Protest Church Involvement in Homicide

[brambonius]

I just want to let you know that I've read all these stories. You're doing great things!!

shalom

Bram

[noble]

Thanks for the support.

Shalom,

Elbon

[noble]

On this cold November 19th Sunday I stood out holding my sign - WHEN WOULD JESUS KILL? (WWJK) - in front of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Jackson, Tennessee, before and after attending the 10:30 a.m. Mass. People are waving to me as they drive in and out of the church parking lot.

After Mass, my friend, Patsy Turner, drove up with her husband, Raymond. She said, "Fr. Anthony preached we should not kill people. Isn't that great!"

I rejoiced with her about his message. Fr. Anthony Onyekwe shared today that good overcomes evil when we do acts of mercy and grace toward others. He stated we do not use worldly weapons to overcome evil. Instead, we fight a spiritual war of good against evil by faithfully doing what Jesus would do - by loving even our enemies.

Wow! I'm so glad he came out and spoke the truth of the gospel.

Friends, we have the truth of the Gospels to share with the clergy and members of the Christian denominations. I sincerely believe that we can unite in Christ when we demonstrate the unconditional love of God toward friends and enemies.

Let the light of God's Son rise upon the evil and the good as
showers of blessings rain down on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).

"Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18)."

The Peace of Christ Be With You,

Elbon Kilpatrick

[noble]

This past Sunday I protested in front of the Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, TN. On this day I held a sign asking, "WHEN WOULD JESUS KILL?"

Several church members came out to talk with me. A Sunday School teacher invited me to come into his Sunday School class. At first he said I could learn more about the Lord. Then, he said we can talk about my position. I almost accepted his offer but I had already been told not to come unto the church property on another occasion by a police officer at the request of the church.

Two high school age males tried to argue with me about the Old Testament stories of God having enemies slaughtered. A Presbyterian also stopped by and brought up the same argument. However, neither the young Baptists or the Presbyterian thought we should bring back slavery that is found in the Old Testament.

The Presbyterian man wants to have lunch this Friday at the Chili's
Restaurant in Jackson. He said he was going to try and have his pastor come join us. The young Baptist wrote down the Jesus Radicals website address. With some good indoctrination we may have more protesters in Jackson!

Why protest in front of Englewood Baptist Church? Dr. Jett, the Pastor, is the President of the Tennessee Baptist Convention for the Southern Baptist Church. He was vocally supportive - an enthusiastic cheerleader for Christians serving in the military after 9/11 - when President Bush sent troops into Afghanistan and Iraq.

His failure to publicly repent for the support of mass homicide needs
to be confronted with the gospel truth that Jesus commands us to love our enemies - not kill them!

The vast majority of Christian clergy are calling evil good and the members of their congregations are being led down the broad road of destruction because they trust their clergy would not mislead them. It's the blind leading the blind!

With a prayer in our hearts and the truth spoken in love I believe we can convert our brothers and sisters in the faith from the falsehood that has permeated the Church for centuries. I hope to read of your witness to these brothers and sisters.

The Peace of Christ be with you.

Elbon Kilpatrick
731-513-0464

[wildermuthn]

Elbon, thank you!

Everytime I read your stories, it makes me think that I ought to be doing something, anything, to reach the Church. What you're doing reminds me of a group that goes around to different college campuses with a pro-life presentation. It causes great controversy, but their stuff is really very good. They have a lot of different posters, pamphlets, and a very good way of getting people to start dialoging about the issue. They also have training for the people who setup and conduct these presentations on campus.

The group is called Justice for All, and their website is: http://jfaweb.org/mission.html

Are there posters and pamphlets online that anyone can share with us?

Noble, thanks for challenging us (me)!

[noble]

Today, I protested at my home congregation - St. Mary's Catholic Church in Jackson, Tennessee. The Bishop of the Memphis Diocese, the Reverend Terry Steib, presided over the 10:30 A.M. Mass. When I entered the vestibule of the church I met Bishop Steib with a handshake and a request: "Speak out against the war in Iraq." He just gave a laugh. I walked on into the church sanctuary for Mass.

