RE: You just can't kill
Hi all,
This old chestnut again! I can't speak for the others, but one of the 10 Commandments given by God to Moses was "Thou shalt not kill."
So that takes care of the basis of the original teachings of Judaism.
And Jesus in his wonderful Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) which, if lived by everyone on earth would result in no war, taught much about love and forgiveness. Here are just a couple of passages, where he is overturning some of the other laws added to Judaism:
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven.
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. Matt 5:38
and another;
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matt 18:21
It's not (usually) the original teachings of the religion that are at fault, but the way they have been corrupted to suit the whims and political ambitions of men!
Here are some interesting teachings and histories of War - as viewed by early C 16 leading Christians before 313 A.D.
War as viewed by early Christians before 313 AD
http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/war.htm
Here's a small bit from the page on Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna as an example:
When the persecution of the Christians began in Smyrna, his friends, in an effort to save him, twice removed Polycarp to farms outside the city. But one night armed soldiers awoke him in his hiding place. After greeting them and ordering refreshments for them, he requested an hour for prayer. This was granted, and he was then led to the city. Friends and even the proconsul pleaded with him that he swear by Caesar and thus be spared. But Polycarp replied: "No. Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and he hath never wronged me." When threatened by beasts, he said: "Let them come. I cannot change from good to bad."
By burning Polycarp, the people of Smyrna thought they would blot out his name forever and bring an end to the hated superstition called Christianity. But like the proconsul, they grossly underestimated the vitality and conviction of the Christians. Rather than intimidating other Christians, the death of Polycarp inspired them. Rather than disappearing, Christianity grew. Ironically, what the Romans couldn't accomplish was eventually accomplished by professing Christians themselves. Today, the name of Polycarp has been largely forgotten, and the Christianity of his day is unknown to most westerners.
Later in his book, in the chapter, "How Early Christianity Was Corrupted," Bercot (ibid., pages 124-126) explains that after Christianity had been endorced by Emperor Constantine in 313 A.D.:
The church was like a naive young girl who had been suddenly swept off her feet by a rival suitor. The world wanted to be friends with the church, and the church saw no harm in reciprocating... However, the world's friendship utterly gutted the very soul of the church... One of the immediate effects of the church's friendship with the world was that it began adopting the world's methods... For example, the church changed its methods of coping with persecution and government oppression. In the past Christians had to hide or flee from persecution. They refused to physically fight their persecutors or retaliate against them. However, the crowds of unregenerated persons who had bloated the church weren't about to meekly accept death, torture, or oppression.
For example, when Constantine's son sent one of his generals to Constantinople to depose the church's bishop, the congregation formed a mob. That night when
RE: You just can't kill
Dear Maria
I guess I have a lot more faith in nature and that in everyone there is good and I feel that we are fast approaching a time when there will be no more wars in the name of GOD.
A Muslim doctor friend said just the other day that her religion is crumbling to the ground and that her family around the world are becoming spiritual with their religion taking a back seat.
I feel the immensity and the power of people all around the world that are coming into GOD and unity consciousness with the realisation that they do not need walls of a church or religion to honour the creator.
We live in exciting times interfaith and multi-faith even a majority of religionists wish for peace and so it is when the people demand it.
The most inspiring thing my lifetime was watching the Berlin wall come down I was crying and laughing at the same time.
Love beyond measure
being love
Kim xx
PS get well soon Hugo and have a great hols Leo
RE: You just can't kill
I don't think that a war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. There may be scuffles at present in the South of Thailand but that is in the name of Islam, not Buddhism. It is an anathema to their beliefs to provoke wars in the name of Buddha.
And yet Buddhist monks in Tibet regularly fought bloody battles with other Buddhist monks in Tibet. ('My monastery's better than your monastery. Yah boo!')
Sorry, doesn't prove anything - but I had to put it in.
Love
Sunanda xx
RE: You just can't kill
there is never stranger things then folks!
being love
Kim x