September 10, 2002

The Digression Ends Here... I Hope
Everett V.

Since I agree with Vagor that the LOTR/Christianity debate seems to have been milked dry (and because this is somewhat off-topic), I will make this my last post on the charged tangent that I have initiated, and only because my views have been somewhat misrepresented by Annatar (I will assume that this was done unintentionally.).

First of all, in quoting John 2:13-16, I was not asserting that Jesus was a violent person. The greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. What I was asserting was that in this particular situation Jesus acted violently (unless over-turning tables and driving people out of an area with a whip does not constitue an act of violence), and that this act of violence was justified. I made no attempt to equate what Christ did in the Temple with Gandalf lopping off the heads of a few Orcs, not because I don't feel that Gandalf was justified in doing so, but because it was beside the point.

Regarding Matthew 10:34, it seems that either you deny the existence of the SPIRITUAL war that is being waged today, or my lack of a transition statement brought about a degree of confusion regarding what I was actually saying (Of course, either of these assertions could very well be wrong.). Either way, I should probably clarify my position.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and mankind was cut off from God (Though there were notable exceptions such as Noah and Enoch.). When this happened the world and mankind came under the dominion of Satan. Throughout the Old Testament, God sets in motion a plan to take back the world and open to all of mankind the possibility of sharing in the intimacy that Adam and Eve enjoyed in Eden. This begins with the call of Abraham and continues through the formation of Israel, the Babylonian exile, the return to Israel, etc., etc., up until the New Testament. At this point God sends His only Son into the world. He teaches, works signs and wonders, acquires followers, etc., until He is betrayed, tried for blasphemy, taken to Pilate and there ordered scourged and then crucified. Then, He carries his cross to Golgotha, where he is crucified. He is buried in the Tomb and is raised from the dead on the third day. After this, he appears to the Apostles several times and gives them the Great Commission to go out and make disciples of all nations. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes down upon the Apostles and the Church is established. Much more happened, but this is sufficient for now.

Matthew 10:34 is not a statement that people will fight because of Jesus, it is the the entire point of His mission. He came to reconcile man to God out of love, and in order to do this, it was necessary for Him to free us from sin and death, as well as break the authority of Satan, which His crucifixion and resurrection accomplished. However, mankind still retains free will, and Satan desires our downfall. To that end he, along with the world and the flesh, attack us, in an attempt to get us to somehow fall away from God or keep from following Him in the first place. This is the Spiritual war in which we are engaged. Mankind is the battleground, and we are the soldiers of God, armed with the Sword of His Spirit, called to fight for lost souls and win men and women for God.

To this end, one of our greatest weapons is the love of God. It is not primarily by preaching that people are drawn to Christianity, but rather by Christians living out their faith in everyday life and showing the love of Christ to those around them.

I am well aware that God is love. Indeed, the things He endured during the Passion and his plea "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." is evidence of his great love and mercy. John 3 and 1 Corinthians 13 also bear this out, as do many other places in Scripture.

If you wish to respond to this Annatar, and don't want to post it on the site, e-mail it to me at aiwnedill@yahoo.vom.