Bishop Steib is an excellent homiletician. In his homily on the need for repentance during Advent he spoke of happiness for a lifetime comes
when we cultivate a garden of peace and righteousness. We enjoy the fruits of our labor in that garden.

After the service I went outside to greet the parishioners as they were leaving with church parking lot with my sign, "When Would Jesus Kill?"

Some of the church members stayed for the pancake breakfast hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Bishop Steib was the guest of honor.

After my protest vigil at the church gates I went to the church school cafeteria and joined Bishop Steib for a conversation about the need for clergy to speak out about the immorality of Christian involvement in war. Bishop Steib referred me to a statement made at the annual U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting held in November in Baltimore about the Iraq War. He stated it was probably on the USCCB website.

Tonight, I read the statement and found it represented Constantinian Christiianity in full force. I sent the following email to
Bishop Steib:

Dear Bishop Steib,

After your mention of the statement of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Iraq war in our conversation at brunch today, I read the November 13, 2006 statement (Call For Dialogue And Action On Responsible Transition In Iraq) by Bishop William S. Skylstad, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Conference's website. I've excerpted the following that represents a failure to speak in the Spirit of Jesus' command to love our enemies:

In particular, we urge Arab nations and the countries of Western Europe to take concrete steps against terror and to seek stability in the region....They must reject violence and focus on political accommodation and just economic and social policies that benefit all segments of Iraqi society...The U.S. should use its power, influence and presence to advance these ends and to make clear that failure to make progress on them will require a re-examination of our role and presence....We remain concerned for the safety of the men and women who serve generously in the U.S. military. We are grateful for their heroic sacrifices on behalf of the Iraqi people and affirm the extraordinary ministry of military chaplains among them....Our Conference of bishops calls upon all Catholics to pray daily for the safety of those who honorably serve our nation and for their families....As President of our Conference of bishops. I make this appeal in the spirit of the Beatitudes, which assure us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

When did Jesus teach disciples to use a government's "power, influence and presence" to bring about peace? When would He honor men and women who commit homicide "on behalf of the Iraqi people"? When would Jesus "affirm the extraordinary ministry of military chaplains" who are silent when American-made bombs dropped by Christians have killed, maimed, and terrorized Iraqi people, even caused untold numbers of abortions?

Please help me understand how you can support such a statement from Bishop Skylstad in light of the clear teaching of Jesus on the unconditional love of enemies. Please lead me and other lambs of Jesus into the green pastures of His nonviolent love in the power of His resurrection that empowers us to fear no evil and overcome violent evil with nonviolent good.

I highly recommend the work of Rev. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy to you and clergy worldwide. You may access his work at http://www.centerforchristiannonviolence.org. I would like to see you invite him to our Diocese for a clergy conference on Gospel Nonviolence and how the Church can lead the world into His peace.

Respectfully,

Rev. Elbon Kilpatrick

[xdogwoodloverx]

Elbon, I just wanted to comment that I highly respect the kinds of action that you take at the sight of church injustice. I think most Christians could learn a lot from your opposition to passivity.

[wildermuthn]

Great letter, Elbon! My prayers are with you... I guess I kind of gave up on the bishops last year. We tried and tried to talk to them, but they've got this weird wall up in their hearts - the same sort of wall that most people have. I've been trying to figure out... why? How do we get through that?

grace, prayer, perhaps...

[noble]

Originally Posted by wildermuthn

I guess I kind of gave up on the bishops last year. We tried and tried to talk to them, but they've got this weird wall up in their hearts - the same sort of wall that most people have. I've been trying to figure out... why? How do we get through that?

grace, prayer, perhaps...

Pope Benedict spoke to the Swiss bishops this month and said the following:

"Only if human life from conception until death is respected, is the ethic of peace possible and credible; only then may nonviolence be expressed in every direction, only then can we truly accept creation and only then can we achieve true justice."

I believe the Pope is moving the bishops in the right direction. We just need to be faithful in our participation in salvation history. If we are faithful He will give us success - but maybe not in our lifetime on earth but as members of the great cloud of witnesses!

Remember the East Berliners chipped on the Wall until it came tumbling down. If we all do our part the walls of their hearts will crumble. The Truth shall set them free!

Elbon

[noble]

December 21, 2006




Dear Rev. Kilpatrick,

I enjoyed our conversation the other evening in Jackson.

