Bells for Aleppo

[junobet]

A small Parish in Finland started to ring their funeral bells for the victims of Aleppo and by now this sign of protest and solidarity has become a big international movement with more churches joining daily. Let’s pray that the brutal killing in Syria ends soon!

http://bellsforaleppo.org/

 

[Stranger]

junobet

But before the killing ends, I pray the right ones are doing the dying.

Stranger

 

[junobet]

junobet

But before the killing ends, I pray the right ones are doing the dying.

Stranger

Please don't ever pray for anybody's death!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor’[a]and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? 47 And if you greet only your relatives, that’s no great thing you’re doing, is it? Even the unbelievers[b]do the same, don’t they? 48 So be perfect,[c]as your heavenly Father is perfect..”
​​(Matthew 5:43-48)

 

[Stranger]

Please don't ever pray for anybody's death!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor’[a]and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? 47 And if you greet only your relatives, that’s no great thing you’re doing, is it? Even the unbelievers[b]do the same, don’t they? 48 So be perfect,[c]as your heavenly Father is perfect..”
​​(Matthew 5:43-48)

So a Christian should not serve in the military? If he does, he shouldn't kill, even if it cost his and other's lives? The Christian should let others do the dirty work and then live under the 'glorious' freedom?

Stranger

 

[junobet]

So a Christian should not serve in the military? If he does, he shouldn't kill, even if it cost his and other's lives? The Christian should let others do the dirty work and then live under the 'glorious' freedom?

Stranger

Christians are called to be martyrs if need be, not killers. And they are indeed to love their enemies and not to repay evil with evil.

 

[Josho]

A small Parish in Finland started to ring their funeral bells for the victims of Aleppo and by now this sign of protest and solidarity has become a big international movement with more churches joining daily. Let’s pray that the brutal killing in Syria ends soon!

http://bellsforaleppo.org/

Amen to that.

Interesting movement though, thanks for sharing.

 

[Stranger]

Christians are called to be martyrs if need be, not killers. And they are indeed to love their enemies and not to repay evil with evil.

Are Christians ever called to fight and die if need be? Are they ever called to be soldiers or policeman? does 'turn the other cheek' and 'love your enemies' mean we are to be pacifists? If a Christians family is attacked should they just watch and pray?

How do these verses work in real life?

Stranger

 

[junobet]

Are Christians ever called to fight and die if need be? Are they ever called to be soldiers or policeman? does 'turn the other cheek' and 'love your enemies' mean we are to be pacifists? If a Christians family is attacked should they just watch and pray?

How do these verses work in real life?

Stranger

Yes, as a servant of the Prince of Peace I think a consequential reading of the Sermon on the Mount commands us to be pacifists engaging in peaceful resistance to the violent revengeful logic of worldly empire. Even if it means we have to follow Him on the cross, we are to be the light of this world that gives witness of His kingdom in which people “will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
I know many Christians who try to compromise on this radical message for the sake of ‘real life’, but even the soldiers and policemen among them would find your first comment in this thread shockingly inappropriate for a Christian. If you can’t see how inappropriate it was, I shall be praying for your soul.

 

[Stranger]

Yes, as a servant of the Prince of Peace I think a consequential reading of the Sermon on the Mount commands us to be pacifists engaging in peaceful resistance to the violent revengeful logic of worldly empire. Even if it means we have to follow Him on the cross, we are to be the light of this world that gives witness of His kingdom in which people “will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
I know many Christians who try to compromise on this radical message for the sake of ‘real life’, but even the soldiers and policemen among them would find your first comment in this thread shockingly inappropriate for a Christian. If you can’t see how inappropriate it was, I shall be praying for your soul.

So a Christian cannot be in the military? Nor a policeman?

Why did God say 'thou shalt not kill', but it is He Who gave the death penalty?

Again I ask, cause you didn't answer, if your family is attacked, does your husband watch as you are being beaten and molested and just sit and pray on the couch?

Stranger

 

[junobet]

So a Christian cannot be in the military? Nor a policeman?

