Marine Cpl. William McFarland, left, and Civil Air Patrol Cadet 1st Lt. John Fisher salute after placing a wreath for the Marine Corps at the "Wreaths Across America" ceremony Saturday at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park. This year, wreaths were placed at 350 veterans cemeteries in all 50 states as well as in 24 American countries in foreign lands. Sonoma Index Tribune Dec 18. 2008
Today I read in my local paper of an annual event called the 'wreath ceremony' which honors dead military veterans.
This caught my attention for a couple of reasons:
1. It grieves me that so many men and women have fought and died in needless, contrived wars under the guise of 'protecting our freedom'.
2. The wreath is a pagan symbol.
THE WARS
"War paralyzes your courage and deadens the spirit of true manhood. It degrades and stupefies with the sense that you are not responsible, that 'tis not yours to think and reason why, but to do and die,' like the hundred thousand others doomed like yourself. War means blind obedience, unthinking stupidity, brutish callousness, wanton destruction, and irresponsible murder." - Alexander Berkman - source
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THE WREATH
"To the Romans, the month of December marked the Festival of Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24). One of their most common customs during that festival was giving gifts to one another. As far as we know that is where the idea of exchanging presents came from. The evergreen wreath also derives from the Saturnalia festival, during which homes were decorated with evergreen boughs. The Druids of England gathered sacred mistletoe for their ceremonies and decorated their homes with it. It is believed that the first Christmas tree was instituted by Boniface, an English missionary to Germany in the eighth century. He supposedly replaced sacrifices to the god Odin's sacred oak with a fir tree adorned in tribute to Christ. Certain accounts claim that Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree lighted with candles." source
MARK 13
5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
JAMES 4
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
4 comments:
Who is Alexander Berkman that I should follow believe what he says?
I'm sure you have read in the Old Testatment, but perhaps you have not observed how many times Jehovah God called for His chosen people to engage in war against evil people.
Aren't born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to live under the new covenant?
The Word of God says in Mathew 5:
"Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
I don't see anywhere in Scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ tells us to hurt, much less kill, other people. Do you?
Who is Alexander Berkman that I should follow believe what he says?
The new covenant means the perfect blood was paid for sin, no more sacrifices are needed for forgiveness. God's principles for dealing with murderous people has not changed. His call for justice is the same.
Matthew 5: 21 "Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:" Jesus is quoting the law, specifically the 10 commandments. "Kill" in Matthew 5 is "murder" in Ex. 20. When soldiers go out to kill murderous terrorists, they are "bearing the sword" as God has given governments to do.
Rom:5
3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
This is new covenant stuff.
So, yes I have found scripture for killing terrorists.
You are correct in that God uses rulers/governement to bring judgement on evil doers. However, in war, the innocent are killed. Look at what Israel's been doing the last few days - going after 'terrorists' and killing innocent people in the process. Is this the will of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Who are the terrorists? Some point their finger at the USA because of all the weapons we have created and used on others (i.e. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945).
Followers of Christ are to love their neighbor as Paul writes in the same chapter and not inflict warm to the innocent.
Btw, all these verses are from Romans 13 and not Romans 5:
Romans 13
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
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