Christianity And Peace

[Der/die AtheistIn]

I remember that my former religious teacher once told us that violence is never the answer. I've asked her: "And what would you do if someone kidnapped someone close to you and threatened to kill them in a desolated place with no way to contact the authorities?" she answered: "No, if someone kills a person close to you, you shouldn't kill a person close to the murderer. Revenge is not good. There is police, so no need to be violent!".
I gave up, because I knew there is no way with her.
But I kept the arguments for myself.
First of all, she explained to me a totally different situation. I think she couldn't justify nonviolence in my example, so she created a totally different one. Though I might suspect her for too much intelligence.
Second of all, doesn't the police use violence? In fact, forget my example, what about countries under dictators? There are so many countries, including mine (Romania), that used to be under dictators and could only bee freed with violence.
Christianity used to bee very violent. Are they so anti-violence today (or at least claim to be) so that they can make-up for their past?

[Silver]

Christians love to use Jesus as an example of how one should be the pacifist, but theists I have known tend to be some of the most violent people in the world.

[chimp3]

To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut:

Imagine if the Christians wanted:

"Blessed are the Peacemakers" on the Pentagon.

"Blessed are you who are poor" on the Federal Reserve Bank

"Blessed are the Merciful" on the courthouse steps.

"Blessed are the Meek" on the door to the Oval Office.

[ignoramus]

AronRa once quoted a religious group whose main gripe was that they were being oppressed from oppressing others, which is the Christian thing to do!

[ignoramus]

Those in the Bible belt are not stupid. Just sneaky!

They state that they don't want their kids understanding evolution through the school curriculum.
It's one thing understanding it and rejecting it, it's a whole new level of ignorance to not want to know that which you despise.

Deep down, they must know it's true, and all they're doing is protecting their kids from the truth.
Because Jesus.

[vorlon13]

[Minimalist]

I remember that my former religious teacher once told us that violence is never the answer.

Tell your teacher she is full of shit.

The peasants have taken upon themselves the burden of three terrible sins against God and man; by this they have merited death in body and soul... they have sworn to be true and faithful, submissive and obedient, to their rulers... now deliberately and violently breaking this oath... they are starting a rebellion, and are violently robbing and plundering monasteries and castles which are not theirs... they have doubly deserved death in body and soul as highwaymen and murderers... they cloak this terrible and horrible sin with the gospel... thus they become the worst blasphemers of God and slanderers of his holy name”

-- Martin Luther

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

'Anyone who clings to the historically untrue--and thoroughly immoral--doctrine that 'violence never solves anything' I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The Ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more disputes in history than has any other factor, and the contary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms.'  - Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Boru

[Silver]

Christianity imparted with peace when it incited violence in the name of its god.

[Astonished]

If Jesus had to be violently crucified to accomplish his mission, what exactly is the objection to violence in Christianity since their central doctrine revolves around exactly that? Shouldn't it be celebrated?