In the email that was forwarded to me, you pose some important and challenging questions.

Before answering them, let me assure you that I recognize the depth of your commitment to the pacifist position and your knowledge of Scripture.

As you are aware our Church often speaks theologically with a “both…and” philosophy. We believe and stand on “both faith and reason; both scripture and tradition.”

I think you would agree that there are events and political situations that Jesus did not envision and on which he did not comment. I think you would also agree that it is our task as Christians to apply the gospel of Jesus to our current moral and political situations. If that is the case, then I can say that our tradition as a Church hearkening back to the teachings of the great doctor of the Church, St. Augustine, is to posit that given the proper circumstances there can be a just war. The second tradition of the Church is the position of pacifism. In our tradition you will hear those who advocate for both positions. When Pope Paul VI went to the United Nations and begged its representatives for “No more war. War never again,” he was an advocate for pacifism. In a Christmas address in 1956, Pope Pius XII rejected pacifism as a solution while stating that only self defense of one’s own nation or that of another was a justified reason for war. The Church has for centuries taught that the purpose of the just war theory is not to rationalize violence, but to limit its methods and scope. Gaudium et Spes, from the Second Vatican Council, urges both pacifism and the right of legitimate defense by governments if all other methods for establishing peace have failed. The arms race is decried in Pacem in Terris, Gaudium et Spes, in various documents of the Holy See and in John Paul II’s Redemptor Hominis. What is clear to me in all of this is that there is both prophetic vision and a practical political wisdom that is being balanced by the Church in a long and judicious reflection about war.

Now to your specific questions. You wrote: “When would Jesus ‘affirm the extraordinary ministry of military chaplains’ who are silent when American-made bombs dropped by Christians have killed, maimed, and terrorized Iraqi people, even caused untold numbers of abortions?”

I am not aware that bombs are causing abortions. That having been said, members of the United States military, and often times their chaplains, believe that they are essentially peacemakers. Gaudium et Spes (n 79) teaches that those who serve in the military may make a genuine contribution to the establishment of peace. As I observed the readings for the third Sunday of Advent I was compelled by your letter to note that John the Baptizer did not condemn the soldiers who came to him, but instead urged them to do their tasks well and not to harm the people.

You also ask: “When did Jesus teach disciples to use a government's ‘power, influence and presence’ to bring about peace?”

Jesus and his disciples did not have a developed theology of war. Jesus’ community had no way of determining policies of the government under which they lived to affect military expeditions to other nations. It is clear, however, in the teachings of the Catholic Church that we believe the role of government is to use its power, influence and presence to bring about peace. Pacifists will not abide the destruction of life. Neither do those who advocate for a just war theory. Ultimately, the just war theorists will determine whether there is a moral basis for war if the principle of proportionality is being applied – is the means of self defense less than the evil produced by the aggressor? – and the rule of noncombatant immunity is followed.

I believe that Bishop Skylstad’s letter reflects a balanced and thoughtful course of action for our government, its leaders and our military as we try to disengage from what is clearly according to our moral principles an immoral war. However, the statement is not a pacifist stance. It is ,however, clearly a stance within the teachings of our Church and represents for me a clear indicator that the Bishops of the United States remain opposed to the war which we have together decried prior to its beginning.

Christmas blessings on both you and your family. I pray that you will know in its celebration the peace that St. Paul promises which is beyond all human understanding.

In the Divine Word,

Most Reverend J. Terry Steib, S.V.D.
Bishop of Memphis in Tennessee

[Breck]

These questions may have been asked earlier on another thread, but as I'm a newbie to this site I'll ask them here.

It seems that you label all use of force as "violence." Have you elsewhere wrote about the proper use of force? After all, Jesus said "Turn the other cheek," but He didn't say if you see someone else being slapped, turn [/i]your cheek.

Have you written about the existence of evil in the world? It seems strange to address the Church's errors if you haven't addressed that.

It seems to me that many pacifists assume that if Christians do not use force in confronting evil then evil will dry up and blow away. Should we go seeking martyrdom? The early church prohibited that. In the end all evil and its governments will dry up and blow away, so to speak, but how many terrorisms, pogroms & wars in the meantime?

