Turning the Other Cheek in Geopolitics Plus Some Comments on Israel.

Question/Comment: 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Name Withheld"

To: Paul Stringini

Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2012 12:21 PM

Subject: Question

 Hello. I was hoping u could assist me.

I am a Christian and a good friend of mine is a Christian turned atheist. We also differ politically as he is a liberal. In a recent argument we agreed on a political matter and that was followed by Christian bashing. I asked him why he had to go there and he responded that all Christians are hypocrites because we want war with Iran and he spouted the Bible where Jesus said no matter what Christians should turn the other cheek. Where can I find that we need to be able to protect ourselves and our families in rebuttal to that? 
Thanks
Name Withheld

My First Response:

 ----- Original Message -----

From: "Paul Stringini"

To: "Name Withheld"

Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 11:56 AM

Subject: Re: Question

 Turning the other cheek is fine when it is my own cheek for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't think Jesus was trying to teach us about foreign policy when he spoke of turning the other cheek. We have a duty to protect the weak and our family members. I do not have the right to turn my neighbor's cheek into gunfire.  

The most important rule when dealing with outside countries is the GOLDEN RULE.  Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.  I think that definitely applies.  And I agree with your friend that many Christians are hypocritical on that count.  We have no business busting into our neighbor's house and keeping him from arming himself to protect himself from us.  We we like that to be done to us? 

If I lived in Iran I would certainly want nuclear weapons because I would want to defend myself from invasion by the United States.  We have no business telling them that they are not allowed to have certain weapons.  If the UN told us we couldn't own certain weapons, how would you feel about it? I wouldn't like that one bit!

Our country has become a belligerent bully and it is time we gave it a rest. The founders of this country warned against entangling ourselves in foreign affairs and we went and did it.  Maybe it was worth breaking that tradition in order to stop fascism and international communism which were very real threats. 

Islam can be tamed, but you get more flies with honey than with bombs.  If you do not utterly destroy people, but rather humiliate and degrade them.  All it does is sow the seeds of resentment and prolongs misunderstanding and violence.  I am shocked that so many Christians are so afraid of Islam and think that the solution is to just kill people.  It is like they do not believe in the power of the gospel.

I am against war with Iran, let them have nukes.  Stop trying to destabilize their country.  That is what feeds  the fires of radical Islam.  Poverty and chaos. In the midst of the Chaos radical religious sects find fertile ground for utopian ideas and promises of a glorious future.

At its core, Islam is a very permissive and flexible religion that is full of moral ambiguity.  It can be liberalized.  If they had peace and money they would very likely drown themselves in excess and fornication, as many Christians do.   So let not their blood come on our hands. Give them peace and let them prosper, and they will stop allowing radicals to disturb our peace.  In fact, the radicals would likely turn on their own Muslim countries for not being "Muslim enough."  After all, the world trade center bombing had more to do with the US military presence in Muslim countries than anything else.

We are creating our own enemies by acting like an Empire.  That is how I feel. And ultimately, the only way to favor war with Iran at this point is to lay aside Christ's teachings.  Your friend is right. 

We should not be for wars that are not defensive in nature. And calling this defensive is outrageous.  If we let them fire the first shots, we would be waiting a long time, because they don't want war with us.  We are forcing the matter by telling them what they can do in their own country.  If that happened to us, what would we do?  Put our tail between our legs?  These are men, but if we make them grovel like dogs they will hate us FOREVER and fight us with every ounce of their strength.

Sincerely,
Paul Stringini

Emailer's First Reply:

----- Original Message -----

From: Name Withheld

To: Paul Stringini

Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 9:29 AM

Subject: RE: Question

Hi Paul,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question.  Just so you know, I am not a bible thumper Christian.  I simply believe in God and Christ and do my best to educate myself on biblical matters.  I too bought tapes from Pastor Murray (sp), but after a while, I too found holes in his teachings.  Even though I always considered myself Christian, I have spent years not going to church because I have yet to find a church that I can stomach.  I lived a life of trying my best to be a good person, and following the Golden rule the best I could....it was funny to see you use that example.  About three years ago, I decided to return to Sunday church-going, and even though I have issues with the Catholic Church, I go there as I was brought up in Catholic Church and feel comfortable there.  My feelings are that I go for God...to visit him like I would go visit my parents, and the Church itself is like my annoying family members...it's just something I deal with in order to visit and show my love.  Enough said about that.

