7 Burning Questions – War

The current issue of Relevant has a feature article with the 7 burning issues of our generation, and they have some of the leading voices in the Church today respond to them. I thought I’d highlight them in seven separate posts. Here is burning question number seven…

War: How should we respond?

The real problem here is the cultural captivity of the Church in America. Most American Christians are Americans first and Christians second. National identity trumps commitment to Jesus time and time again. When American Christians show a moral preference for war as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy, they have not discerned the true meaning of the Gospel. They’re blinded by nationalism, rather than having their eyes fixed on the Prince of Peace. — Jim Wallis

Some of the leaders of America and Britain over the last 10 years have spoken quite openly about getting rid of evil and doing so by means of violence. That seems to me extraordinarily lacking in historical awareness, theological substance and just sheer human wisdom. — N.T. Wright

People are pretty hunkered down in their positions-the vast majority favoring war as an acceptable option, and a small but growing minority either committed to pacifism or growing ore suspicious about war. We need to move to higher ground, and move from binary yes-no questions like, Are you for or against pacifism? to questions that force people to think more deeply. — Brian McLaren

How do we as a Church become communities in our nation that really advocate for peace? I don’t see a lot of churches doing things that make me think, or give ma a lot of hope that the Church could be a force for peace in this country. — Nancy Ortberg

Now, when one gets into the specifics of which war to fight, how to go about obtaining justice, what kind of force should be used and how in particular one should protect the innocent, the way gets muddy. I sometimes fear that Christians (both pacifist Christians and “Kill the enemy for Jesus” Christians) have never taken the time to go through the complexity. — Steve Brown

It’s unmistakable to me, when I look at the cross, what love looks like when it stares you in the face and says, “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Now the Sermon on the Mount may not look like the best way to lead the biggest superpower in the world and the biggest military–maybe that should tell us something. — Shane Claiborne

This seems to pose the question of whether or not we should be pacifists as Christians. Sometimes one has to go to war to make peace. Ask the veterans of World War II when they battled against the evil tide of Hitler’s regime. The Bible clearly states there is a time for war and a time for peace. — Cindy Jacobs

We live in a fallen world, which is why Augustine first formulated what is known as the “just war doctrine.” Thomas Aquinas was perhaps the most articulate on this when he included the just war doctrine under the section in Summa Theologica on love. He considered it a supreme act of charity to give one’s life in defense of innocent civilians. I agree with Aquinas. — Chuck Colson

Check out the May/June 2008 issue (#33) for their complete answers.

Other Burning Questions:
1. InJustice
2. Homosexuality
3. Faith
4. Politics
5. Culture
6. Consumerism

Filed under: Brian McLaren, Chuck Colson, Cindy Jacobs, Jim Wallis, Love, Love Wins, N.T. Wright, Nancy Ortberg, Politics, Religion, Shane Claiborne, Uncategorized, War

7 Burning Questions – Politics

The current issue of Relevant has a feature article with the 7 burning issues of our generation, and they have some of the leading voices in the Church today respond to them. I thought I’d highlight them in seven separate posts. Here is burning question number four…

Politics: Is either party right?

We need Christians in the Republican party calling their party to have a higher priority for nonviolent peace-making and being a good global neighbor rather than a dominant global bully. We need Christians in the Democratic party who call their party to a greater concern for sexual integrity and respect for life in all its forms. — Brian McLaren

Christians should embrace a consistent ethic of life, rejecting the selective moralities of Left and Right where only some human lives are considered valuable. I criticize Democrats who don’t see abortion as a life issue, but I also take issue with Republicans who see it as the only life issue. The Church should address every assault upon human life, protecting the unborn, victims of pandemic diseases, genocide, human trafficking, the death penalty and even America’s unjust wars. — Jim Wallis

I have issues with both parties, but one thing I do not have any issues about is that the Bible is God’s word. He says life begins at conception (Psalm 139). I will always support the pro-life candidate because we already have almost 50 million unborn children who have died since 1973. — Cindy Jacobs

If I may comment as an outsider on your present election, I think one of the healthy things about it is that the Christian Right is not able to say, “Here is one candidate whom we must support because he is clearly God’s choice.” — N.T. Wright

A Christian is not supposed to vote on one issue. It’s tempting, but it’s important to have the whole picture in mind, to think who is best suited to run the country and take it in a direction that we would support. — Nancy Ortberg

Check out the May/June 2008 issue (#33) for their complete answers.

Other Burning Questions:
1. InJustice
2. Homosexuality
3. Faith

Filed under: Abortion, Brian McLaren, Church, Cindy Jacobs, Faith, Jim Wallis, Life, N.T. Wright, Nancy Ortberg, Politics, Relevant Magazine, Religion

7 Burning Questions – Injustice

The current issue of Relevant has a feature article with the 7 burning issues of our generation, and they have some of the leading voices in the Church today respond to them. I thought I’d highlight them in seven separate posts. Here is burning question number one…

Injustice: Is our focus on social justice out of balance?

The message to Christians today is very clear. Any gospel that isn’t good news to poor people simply isn’t the Gospel of Jesus Christ; any evangelism that doesn’t include social justice ignores the perfectly integrated life and message of Jesus. — Jim Wallis

Both the Great Commission and the Cultural Commission are part of God’s plan for creation, clearly mandated in Scripture. — Chuck Colson

People started clamoring around Jesus initially because He was healing people, and when they got close enough, they began to hear His message: “The Kingdom of God is available right now.” — Nancy Ortberg

The most important thing is for us to stop putting evangelism and social justice in opposition as if they are enemies. — Brian McLaren

When I look at Jesus, evangelism and dealing with injustice are inseparable in His life. People are hungry for a Gospel that embodies a social, political alternative to the patterns of our world. — Shane Claiborne

A follower of Christ doesn’t put on a “social justice” hat and then an “evangelism” hat and then try to discern which hat to wear the most and which hat is the most valuable. Why? Because it isn’t a hat; it’s the head and the heart. — Steve Brown

As the church is getting its hands dirty doing what needs to be done to help the poorest of the poor, people realize this Gospel really does make a difference. — N.T. Wright

Check out the May/June 2008 issue (#33) for their complete answers.

Filed under: Brian McLaren, Chuck Colson, Church, Evangelism, Injustice, Jim Wallis, N.T. Wright, Nancy Ortberg, Relevant Magazine, Religion, Shane Claiborne, Social Justice, Steve Brown