Isn't to stand around waiting for God's judgement akin to refusing medicine "Because God will heal you?"

Did you know that there were Christians in the Roman army? Fourty of them were given a choice to recant or stand naked in a snow storm. A heated room waited for them if they recanted. They stood in the storm under guard singing "Fourty brave soldiers for Jesus". One of them finally gave up and ran to the heated room. He died almost instantly of shock when he entered. The song became "Thirty-nine brave soldiers for Jesus" until one of the guards stripped and joined them.

Now, let's think about those soldiers a moment. How could they be serving Jesus in the Roman army? Perhaps preserving "Pax Romana" meant more to them than to you or me.

Jesus said "Those who live by the sword will die by it." Okay, what if someone is willing to accept that judgement?

[noble]

Originally Posted by Breck

It seems that you label all use of force as "violence." Have you elsewhere wrote about the proper use of force? After all, Jesus said "Turn the other cheek," but He didn't say if you see someone else being slapped, turn [/i]your[i] cheek.

Read Matthew 5:44-45. You can't love your enemy and slap them, too.

[quote:a4982]
Have you written about the existence of evil in the world? It seems strange to address the Church's errors if you haven't addressed that.
[/quote:a4982]

Should evil exist in the Church?

[quote:a4982]
It seems to me that many pacifists assume that if Christians do not use force in confronting evil then evil will dry up and blow away. Should we go seeking martyrdom? The early church prohibited that. In the end all evil and its governments will dry up and blow away, so to speak, but how many terrorisms, pogroms & wars in the meantime?

Isn't to stand around waiting for God's judgement akin to refusing medicine "Because God will heal you?"[/quote:a4982]

It seems to me that the Roman empire was notorious for terrorisms, pogroms & wars but Jesus never taught the use of force against evil. Instead, he said, "Pray for your persecutors." Stephen, the first Christian martyr, did just that.

Interestingly, while the Church grew, the Empire fell. Biblical judgment works that way.

Jesus said the poor you will have with you always and there will be wars and rumours of wars. Why? Human sin is the reason for people starving/killing people. Therefore, a Christian should not be involved in the starving and killing of people - war does both.

[quote:a4982]
Did you know that there were Christians in the Roman army? Fourty of them were given a choice to recant or stand naked in a snow storm. A heated room waited for them if they recanted. They stood in the storm under guard singing "Fourty brave soldiers for Jesus". One of them finally gave up and ran to the heated room. He died almost instantly of shock when he entered. The song became "Thirty-nine brave soldiers for Jesus" until one of the guards stripped and joined them.

Now, let's think about those soldiers a moment. How could they be serving Jesus in the Roman army? Perhaps preserving "Pax Romana" meant more to them than to you or me.[/quote:a4982]

I'm unfamiliar with the story. Nevertheless, soldiers who converted
to the Christian faith were required to inform their commanding officer that they would not participate in the killing of anyone. However, if a Christian became a soldier that he was excommunicated. But you are right to presume that perserving "Pax Romana" does not mean anything to me.

[quote:a4982]
Jesus said "Those who live by the sword will die by it." Okay, what if someone is willing to accept that judgement?[/quote:a4982]

IF - MOST do. They serve Caesar, not Christ.

[Josh Humphries]

Originally Posted by Breck

These questions may have been asked earlier on another thread, but as I'm a newbie to this site I'll ask them here.

It seems that you label all use of force as "violence." Have you elsewhere wrote about the proper use of force? After all, Jesus said "Turn the other cheek," but He didn't say if you see someone else being slapped, turn [/i]your cheek.

Have you written about the existence of evil in the world? It seems strange to address the Church's errors if you haven't addressed that.

It seems to me that many pacifists assume that if Christians do not use force in confronting evil then evil will dry up and blow away. Should we go seeking martyrdom? The early church prohibited that. In the end all evil and its governments will dry up and blow away, so to speak, but how many terrorisms, pogroms & wars in the meantime?

Isn't to stand around waiting for God's judgement akin to refusing medicine "Because God will heal you?"

