"I am a Christian pacifist. From my perspective that is an unhappy description, since I believe the narrative into which Christians are inscribed means we cannot be anything other than nonviolent. In other words, Christians do not become Christians and then decide to be nonviolent. Rather, nonviolence is simply one of the of the essential practices that is intrinsic to the story of being a Christian. "Being Christian" is to be incorporated into a community constituted by the stories of God, which, as a consequence, neccessarily puts one in tension with the world that does not share those stories." - Stanley Hauerwas, "Whose Just War? Which Peace" from Dispatches from the Front
6 comments:
Your such a good Hauerwasian!
now how did this yahoo get on here?
Interesting - According to Hauerwas, then, I and my fellow believers in uniform are not simply mistaken Christians or even bad Christians, but not Christian at all.
I don't think he'd say you and other soldiers aren't Christians. What I do think he'd say is that you are Christians who are participating and part of a community that is counter/incompatible to the teachings and practices of Jesus.
So he'd probably say that you are Christians, but you are Christians who when participating in this "other" community called military, you aren't "being" Christian.
But aren't we all pretty much guilty of "pledging our allegiances" to some community/group/ or practices that run contrary to Christ's teachings?
I think that's why we all stand in the need of grace.
thanks Mitch,
jonathon
I don't think the bible teaches pacifism nor Jesus. Take Luke 6:29
"If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic."
A lot of people look at this scripture as being a very pacifistic thing to do but it really is a way of turning the tables. Lets say your walking down the street and a person that you owe money ask you for your jacket. Jesus says give him you clothes to. Now the reaction may be a little different in this sex driven age. But back then thing of what the response would have been. If the person who owed you money gave you everything he had on and then was naked? He probably would hand it to you and tell you to put your clothes back on.
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