You can download your free ebook here.
It’s hard to believe but the war drums are beating again! And somehow the Right and the Left have found themselves in pro-war positions against each other. Yes, I’m speaking about the Russo-Ukrainian War. America isn’t technically involved – I said technically – in this war and yet the left and the right are taking their respective sides. And our Christian brothers and sisters are getting wrapped up in the rhetoric.
Christians don’t need to feel conflicted about issues like the Ukraine-Russia conflict because we see through the lens of allegiance to Christ. The intrinsic evils of statism and the the institutional momentum clashes of these massive states inevitably will lead to the horrors of war.
But Christians, both in America and across the world, often are deceived by their supposed leaders. While we rightly believe that small groups committing violence against each other is gang warfare or pure murderous impulse, governments throughout history lie to their people that large groups killing in war is good and “just” because “we” did it “by the rules.” But “we” are not the government, and such language is ideological camouflage for those who desire power and domination over others.
Whether you’re a Christian or not, don’t fall into the trap. War is simply mass murder at even larger scale. Many of our Christian forebears, even in the United States, understood this. From thinkers such as Alexander Campbell and David Lipscomb in the 19th century Churches of Christ, to famed preacher Charles Spurgeon, to the early church fathers, consistent Christians have always realized that our faith calls us to eschew such violence. Self-defense may be permitted, but we do not participate in the ratcheting up of aggression at the whims of world leaders, whether corrupt or even well-intentioned. By refusing such calls to kill, we fulfill the call of Christ to be a blessed “peacemaker.”
2,000 years later, many have forgotten that following the Prince of Peace means being against war and violence. No matter the alleged reasons a government promotes war, Christians are to stand up against empire, especially when it commits violence in the name of goodness
This is why the Libertarian Christian Institute decided it was about time to create a free, sharable resource to help explain why Christians must take a peaceful posture, even now!
You can get your free eBook at PeacefulChristians.com.
Below is an overview of what you’ll find inside:
- Why it’s time for Christians to love peace
- Praying for Peace as we Revel in War
- What Things Make for Peace?
- What About Religious Wars Waged Against Us?
- Being Pro-life…Consistently
- Is “Just War Theory” Legitimate?
Even if you aren’t a Christian, you’ll be surprised at how antiwar the Scriptures are! Find out what the Bible says about war by downloading the book at PeacefulChristians.com.
Doug Stuart is CEO of the Libertarian Christian Institute. He holds an MDiv from Missio Seminary, and his writing and speaking focus on challenging the status quo. Doug became a full-fledged libertarian because Christians can defend liberty as a necessary aspect of loving others and defending the rights of the oppressed. Doug currently lives with his wife and three children in Lancaster, PA, where he freelances as a graphic designer and video producer. He has served as a deacon at an evangelical church, where he has also taught classes on film and culture, evangelism, faith and economics, and non-violence.
Thanks for the free offer. Sep 25, 2022 David Swanson in Seattle on Sept 24, 2022 By Beyond War
https://youtu.be/ViJUGaKJsEg
That was a great speech. The US, the most powerful nation in the world should set an example for the rest of the world to follow but of course won’t. Swanson should have also mentioned land mines. The US never signed a treaty to have them removed. The Late Princess Diana was involved in campaigns to have them removed. Cambodia has the most land mines in the world.
I never understand how so many Christians sing the carols of peace and turn around to immediately to support their ultra-hawish politicians and positions. If you consider yourself a real Christian, you should read this and see what the scripture really say about peace and give your vote to anyone other than the two major pro-war parties.
Agreed. But I doubt reading this booklet would do the trick. It’s extremely light on scripture, theology, although being a nice condensed run down of the history of US involvement in the ME.
As well, the group that puts it out immediately alienates 1.2 billion Catholics by calling the Church “the whore of Babylon”. Not a big selling point. If you want to interest someone in your position calling them horrible names is probably not going to work well.
George Warmonger Bush said God told him to wage war against Iraq but never found a way to prove it.
The shrub said a lot of things. I don’t think God was listening.
Where does the LCI say that the Catholic Church is “the whore of Babylon”?
https://libertarianchristians.com/2022/10/10/history-and-relationship-of-early-christians-to-civil-government/
…it grew into the Romish hierarchy – the scarlet-colored whore of Revelations.
Thus this people testified for fourteen hundred years against the usurpations, crimes, political alliances, wars, strifes and persecutions of the Romish Church as from the evil one – the man of sin…
…in other words they were corrupted by the parties that now come out of the Romish hierarchy…
The whoredom of the mother – the Romish church…
Care to comment?
@DriverBillyHonking:disqus — That’s a fair catch, so allow me to explain. The author of that article, David Lipscomb, published this in 1869 when it was more commonly acceptable to hold such a view. I felt it was important on a historical level to be able to publish such a piece — Lipscomb is an important thinker in the history of American Christianity. It would be appropriate to put a disclaimer noting such in the piece, and in the past I actually did do so on another reprint piece from Lipscomb (this was a couple of years ago, I believe).
But also, you should know that we have been quite ecumenical in our dealings with everyone. We promote Catholics such as Tom Woods, Randy England, Andrew Napolitano, Robert Sirico, and more.
So while I hope to alleviate the offense caused, I also will not apologize for posting the piece itself, as it still has value. It is wholly appropriate to criticize the RCC for complicity in the state just as I would blast my fellow protestants and even my own specific denomination for such. Fair enough?
I know who Lipscomb is. Anyone who researches American anti-Catholic bigotry would. And, yes, this attitude was (and still is) common amongst the Protestant sects.
Even a disclaimer would not suffice in this case. A treatise on politics, and religion outlining Catholic political involvement is one thing, saying “the Romish Church is a whore” is not merely a “criticism”, but straight up bigotry, and hate mongering.
You haven’t stated if you hold that view. Please do so.
Would you post a piece by any prominent Klansmen on the evils of the black race, and a defense of American slavery, if he stated his position on the over reaching federal government in Southern economic affairs?
Perhaps with a disclaimer? :)
I mean, it would have some value as to the attitudes of Protestantism in America.
Listing Woods, and Napolitano doesn’t elicit any good time vibes. Particularly Woods, who regularly trashes the Church, and is praised for it by none other than Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant, a prominent schismatic heretic who makes bank out of attacking the Church.
Not looking good so far Norm.
One can take their libertarian political views, draped in 19th century protestant bigotry, and hocus-pocus we gots us some Chree’ristian libertarianism boys!!
Ain’t got much appeal from my view.
Calling the Church “a Romish whore” and promoting schismatic “Catholics”, obscures your economic message even if I agree with the majority of it. (the econ part).
So, Norman, do you agree with Lipscomb on his take of the Church, with invoking imagery from John’s Revelation?
Say, is Norman going to respond to my question?
Or is “whore of Babylon” yous guys idea of ecumenicalism?
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