Did you know that there were Christians in the Roman army? Fourty of them were given a choice to recant or stand naked in a snow storm. A heated room waited for them if they recanted. They stood in the storm under guard singing "Fourty brave soldiers for Jesus". One of them finally gave up and ran to the heated room. He died almost instantly of shock when he entered. The song became "Thirty-nine brave soldiers for Jesus" until one of the guards stripped and joined them.

Now, let's think about those soldiers a moment. How could they be serving Jesus in the Roman army? Perhaps preserving "Pax Romana" meant more to them than to you or me.

Jesus said "Those who live by the sword will die by it." Okay, what if someone is willing to accept that judgement?

Is force always violence? That's a question I've grappled with for a long time. By the same token, is violence always force force? There are many cases where non-action is in itself a form of violence. (e.g. Kitty Genovese, the Milgram experiment) It leads to all sorts of questions about what force even is and what violence even is. It gets into questions of intent, and gets really complicated. I don't think the points Jesus was making (particularly those noted in the Matthew text) were meant to be that complex. And that leaves me wondering which way to make it simple (although there are even complications in this, such as non-resistance versus non-violence, and how they relate to interpretations of the Sermon on the Mount and other points).

But one point: the Pax Romana was just peace FOR Romans. Peace for anyone else was irrelevant to it, and that included most people under Roman rule, Jewish or Gentile.

[Breck]

Man, I look at all those italics and underlinings and wince. I don't know what I did wrong. I'm going to knock off trying to do that stuff.

But anyway, yes I believe you can simultaneously love & slap someone! Sure you can. On a semi-frivolous note, my mother -who loves me very much- slapped me once for being so obnoxious I'm amazed at myself today when I think about it. On a serious note, if I have to slap, or punch, or hit someone over the head with something, to keep him from hurting or killing someone else, I am acting in love on behalf of the person being hurt -and actually, I'm loving the person I'm hurting because I'm keeping them from doing furthermore damage to their own souls. What if they come to their senses later and say "I can't believe I was doing that! I'm glad someone stopped me!"

It's too easy to say Should evil exist in the Church? Of course it shouldn't. But it does -it will until Christ returns for his pure and spotless bride. But by this token you must understand I'm not advocating violence in the church to solve its problems!

Certainly we should pray for our enemies. Not to boast, but I do all the time. I'm sure we all do. But the things the guy referred to in his letter still stand. John the Baptist didn't tell the Roman soldiers to quit being soldiers; (in fact Jesus didn't heal the centurian's servant and then say quit your job); and when Paul stood before the Romans he didn't deny their worldly authority. "If I have done wrong then I am not afraid to die..."

Concerning the soldiers who didn't seem to mind being soldiers, and all Christians who become soldiers: "who are [we] to judge another man's master? To his own master he will stand or fall, and God is able to make him stand." There are many stories of Christian soldiers revealing Christ in their lives and deaths.

Concerning Pax Romana, I'm not praising it, but then again we can look back over history in a way those wrapped up in it can't.

Josh, you're absolutely right that sometimes non-violence is violence. I'm sure Christ was imploring the non-violent sinners every bit as much as Kitty Genovese was. It couldn't have been "violence" if they had intervened, but the proper use of force.

As for "how much," I don't believe that can be measured out. It depends on God's leading in the circumstances.

[chadj2]

Breck,

I will agree with you that you can love someone and slap them at the same time. But my primary question concerning pacifism is can you love your enemy and kill them at the same time?

Chad

[njtom]

Greetings, Chad.

I agree; with a few exceptions (such as physician-assisted suicide), one can't.

But to me the more difficult question is whether one can love enemyA while standing by and allowing him to be killed by enemyB. What can we do that is loving to both? I don't see any clear teaching addressing this situation.

To me, the only response consistent with the sacrificial brand of love demanded by Christ is to forcefully inject ourselves into the situation with the following goals: 1) to minimize the harm done to enemyA and enemyB, and 2) to allow any harm to be done to us necessary to achieve goal 1.

[Hawkfan33]

cool stories, inspiring!

[wildermuthn]

Originally Posted by Josh Humphries

A thought that has struck me recently, is that perhaps the just-war theory was always meant to apply to the use of nonviolent force rather than violent force (at least from God's perspective). If one were to come up with a list of criteria for nonviolent force, I wonder if you couldn't come up with a better list than the just-war theory's?

