europe,[71] and the teaching of evolution.[72] Further, he criticized such popular middle-class amusements as dancing,[73] playing cards, attending the theater, and reading novels."
Sounds like a typical Southern Evangelical doesn't he...
Sinclair Lewis
Spend time with the evangels then one can come to understand this quote from Lewis.
Organized religion is of the human ego not of the Divine. Few if any religious folks understand this simple axiom.
This does not mean that organized religion is not needed for the masses support it with their money and attendance.
The masses want religious authorities to tell them what is reality. Do this, give that, and receive this, promise sermons.
Few, which include the religious and the scientific materialists, do the research into these mysteries of life for it is filled with rejections, seemly blind paths, confusion, uncertainties (*the ego hates uncertainties), frustrations, disappointments, but oh the fruits are many if one perseveres.
*The human ego wants to be known for knowing. I.e. always.
If the United States is to stand for anything, it should be individual liberty and equal right under law -- judge not that ye be not judged -- free will.
It is just as valid to fundamentally believe at ones very core that a fetus is not a child until it is born and can live without the massive modern medical intervention that was not available when Jesus walked the earth as it is to believe that life begins at conception (anti-abortion) or erection (anti-contraception).
It is also not the right of anyone to say who someone else must or must not love.
If the evangelicals can quit dictating moralit, -permit"free will" and leave judgment on personal decisions to God, and begin to examine the actual effects of the ACTIONS of GOP on the issues of peace and compassion--the more compelling teachings of Jesus--that would be a good start.
There is some truth to that statement. Though I am currently a pacifist I admire the courage and bravery that those in the armed forces display even if I disagree with the policies under which they are fighting. I hope that I would be willing to risk my life for a cause should the need ever arise.
Typical do as I say not as I've done.
And you want them to be for peace?
That is a conflict of their real interest--recruitment, power, and money.
The idea that imposing taxes on churches will somehow eliminate churches is ridiculous.
This is a group that believes in, and looks forward to, the inevitable conflict between good and evil that leads to the end of the Earth.
I don't think Evangelicals are war mongers... but they are, in some significant ways, always going to be ideological opposed to a "peace movement".
A "peace-loving Evangelical" would be a strange thing. It seems to me you can be only one or the other, peace-loving or Evangelical, but not both.
The whole thing sounds a lot like the "Green movement" within the Evangelical camp... Again, these people believe the earth will come to end. They believe invisible angels and demons are at war, as we speak, in the invisible spiritual realm, battling for the souls of mankind (an fetuses)...
With a worldview like this, recycling and reducing one's carbon footprint is not near the top of one's list of priorities.
I'm sorry to say the "peace" and "green" movements within Evangelicalism seem to be nothing more than PR campaigns.
We are further instructed that one cannot do evil to do good:
And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. (Romans 3:8)
So, while yes - we do look forward to the coming of Christ, we are instructed to worry about today ("our daily bread") and not tomorrow:
Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought of the things for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matt 6:34)
Jesus says: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on Earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt 10:34)
It is a difficult task to use the Bible to try and justify anything resembling "peace". You may find a verse (or portion of a verse) here or there. There is even a whole chapter on love (1 Corinthinians 13) that is, indeed, very poetic.
The overarching narrative, however, is one that is filled, in every pore and crevice, with an abundance of violence, often commanded by God himself. For Evangelicals, the Biblical narrative ends with a series of plagues and a climactic blood bath pitting the forces of good and evil against one another.
Only then, as the credits roll, do the eternal torments begin for the non-believers...
The sort of peace and kindness you seem to be wanting to associate with the Evangelical movement is just simply not supported by the scriptures or the stated beliefs of churches associated with the movement.
Isaiah 24:4-6 - The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.
Jeremiah 2:7 - I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.
Revelation 11:18 - The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great — and for destroying those who destroy the earth.
YET AGAIN, Jesus claims those standing RIGHT BEFORE HIM shall see the Armageddon. Matthew 16:28
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mark 13:30-31 NAB)
Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:27 NAB)
Well? Would Jesus lie?
Be honest.
And you know what? I don't want to hear it and I think that a lot of non-Christians would agree.
Peace.
:)