by James Glaser
May 9, 2005

America's leaders expound on the teachings of Jesus Christ that fit the course of action they want to take. If they want to go to war, they pull out the "Just War Doctrine" that was written by Saint Augustine (A.D. 354-430).

One of the first proofs Augustine and the Catholic Church use to "prove" Christ was in favor of war (Just War Doctrine is a Catholic Church teaching) is Luke 22:36, where Christ says, "let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one."

This is so deceptive by the Church to cherry pick a passage like this and claim it proves Christ was in favor of the use of force. This passage is from the Last Supper and Christ is talking to his 12 apostles.

He asks them, "When I sent for you without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" and they answered, "Nothing." Jesus then goes on to say, '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." (That is the verse the Catholic Church uses.) But if you read the whole conversation, you see that Christ is talking about having a sword because they were going to be carrying money in a purse and a sword in that day and age was used for personal protection which is a stretch to say this condones warfare and if you read on, in verse 38, His disciples say, "See Lord, here are two swords." Two swords for twelve men and Christ says, "That is enough."

Back in Saint Augustine's time very few people could pick up a bible and read what it had to say. Bibles were hand written by the church and were so rare and valuable that even if you could read, the chances are slim that the church would let you touch one of these Bibles. So the church could take one line that Christ said, and use it any way they wanted because no one knew the context in which it was said.

In that same vain the church and many of our American leaders will use parts of the Old Testament to tell us that wars are fine with God if we do them right. In the Old Testament it does say there is a "time to kill" (Eccles. 3:3), but no one seems to remember that Christ's own words refute the words of the Old Testament when he says in Matthew 4:24. Now these are Christ's words. That would be the Christ that the name, Christianity comes from. Jesus Christ said, "You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Christ is not asking us to be non-violent, he is telling us to be non-violent. Jesus goes on right after that to change what we are to believe in the Old Testament. In verse 43 he says, "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you; Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of the Father in heaven."

In Timothy 2 we read in 3:16, that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." So therefore it stands to reason that when Christ makes a point of saying that he knows what was written before in the Old Testament, but now he has come down to earth to teach us and he is changing the rules, we should follow those things that Jesus came right out said he was changing. No more eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth, because Jesus made it a point to tell us, "Do not resist an evil person" and if we have to, we should turn our other cheek for that evil person to strike. No one ever said following Jesus Christ would be easy and to "Love your enemies" like Christ told us to, is hard.

Jesus even changed the Commandments, when he told the Pharisees that the greatest two commandments were to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And then he went on to say, "Love your neighbor as yourself. Christ said, "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two Commandments."

Washington and our leaders will try and tell us that going to war is Just and that Christians can go to war knowing that they are following the words of God. But those are the Words that they pick. There are reasons that Jesus Christ is called the Prince of Peace, but this Christian Country we live in does not want to follow what Jesus asks of us.

Did it sound after 9/11, like George Bush loved his enemies or that he was willing to turn the other cheek" Or did he do exactly what both the Devil and Osama bin Laden wanted him to do, strike out and start killing innocent people all over the world?

American wars cause more and more hate all around this globe and that is what evil feeds on. Our nation is doing the bidding of the devil or if you like evil. We are killing and maiming tens of thousands of innocent people and that feeds the mountain of hate this world is now filled with. Jesus Christ talked about love and blowing off the arms of children or their legs or blinding them is not love, it is not following Christ's teaching, but that is what we claim we are doing.

The rest of the world looks on at what America is doing in horror and they look at our claim to be following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Most do not want any part of Christianity, because they do not understand that Washington perverts Christ's teachings, so that some rich Americans can make more money in this world.