Why did God say 'thou shalt not kill', but it is He Who gave the death penalty?

Again I ask, cause you didn't answer, if your family is attacked, does your husband watch as you are being beaten and molested and just sit and pray on the couch?

Stranger

I suggest you start reading the Bible with Christ at its center if you seriously think God approves of the death penalty. If you do that you’ll hear a big “But I say unto you …” .
And one of the many things I love and respect my husband for is that the wish to kill is totally alien to him. It would torment his conscience for the rest of his life if he somehow did kill somebody, even if it was in self-defence or in defence of his family.
But you’re deflecting from the actual topic by asking one of the lamest questions that conscientious objectors were asked when my country still had a draft army:
Seeing that recently one of the US’s presidential candidates did not even know the name "Aleppo”, I probably can’t really blame you for not quite grasping the issue. It seems lots of American’s are rather uninformed about foreign affairs. Of course it is also possible that you happen to be far better informed than I am. Maybe you can actually tell who are the goodies and who are the baddies in Syria. I don't even think this question really matters: Syria is just another example for war corrupting all parties involved and causing unspeakable human suffering. God loves all these people, victims and perpetrators alike, and so should we. Ringing those funeral bells is a reminder of their shared human dignity.

 

[Stranger]

I suggest you start reading the Bible with Christ at its center if you seriously think God approves of the death penalty. If you do that you’ll hear a big “But I say unto you …” .
And one of the many things I love and respect my husband for is that the wish to kill is totally alien to him. It would torment his conscience for the rest of his life if he somehow did kill somebody, even if it was in self-defence or in defence of his family.
But you’re deflecting from the actual topic by asking one of the lamest questions that conscientious objectors were asked when my country still had a draft army:
Seeing that recently one of the US’s presidential candidates did not even know the name "Aleppo”, I probably can’t really blame you for not quite grasping the issue. It seems lots of American’s are rather uninformed about foreign affairs. Of course it is also possible that you happen to be far better informed than I am. Maybe you can actually tell who are the goodies and who are the baddies in Syria. I don't even think this question really matters: Syria is just another example for war corrupting all parties involved and causing unspeakable human suffering. God loves all these people, victims and perpetrators alike, and so should we. Ringing those funeral bells is a reminder of their shared human dignity.

Sorry to deflect the topic. Perhaps I will start a new one pertaining to these subjects.

Stranger

 

[heretoeternity]

Christians should be pacifists, as Jesus said in the Gospels, Love your enemies etc...also "blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God"..from the sermon on the mount.
Having said that, Christians should come against and condemn the violence and killing in prayer. Who is actually behind the Aleppo situation? ISIS and rebels, who are creations of the USA and allies to destablize Syria and indeed the entire middle east. So would anyone want to be in the USA military and perpetuate this kind of environment? Is anyone threatening the USA directly..No...so why do they need a killing machine military around the world? Unless of course they are puppets for the globalist world government and imposing their will on all people on the planet..

 

[Stranger]

Pacifists are cowards living off of what others have sacrificed to gain, in my most humble opinion.

Stranger

 

[heretoeternity]

Pacifists are cowards living off of what others have sacrificed to gain, in my most humble opinion.

Stranger

What is your scriptural reference for your statement, if you have any?

 

[Stranger]

What is your scriptural reference for your statement, if you have any?

Luke 22:36 " Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it,and like wise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."

Ex. 15:3 " The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. "

What is your scriptural reference that the believer is to be a pacifist?

Stranger

 

[heretoeternity]

Luke 22:36 " Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it,and like wise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."

Ex. 15:3 " The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. "

What is your scriptural reference that the believer is to be a pacifist?

Stranger

As a Christian I follow the teachings of Jesus in the Bible...Love your enemies, pray for your enemies Matthew 5 and Paul said in Romans 12.20 if your enemy is hungry feed him if he is thirsty give him water...
You cannot go through life with hate in your heart and seeking vengeance..Romans 12.19 vengeance is mine saith God.