[Josh Humphries]

Originally Posted by Breck

Josh, you're absolutely right that sometimes non-violence is violence. I'm sure Christ was imploring the non-violent sinners every bit as much as Kitty Genovese was. It couldn't have been "violence" if they had intervened, but the proper use of force.

As for "how much," I don't believe that can be measured out. It depends on God's leading in the circumstances.

Well, my point was that many times non-action and non-RESISTANCE is conflated (rather idiotically, IMHO) with non-violence. And in turn, violence is born out of that. This is not the idea in the Sermon on the Mount. The idea is to resist in a non-violent manner. Walter Wink described "turning the other cheek" well. It's moral jiu-jitsu. It puts the other person in a position where further violence is violence to THEIR OWN social positions. Carrying a load an extra mile results in the soldier or government official being penalized.

[noble]

The following November 10, 2006 Devotional by Rev. Ted Leach, Pastor of the First United Methodist Church, is a response to my protest outside the church:

Daily Devotional.
November 10, 2006

A Visit from Amos
Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" Amos 7:14-15 (NRSV)

I was driving to church early last Sunday morning and I saw my friend Elben standing in front of St. Mary's Church, holding a sign in silent witness. Elben is a member of St. Mary's but he and his family regularly participate in our life together here at First UMC. Elben's sign asks why Christians participate in war.

Elben visited my office one day awhile back and graciously made his witness for pacificism. He believes the church, beginning with Augustine of Hippo (354-430), departed from the way of Jesus when the church said it is ethically permissable to participate in war.

Elben told me he had been making his silent witness for pacifism in front of various churches in our community and he would do that at First UMC at some point. He did so on a Wednesday evening a few weeks back. That night I was leading the discussion in our sixth grade Confirmation Class. The group's curiosity about Elben's witness led us into a discussion of pacifism and the just war theory. The sixth graders asked some great questions.

Augustine was the first to articulate criteria for a just war. This concept has been developed through later centuries by Christian ethicists. Here are the five historic criteria for a just war:

1. Just Cause – the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain.

2. Last Resort – all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective.

3. Probability of Success – there must be serious prospects of success.

4. Proportionality – the use of arms must not produce evils or disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.

5. Discrimination – there must be a distinction between combatants and noncombatants.

Roland Bainton, a much-respected church historian, said there have been three primary Christian attitudes toward war: pacifism, the just war, and the crusade. Bainton said, "The worst wars are holy wars."

I admire and respect pacifists. I have never embraced this position personally because of the likes of Hitler and Mussolini. I believe some wars are tragically necessary, or justified.

My friend Elben says Jesus and the early church was thoroughly pacifist and we should be, also. He also believes it is unethical to be involved in government service, such as receiving a salary from an institution that engages in violence. I see in the New Testament and in the early church diversity, not uniformity, around the issue of Christian involvement with government and the military. Jesus' inner circle included two enemies--Levi the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. In Acts 10, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Roman centurian Cornelius and his family. Elben and I interpret the scriptures differently.

A few weeks back Elben wrote a letter to the editor of The Jackson Sun, criticizing Lane College for receiving government lottery money when the C.M.E. Church's Book of Discipline opposes gambling. (The United Methodist Church is similarly opposed, and the same criticism could be made of Lambuth University.)

Elben has a bit of the spirit of Amos in him. Whenever I am confronted with a prophetic voice like Elben's, I feel like Amaziah. The exchange between Amos and Amaziah is one of the most fascinating encounters in scripture.

We need more prophetic voices among us. I may not agree with everything a prophet says, but I welcome his or her presence among us.

[noble]

I stood out in front of two churches this Mother's Day Sunday. I went to my home congregation, St. Mary's Catholic Church, and to a Baptist church, Englewood Baptist Church, and held up my sign:

Church
+
State
_______

Harlot's Web

I had plenty of people come up and ask me what I was protesting about. I told them that the Church has been sleeping with the State and has committed spiritual adultery by participating in the killing of foreign and domestic enemies when Jesus, the bridegroom, says to love them instead.

I got the usual God killing enemies in the Old Testament. However, they didn't want to practice slavery today.

