Here's a dumb question about the counter demonstration...

[Squatch]

How can a person who professes to be a Christian, in all good conscience, attend and participate in a pro-war rally?

I just don't get it.

Even in my personal reawakening in my faith, I look back on my military service and think that those years were spent in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus, and for that I feel regret. Even then, though, I was never, ever "pro-war."

So, it just strikes me as contradictory, when people (the bulk of whom are Christians) hold a counter-peace rally under the guise of supporting the troops, when in fact, they are really protesting in favor of war.

[DistressedAmerican]

1. Simple, They Feel That Killing Non-Chrisitans Is OK! The Catholic Church

actually made that a rule during the crusades to get people over the "Thou shalt not kill" thing. These people have done the exact same thing in their heads!

Freaks!

[Squatch]

3. That's all fine and dandy, but I really would like to know how

they can reconcile themselves with the teachings of Jesus:

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

[DistressedAmerican]

4. Oh That! Also Simple. They Are Hypocritical Pigs!

[bahrbearian]

2. Its a Noble Causeade

[kentuck]

5. So you think war is "anti-Christian"?

Well, let me look in my Bible......

[Squatch]

8. Has Christ ever called for war in His name?

[ET Awful]

13. You mean other than that final war between good and evil where

he massacres everyone who doesn't believe in him? :)

[Squatch]

17. Explain, if you would, kind sir.

I'm still learing about the teachings of Jesus. Is this one of them?

[ET Awful]

21. It is not a war between men so to speak, but one which only

those who believe in him will survive (or so the legend goes).

[Squatch]

23. Ah, so you're referring to the constant struggle between

good and evil, and only those who have led righteous lives will, in the end, will find favor with God?

[ET Awful]

24. Interesting spin.

You conveniently leave out those who haven't lead "righteous" lives (whatever that may be, since definitions seem to vary greatly). Those are (according to traditional biblical teachings) condemned to an eternity of pain and suffering.

No, I'm not referring to the "constant struggle." I'm referring to the teachings of the return of Christ in which that struggle ends and the "good" are separated from the "wicked" and those who believe are "saved" and those who don't are "condemned."

[Squatch]

26. OK...let's get back on track.

What are you trying to say? Are you trying to say that these pro-war demonstrators are misinterpreting a traditional teaching of the Bible to justify engaging in this war?

BTW, what I posted was *my* belief...no spin, no convenient omissions intended.

[ET Awful]

34. I was simply replying to your insinuation that there was never

any time when Jesus called for war in his name. That isn't exactly accurate.

No, these people are not misinterpreting, how could they misinterpret what they haven't read?

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Hypocrites can justify anything they want with some sort of reason.

These are the same folks who pee on your shoe and tell you it is raining.

[tuvor]

7. Oh, was there a counter-demonstration? n/t

[Squatch]

10. Yes, albeit a very small one.

[tuvor]

14. Sorry, being sarcastic.

When they fail, they fail BIG, don't they?

[Squatch]

18. Yes, and they seem to be sending a hugely hypocritical message

[EST]

9. Most of the modern readers of biblical texts claim

the language translated as "Thou shalt not kill" implies,"within your own tribe." Apparently the words used are a little different from each other when indicating strangers (enemies) or intimates (friends or family.)

[Squatch]

12. I'm not even concerned with the Old Testament...

How can a Christian reconcile their pro-war protest with the teachings of Jesus?

[EST]

35. One of the reasons they can confidently eat conflicting bullshit

is that the bible is confusing. It is a history of ordinary (for that time) people, head honchos, that is, leading what, to their lights, are ordinary lives.
Because the bible can be confusing, most people who claim to be so very christian have never and will never read that most fundamental owners manual.
Because they so rarely read that particular manual, they rely on others - their leaders - to read and interpret it for them, leaving them vulnerable, by choice, to whatever chicanery the appointed charlatan has in store for them. Thus, someone else does their reconciling for them.
People rely, for their self identity, on being right. If their 'rightness' is challenged, their very survival is threatened and that ego will fight to the death for that 'rightness,' with ferocity.

[ET Awful]

11. How can a person who professes to be a Christian wield a sign

that says "God Bless America, Curse Our Enemies"?

I seem to recall something in the Bible about "love your enemy" or something to that effect.

[Squatch]

16. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

[SillyGoose]

30. Because they are phonies and use Jesus as a billy club.

That's my opinion of them...phony as a $3 bill and all too eager to commit violence in the name of God against those who don't conform to their own warped ideologies.

They are the proverbial wolves in sheep's clothing.

[Bridget Burke]

15. But the Counter-Demonstrators only support the war from a distance.

They won't actually "support the troops" by joining up.

Most Churches (RC & mainstream Protestant) opposed the invasion of Iraq--even those with a doctrine of "Just War."

[Squatch]

19. Really, is that the way to "support the troops"?

Personally, I think there's a better way. Wanna guess?

[Bridget Burke]

22. The best way to support the troops is to bring them home.

I was just pointing out the hypocrisy of the Chickenhawks.

[JHB]

20. The Invisible Asterix

When people hold strong contradictory views, most don't really ponder the contradictions and try to resolve them, the just create de facto exceptions. ("Jesus was not a WIMP!", and so on).

I refer to this as the Invisible Asterix, because it's like their Bible (which they often claim is the literal word of God) has all these footnotes that somehow the rest of us have never seen.

You know the type:

"Love your neigbor as you love yourself"*
*(except for those people: kikes, dykes, spics, micks, Samaritans, Africans, barbaroi, the family McCoy, et cetera ad nauseum)

"Turn the other cheek"*
*(it'll help you wind up for your sucker-punch)

...and so it goes.

[shadowknows69]

25. I actually interviewed one of the counter protesters on Sat

that said he used to be against war and he used to demonstrate against the Vietnam war but then he found Jesus.....

Yeah my head almost exploded too.

[Squatch]

27. Yikes! Back away very slowly. Verrrrry slowly.

[shadowknows69]

28. The same guy who was ranting about how "Brother Bush"

was doing the right things expressed his anger that we were in bed with the Saudi's and that we should be invading them because that's where most of the terrorists come from. Wha??? If I didn't have it on video I wouldn't believe it myself.

[Squatch]

29. You should post it. That's some creepy stuff.

Could make a good Stephen King novel.

[shadowknows69]

31. I'm putting together the long form video of the march now

but for a taste of the good things in the rally check this out <http://www.thepulsenny.com/_fileCabinet/dcmarch1.wmv>

[Squatch]

32. Loved the ad in the beginning.

When's the next march on DC? I think I'd like to be there.

[Squatch]

33. Oh, sorry. Good video! Loved it.