Currently Listening Mockingbird By Derek Webb see related

War and Peace

Shaun Groves wrote an interesting post on his blog (read the post and discusion here: http://readshlog.blogspot.com/2005/12/brants-questions-on-my-non-violence.html)

That got me thinking about the subject of violence and pacifism. And I have really only come up with questions not answers or solutions.

The way I see it, Jesus introduced a 'new reality' (as Michael Card calls it). When he came to earth. His teachings were so different than what people had always thought. Instead of having one nation that he wanted to keep pure and show blessings to, he invited everyone to follow Christ, love him and love others. So with the way he works shifting, it seems the need for his followers to use violence no longer exists. And Jesus teaches that we should turn the other cheak and love our enemies.

The group of missionaries that were killed 50 years ago when they went to a tribe in Ecuador, actually had a gun with them. One man said that he would probably not use it because he had already settled were he would spend eternity and the tribesmen had not. That seems like the right christian attitude (it also seems like it would be really hard to practice if someone was attacking you).

Derek Webb wrote:

I have come to give you life
and to show you how to live it
i have come to make things right
to heal their ears and show you how to forgive them

because i would rather die than to take your life

how can i kill the ones i’m supposed to love
my enemies are men like me
i will protest the sword if it’s not wielded well

peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication
it’s like telling someone murder is wrong
and then showing them by way of execution

when justice is bought and sold just like weapons of war
the ones who always pay are the poorest of the poor

I think he somes things up well in the chorus of another song:

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

My questions are: Is violance ever encouraged in the new testament? What scriptures do we justify capital punishment with? When should a christian use violance? What are the alternatives? Does this subject really concern me?