It's strange how people will go to the Old Testatment and not Jesus.

I did have one car pull up and ask if the church was having the play (Charlotte's Web / Harlot's Web) tonight!

I hope to read about others who are willing to stand before their community church(es) and protest the Church's involvement in mass homicide.

Peace of Christ,

Elbon Kilpatrick
Jackson, Tennessee

[noble]

While Tennessean Christians are hoping that Tennesseans Fred Thompson and Al Gore enter the political race for President of the United States of America, this citizen of heaven thought it was time to go back out in front of the largest church in Jackson, Tennessee, to protest Christian participation in mass homicide (war/abortion/capital punishment).

Yes, I went back today with my "When Would Jesus Kill?" sign and stood before the plantation-styled church building of the West Jackson Baptist Church. The sidewalk along Oil Well Road was probably two hundred yards from the massive glass front entrance with chandelier in the foyer. The nice breeze of wind blew water spray from the fountain in the center of the outdoor pond next to the sidewalk.

Soon, there were church members driving into the entrances of this massive church structure's parking lots. Some of them stopped their vehicles and walked over to me to question me as to my purpose in standing in front of their church. I explained to them that I have gone to other churches in the area and was not singling them out. I told them that my purpose was to remind Christians that we are to love our enemies - not kill them.

One tall, elderly man responded when I told him that Jesus taught us to love our enemies: "We don't believe in that here!"

I told the man Jesus did tell us to love our enemies and if we call ourselves followers of Jesus then we are to love our enemies. The man walked away, got into his car, and drove on to the church building.

Another church - Love & Truth Church - located across the street from West Jackson Baptist Church sent teenagers to ask me why I was standing in front of their church - I had walked across the street and was standing at their front entrance greeting their church members with my sign and a wave as they drove into their church parking lot. The first young man asked, "Would Jesus ever kill anyone?" I replied, "You're right. Jesus would not kill anyone. He told us to love our enemies; don't kill them." He said, "I thought so. I just couldn't imagine Jesus killing anyone."

Two other boys from Love & Truth Church came up and said their pastor asked them to find out why I was in front of their church. I told them what my purpose was and they left. I noticed in the distance that several men stood outside the church building and were just staring in my direction.

After the Love & Truth Church members arrived for their worship service I crossed Oil Well Road to return to my original post. Members of West Jackson Baptist Church began arriving for the second morning worship service. Two high school students came up and argued that God killed people in the Old Testament. I replied that slavery was also in the Old Testament, too. They agreed and dropped the Old Testament argument for Christian involvement in war but argued that my use of Jesus' teaching to love our enemies does not mean Christians cannot participate in war when it is to rid evil in other countries like Iraq. I countered with their calling evil good. I talked with them about WWII when Christians were praying the Lord's Prayer on both sides of the battlefield and then going out and killing Christians who fought for the other side. I told them that for the first four hundred years the Church taught the unconditional love of God for both friends and enemies but then turned away from this teaching to support the Roman Empire with a Just War Theory. I remarked that Jesus never taught such a theory and that survival is not a New Testament value. I reminded them that countless martyrs went to their death with no desire of vengeance, no call for Christians to muster troop in retaliation for the wrongs being done to them.

The two young men went back to get a Bible. When they returned they handed me the Bible. I turned to Matthew 5 and read: "Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons of God....You have heard it said of old, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, 'Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..." I then remarked that Jesus links peacemaking with loving our enemies - not destroying them." They soon left after commenting that I was taking one passage of scripture and applying it against the rest of scripture.

One couple rode up and said, "Tell us what your sign means." I told them that Christians are to love their enemies and not kill them. The man gave a thumbs up and said, "There's one more of us in town!"

As you can see the protest of the Church is a personal way to talk to your Christian neighbors about Jesus' love for both friends and enemies. I hope you will talk to Christians in your neighborhood about the Church's support of the war by honoring the war veterans, endorsing military chaplains, placing the nation's flag in its sanctuaries, the provision of space for Boy and Girl Scout meetings, etc. The Church needs to see they have been blinded by the god of war/god of this world and are marching down the broad way of destruction.

