Rebutting a Christian Pacifist

American Thinker ^ | January 3, 2016 | Ronald Cherry

[Kaslin]

Reverend John Piper recently wrote an essay advocating Christian pacifism in the face of mortal threats to life and limb. The following is a detailed rebuttal.

"As chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, I want to send a different message to our students, and to the readers of Desiring God, than Jerry Falwell, Jr. sent to the students of Liberty University in a campus chapel service on December 4... The apostle Paul called Christians not to avenge ourselves, but to leave it to the wrath of God, and instead to return good for evil." (All quotes from Reverend John Piper)

It is not possible, nor does it depend on us, to live peaceably with Sharia-loving totalitarian Muslim jihadists, or with totalitarian Marxists or Fascists, because totalitarian control of the great mass of people by a small self-serving oligarchy, religious or secular, requires destruction of the people's God-given unalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It is not evil to oppose, resist, and destroy evil, and will not be confused with repaying evil for evil in the minds of right-minded American Christians.

[momincombatboots]

Small towns everywhere are being invaded and colonized by the sensual, hedonists of every stripe. Good reminder that we are the last defenders of good.

[sauropod]

.

[Jacob Kell]

Did not Christ Himself tell His disciples that those of them who didn’t have a sword to go and buy one, even sell their cloaks if necessary?

[Capt. Tom]

The apostle Paul called Christians not to avenge ourselves, but to leave it to the wrath of God, and instead to return good for evil."

St. Paul didn't have to deal with Muslims.

Mohammed's religion, which came along 600 years later incorporated doctrines that take advantage of naive Christians to the peril of the Christians.

You can see that, to this day, with some Christian responses to the very real Muslim threat.

The problem is, that naive attitude will get the rest of us killed along with the naive Christians. - Tom

[Mechanicos]

http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/nopacifism.html
http://www.compellingtruth.org/self-defense.html
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/65014
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/65181
http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-pacifist.html
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2009/07/christian-resistance-resistance-to.html

[The Toll]

Somehow many Christian “leaders” have turned Christianity into a meals on wheels faith and then wonder why no young men show up at services. Hmmmm

[Lucas McCain]

The “Reverend” evidently doesn’t know that revenge and self defense are two different things. It can be wrong to avenge oneself, and at the same time be right to defend oneself.

[tenger]

Just curious, why did you put “the Reverend” in quotes? Do you think he’s not a true man of God?

[kaehurowing]

Hitler got where he got because he correctly assumed German Christians would not oppose him until it was too late.

[tenger]

Somehow many Christian “leaders” have turned Christianity into a meals on wheels faith and then wonder why no young men show up at services.

If you're insinuating that John Piper is not a leader you are very wrong. You may disagree with some of his stances, but to put him in such a category as you described is ignorance-on-parade.

If it's a serious doctrinal issue regarding salvation or the trinity then I would come down hard on him (as most Believers should), but self-defense is not one of those issues. I happen to believe he is wrong here too.

[DrJeff]

When Jesus returns he will bear a sharp sword to strike down nations.

On your observation about WW2 Germany, have you read Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Metaxas?
He covers in detail the rise of the "confessing" church and the rise of the Reich Church under Ludwig Muller.

[kaehurowing]

I haven’t read this book, but am generally aware of how Hitler essentially took over the “mainline” denominations in Germany and turned them into the “Reich” church, except for the Confessing Church pastors. Martin Niemoeller was of course another resister to Hitler (although he turned out to be a lefty in the end). But Hitler had a harder time dealing with him initially, because he initially had been a Hitler supporter, and the Nazis had first pumped Niemoeller up as a popular war hero (U-boat captain in WWI before he became a pastor), so he had a lot of public support.

Geman churches in the 1930s not that much different than today, when the Mainlines have little to do with Jesus and Scripture and mostly to do with left-wing politics and social policies.

[Lucas McCain]

I think that anyone who arrogates to himself a religious title that indicates he should be revered is arrogant, not to mention stupid.