Guarding

Bismarck wrote: This is NOT true. An analysis of the Gethsemene scenes from Matthew, Luke, and John clearly shows that Christians are mandated to KEEP & BEAR ARMS -- AT THE READY (ON THEIR PERSONS AT ALL TIMES). The Messiah only ordered his men to stand down so that the crucifiction could happen. But the Messiah did NOT tell Simon the Stone (Kephas, Petros) to DESTROY his sword, only to put it in its proper place -- IN HIS SHEATH, AT HIS SIDE. The Apostles were confused, they thought they were supposed to defend their Lord unto the maximum sacrifice if necessary -- he told them to stand down, but NOT TO LET DOWN THEIR GUARD. Christians are mandated to KEEP & BEAR ARMS AT THE READY -- but constrain their USE to those times, and only those times, when the Scriptures demand their use. Christianity is NOT a "pacificist" (so-called) religion. Their is a place for (JUST) war in Christianity.

yeah right bismarck, two swords between the lot of them, right?  arent we just s t r e t c h i n g things a little here? 

let me just also say - there is no place for any literal war in christianity, as is clear in the holy scriptures.  the christians arsenal, and the nature of his war, are clearly delineated in ephesians 6: 10-18.  this is not to say that christians, as citizens of their country, may not fight in a just war, in defence of their country, but that, of course, is a seperate issue

Well, Fredi, I meant to mention as a �reader beware� that the op/ed piece came from the New York Times, after all.  That said, with that caveat aside, it is not so difficult for me, an amateur reader of history, to envisage a less than celestial (read military, or �Church Militant�) means by which, in future, every knee could be somehow made to bow and every tongue somehow made to confess and all that.  Speaking of florid, I had best reign in my imagination at this point, lest I try my hand at writing the world�s worst American novel (a sort of Torquemada as Robert Mapplethorpe at Abu Ghraib, if you get my drift).

But still, truth be told, I hear, understand and appreciate your perspective on this.  I thought, in turn, that you could appreciate the song.

Serv