The Kingdom of God needs Christian soldiers whose fight is not against flesh and blood but with the powers and principalities of this world. Will you join the good fight of faith and protest the presence of wolves in sheep's clothing who seek to tear apart the Body of Christ as they falsely lead its children into war?

Elbon Kilpatrick, M. Div.
Jackson, Tennessee

[dcAjn23]

Thank you for sharing that. That was really provocative and encouraging.

[noble]

In the June 8th Jackson Sun article “Brokaw to speak at FHU dinner,” Freed-Hardeman University announces plans to honor the so-called “greatest generation” of Americans on the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. However, this Church of Christ affiliated university should honor the teaching of its first generation leader, Alexander Campbell.

In “Address on War” Campbell proclaims: “We should inspire a pacific spirit and urge on all proper occasions the chief objections to war…We must show that the great objection to war is…its moral influence on nations and individuals. It creates and perpetuates national jealousy, fear, hatred, and envy…It corrupts the moral taste and hardens the heart; cherishes and strengthens the base and violent passions; destroys the distinguishing features of Christian charity – its universality and its love of enemies; turns into mockery and contempt the best virtue of Christians – humility; weakens the sense of moral obligation; banishes the spirit of improvement, usefulness, and benevolence; and inculcates the horrible maxim that murder and robbery are matters of state expediency (Millennial Harbinger, July 1848, pp. 361-386).”

“The greatest generation” should listen to the greatest story ever told.

The above letter was published on 6/11/07.

[noble]

I decided to go to the church of my fathers on Fathers Day. I grew up in the churches of Christ, a non-denominational evangelical church that was founded by Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone at the beginning of the 19th century. I went to a large Church of Christ in Jackson - about a mile east of West Jackson Baptist Church on Oil Well Road.

All the Sunday morning worshippers were already at church by the time I parked my body in my canvas Directors Chair at the entrance of North Jackson Church of Christ. Some of the late stragglers saw my sign when they drove by me. I soon had the youth minister, Mr. Craig Cooper, visiting me to see what my protest was about. When I explained my sign - "Take Up Your Cross Means Lay Down Your Sword" - and talked with him about my graduating from Freed-Hardeman University and Harding University Graduate School of Religion (both CofC schools) he pleasantly wished me well and returned to his Sunday School.

It was 99 degrees Farenheit today in Jackson. It felt like it, too, as the sun cooked me until I was well done. If the Jackson cannibals had me for their Sunday noon meal they would had been disappointed with the dry meat!

When the Christians finished worshipping at North Jackson Church of Christ they all rushed out to their air-conditioned, oil guzzling SUVs and drove by me to get back on Oil Well Road. For some reason I got the feeling they were told in church to ignore the man sitting outside with the sign. Nearly all the people drove by me and looked through me as if I wasn't there. An occasional driver would look my way and turn to the Christian in the front passenger seat and laugh. At least they didn't get out of their SUV and chew me up and spit me out! I guess I didn't look appetizing to them.

After everyone cleared out I packed up and drove over to the Sunday crowd at West Jackson Baptist Church. They were just letting out when I arrived.

The car caravan drove up one by one to the front entrance of their massive parking lot. I believe people recognized me as the nut who was at the the other entrance last Sunday morning. I was pleased to see my friend, Professor David Gushee of Union University, wave and shout my name as he drove up. I waved and said, "Hi David!" It was sure good to see a friend.

David Gushee had wrote several books in the area of Christian ethics and is a regular columnist for the Jackson Sun. I've written many letters to the Editor challenging his Just War theory position.
It seems he has moved closer to my absolutist position on nonviolence but still hangs on to Constantinianism. Nevertheless, David is a welcomed breath of fresh air in a largely theologically-stagnant West Tennessee desert.

Well, the cars kept streaming by and I kept my sign out there for all to see. "Take Up Your Cross Means Lay Down Your Sword" seems to kept the whole message of God's call for us to follow the Prince of Peace into the good fight of faith that trusts good will overcome evil through the unconditional love of God for friends and enemies.

I saw many enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. It sure was good to see and hear from a friend.

I hope to read what my friends at Jesus Radicals.com have to say about their witness to the Church about its involvement in mass homicide.

The Peace of Christ be with you.

Elbon Kilpatrick
Jackson, Tennessee