The division between just-war and pacifism has made me think for a while.  And I still don't know where I stand.  It seems like each side has certain aspects that I agree with and others that I don't.  In David's article A Practical Christian Pacifism, he states, "Pacifism is surrender.  The pacifist viewpoint is appealing in principle, but in practice it means surrendering to the aggressor.  Capitulation to the forces of evil cannot be moral."  As appealing and truthful as this may be to many, it isn't how Jesus would feel.  According to the Gospel writers, Jesus said we must love our enemies and return good for evil.  There is nothing loving or good about war.  So this leads me to question why there is a division among Christians when it states clearly in the bible how Jesus would feel about this issue.  But then again, like Rabbi Flip said, not everything in the bible/ tanak should be taken literally.  That can also be controversial to Christians and people of other religion.  It seems to me that you can go on and on about different aspects, morales, and ideas of a certain religion, but in the end there will always be conflict.  There will always be somebody saying, "No, that isn't right."  I guess I'm just bothered with everybody assuming that what they believe in is right.  Can we sit back as a country and let another country drop bombs and kill innocent people? Of course not.  But according to the bible, that is what we should do.  How would a pacifist respond to that? And at the same time, how does a just-war advocate validate killing innocent people for oil in Iraq.  Oil is not a reason to go to war.  How would a just-war advocate respond to that?  It seems to me to be a never ending cycle and I still don't know where I stand.  No, we can't sit back and watch our country be attacked.  If action is going to be taken, it must be done the right way and I think the "right way" means having a legitimate plan for success that doesn't involve any other countries, any civilians, any side issues the countries may have, it shouldn't take years to accomplish, the government shouldn't hide anything from the public, and the two opposing sides who want to fight should come face to face like they did in the old days.  The problem is though, this will never happen...so what good is just-war?  I think David is right when he states that both sides, pacifist and just-war advocates, should be faced "squarely an debated vigorously in the churches, and pacifists and non-pacifists can learn much from each other in this debate."  I don't believe that there is a right or wrong answer, but in time I hope that both sides could come to a compromise so that this issue can be resolved and people could get back to the real intentions of what it means to be a Christian

I did no receive the Strobel packet which I assume was given on Friday, so I do not have exactly a lot to blog about.  From what I understand from reading other blogs is that he has dedicated his life to helping those in poverty like Dorothy and Shane, and I am excited to hear what he has to say and experiences he has had.

Some questions were raised this weekend while having a long conversation with a friend of mine concerning religion.  I was telling him about the religion classes I was taking and how between the classes, the books we read, and kids I have met, how much I have learned about religion and Christianity so far this semester.  My friend, I would say would consider himself an atheist and it was nice to be able to direct him to some positive figures and ideas in the religious that stood against many of the concerns that he had (and that I still have).  Topics such as religious war, "false Christians", the feeling that "my religion is better than yours", and the fact of whether or not there is actual evidence that events from the Bible took place.  Having many concerns like these for years, it was nice to have at least a little bit of knowledge and insight to disprove or at least validate some of his concerns.  And as this went on, I slowly realized that I am coming around to Christianity and its ideas and beliefs. I ended up answering many of my own concerns that I have always had and it is because of the things I've learned and read in these classes.  I told him that I was gonna mail him the Irresistible Revolution because I would definitely say that that book influenced me and gave me great hope in Christianity and religion itself.

Not really anything substantial to blog about, but I just thought I'd share an occurrence that I had and I hope that you guys will keep helping spread the good word that we are learning about and shedding as much light on what's important to you and your religion

Final Project- feed the homeless

After reading The Irresistible Revolution, I have been inspired.  I think for my final project I'd like to prepare a bunch of meals, roughly 30, and go around downtown delivering them to homeless people on the street.  The plan is to purchase deli meat and condiments, make 30 sandwiches, get bananas and apples, supply bottle water, and maybe chips.  Also I was thinking about talking to the man in charge of the cafeteria to see if he could supply a big pot of soup that I could also serve in styrofoam cups.  Even though it would only be one meal for each person, I think they would definitely appreciate a full, nutritious meal for a change.  Once the meals were prepared, I'd load of my car and go around the city delivering meals.  

"Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (2:3).   Isaiah is a true prophet to me.  On page 92 Isaiah is quoted numerous times speaking out against war brutalities and is quoted on his visions of the day that war and fighting won't exist as a method of displaying power or protection.  Instead of war, Isaiah chooses to let God secure him.  God will wipe away people's tears, God will secure the lands, and God alone is "true protection."  I thought that was pretty profound of Isaiah to claim that with God, we do not need war.   Among the corruptness and ruthless crimes being committed in Assyria, Isaiah was the one who stood up and claimed how quickly downfall of the Assyrian empire would occur due to the fact that "she perpetrated dreadful crimes instead of manifesting justice."  In Isaiah's words and in times like these, God is always with us we are always being protected.  Sure, there may be times where it might be justified to go to war, but we as people and as a nation need to be constantly looking for alternatives.  For a Christian, look no further to God.  For somebody who isn't religious, look no further than love and compassion.  There have got to be ways around it, and I liked how Isaiah, as a prophet, stood out against war.  

Isaiah not only speaks out against war.  I also truly liked his uneasiness towards the city of Judah.  It was the inner state of Judah is filled with confidence, wise men, and a constructive civilization that Isaiah saw right through.  Men not worshipping God, men exploiting the poor, and men "devoid of the simple insight with which even an animal endowed- knowing who he is."  This one could argue is a direct prophecy of today's society.  So often we see our country's downfalls, weaknesses, and errors covered up by something that appears to be okay and accepted.  Crooked politicians in fancy suits, technology that seems to be furthering society,  commercialization displaying false hope, and war all seem to contribute to covering up some of society's biggest flaws.  Isaiah saw this occurring in Judah and predicted the eventual downfall which I found pretty prolific.  "How marvelous is the world that God has created! And how horrible is the world that man has made!"

Blog #2

Its ironic that in the man's very first existence into the world, he breaks a rule.  In today's corrupt and evil world, rule breaking is prevalent everywhere.  It was as if it was foreshadowed from the very first story in the Bible, that man was bound to be evil.  This is my first time reading the Bible, so it was nice to read the story of Adam and Eve actually how it was intended.  It was easy reading and told of a good story.  The beginning parts seemed to resemble a sort of beautiful poetry describing the creation of the stars, plants, and animals.  I also realized that in this story is where we get our idea of snakes and serpents as being a figure of evil, since it was the serpent who convinced Eve to eat the fruit.

I enjoyed the story of Esther because of the eventual triumph of the Jews over Mordecai.  Previously, the kings men were all against the Jews but soon, "all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king's administration helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them." It is a classic story of a group of people overcoming adversity and standing up for what is right and I enjoyed that. Not too much else to say about the reading's.