Dan52

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Everything posted by Dan52

  1. Vengeance is the Lord's, which is why I also don't think He's a pacifist. Christ did teach us not to seek revenge, but I doubt he intended us to allow a murder or rape if it was in our power to stop it. Jesus came as a sacrificial lamb, which is why he stopped Peter from defending him with a sword. Jesus later said that if his kingdom were of this world, that his servants would fight (John 18:36), which implies that it is right for kingdoms of this world to fight when the cause is just and circumstances require it. Those verses in Isaiah are describing the millennium (Isaiah 2:2-4). Your right, Paul did say; "If it be possible, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18), but I don't think its always possible. Thanks for your opinion, and I agree, its always preferable to be a peacemaker when possible. I understand your dilemma, but I highly doubt that murderers, rapists, and pedophiles will be basking in heavenly glory while righteous people roast in hell. While there is mercy for the truly repentant, its important to remember that Jesus also said that those who loved him would also keep his commandments. So our good deeds and actions aren't meaningless, but a demonstration of our faith. I think God will rightly judge the hypocrites who profess Christ with their lips, but who's hearts are far from him. "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". When a murderer is eradicated, he doesn't murder anymore. Self-defense does not make you another murderous ape, it protects the innocent. You can pursue greater things and fly beyond the savage jungle, thanks to those who've fought to preserve the peace. JMO "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil." (Romans 13:3-4)
  2. Jesus was not a pacifist, he said; " The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:41-42). Eve willingly listened to the serpent, despite God's warning.. And God did act. Where there is free will, evil will exist. God is not complicit, but persistent in overcoming evil with good. Does this mean that you would prefer to endure Osama bin Laden because you would prefer to talk to him with the hope of correcting his attitude? Is defeating evil with violence good or bad? From a biblical prospective, there aren't any righteous people, we all fall short of the glory of God because we are all sinners. We are justified and redeemed by Christ, its the unbelievers hate and rejection of Christ/God that sends them to hell.
  3. Thanks Rev Rainbow, I wasn't sure how to categorize the question myself, I almost put it in the Philosophical Talk thread, but decided it was a direct question and not so much philosophical. Thanks to those who responded so far, my assumption that most of us are pacifist may have been wrong? I should have mentioned that I am not a pacifist myself. I think that as long as evil exist, correction in one form or another must exist, and this applies to spiritual intervention as well. Pacifism endures evil, so in a sense, pacifism resist correction and is content to allow evil and injustice to thrive. If a person or God is unwilling to intercede where evil exist, its the same as accepting unrighteousness. Pacifism may be mere cowardice. Standing by and refusing to act while harm befalls a neighbor is not a virtue; it is a vice. To love evil is itself evil and constitutes a passive form of complicity.
  4. I once commented that most members of ULC were pacifist. This was just my impression derived from most of the post I've read. My opinion was based on a general opposition to war or violence as a means of addressing problems that can't be arbitrarily resolved any other way. I also noticed that pacifism permeates into a persons religious persuasion, as most members are swayed into beliefs that reject the idea of punishment or hell.. While the idea of a nonviolent God may seem appealing, do you restrict your belief (if any) to a deity that does not resort to violence or punishment as a means of settling anything? Is God a pacifist? Is it possible for a pacifistic God to render righteous judgment?
  5. I believe there's an aura of truth to this.. Our souls existed prior to being made flesh (Jeremiah 1;5). And Satan did deceive a third of all souls (Revelation 12:4). This is why God ordained every soul to be born of flesh (it wasn't something 'we' decided). We had a spiritual existence prior to our physical birth, and our souls won't perish after the first death.
  6. To find your 'Lucky Number', check out this sight and enter your birth date. It gave me a lot more information than I needed to know. Astrological Calculator Nothing lucky about 666, it is the Mark of the Beast. Or for those who saw the film 'The Omen', it was Damien's number