So, one thing I really hate is when people use the bible to justify or promote their actions or stances.  One thing I despise more than that is when an atheist quotes the bible to promote whatever agenda they are promoting.  The bible seems to be a useful tool for people to make a case...even when they hate God.  The thing about the bible too is that when you ask five people, you'll get five different interpretations of what is being said.   I don't want to go to war with anyone, war is Hell.  People die, people kill, people rape and pillage.  And in today's world, people incinerate each other...nukes.  I also don't hate Muslims.  I am indifferent to other people's religious beliefs...as long as they leave me alone to practice whatever faith I decide to follow.  However, my feelings about that culture is that if you give them an inch, they take a mile.  Also, they pounce on people they perceive as weak.   Iran has stated publicly that they would use Nukes on Israel if they had them...so I think it's dangerous for them to have them.  Why should we be able to have them and them not?  Because we were the ones who figured it out and developed it.  We are also the only ones ever to use a nuclear weapon and see the destruction it causes.  The big difference is we (The U.S.) generally have somewhat of a conscience overall and don't ever want that destruction again.  Radical Islam wants that destruction on their enemies and would use it.  I think the only thing that would truly make the Middle East happy as a whole is for Israel to leave forever, and you and I both know that that will never happen without Iran frying them with a nuclear weapon.  It's not them firing on us that I worry about, it's them firing on Israel.  AND, it really upset me because I never said to my friend that I wanted to go to war with Iran, I just didn't think our president should be telling Israel to not go to war with Iran...mainly because he knows war between Israel and Iran would almost certainly escalate as Muslims truly hate Israel and would likely join in on the fight from all over the middle-East...which would almost certainly drag us into the war as Israel is our Allie.    I agree, the U.S. does act imperial...for sure...and I DO NOT agree with that.  But what are we supposed to do?  Turn the other cheek, look the other way?  That was what we did pre- WWII and Hitler killed six million Jews.  That was why I wrote you.  You seem knowledgeable, and it was hard for me to counter my friend as that really is what Jesus said.  I had nothing.  But your answer was helpful...thanks again.   

Name Withheld

My Second Response:

----- Original Message -----

From: Paul Stringini

To: Name Withheld

Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 6:28 PM

Subject: Re: Question

Hi again,

Well, I'm glad to be of some little help. When it comes to Christianity, there is not a lot about how to run a country.  Jesus' kingdom is not of this world.  And I do agree that it is annoying when people who don't take the bible seriously try to use it to teach us a thing or two. 

The world is in a mess.  I'm not a big fan of Israel.  Israel is known for is sex slavery and brutal treatment of prisoners among other abominations.  I feel like they should fend for themselves.  I do not want to prop up a wicked and ungodly nation such as Israel. God will preserve his people and punish the wicked, I can believe that or I can pick the winners and losers myself... 

I know that goes contrary to the general wisdom concerning Israel among American Christians, but I look at the bible and I look at Israel and I say, "Why are we protecting this wicked nation?"  And are we supposed to continually turn a blind eye to the wickedness perpetrated by that nation? I do not want the Jews exterminated, by any means, but the Jews are durable and have coexisted with Muslims for centuries and I'm sure they could work something out among themselves if they were not being put in an artificially dominant position constantly by us. 

I sincerely believe our continual picking of winners and losers is an impediment to lasting peace in the region.  We fan the flames of radical Islam.  They feed off our violence and meddling.  They don't hate us for our prosperity or our freedom.  I figure you know that is just propaganda.  They hate us because we are meddling in their affairs, and we always take Israel's side, that and we keep beating them in war.  Muslims (culturally) are extremely proud, it seems like pride is built into their religion, they will get worse and worse the more we try to break them. 

I have read at least a dozen books on Islam, most of them negative, and also a few on Israel.  While I understand that Islam is a religion bent on world domination, I also understand that my religion is also bent on world domination (And many Atheists want the same).  The interest in dominating the world can be moderated, but it takes prosperity and peace.   That is what corrupts Christianity, prosperity and peace, it would also work on Islam.  Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves becoming decadent and worldly.  These are merely men, all they really need is bread and circuses and they will forget about their revolutions.

 

I consider myself to be patriotic.   I have a flag hung in my garage, I love to shoot my guns. I coach wrestling, and  all my sons wrestle to win. I love freedom. I believe that Christ first gave us liberty which for godly men is better than laws.  I love my country. My country is my neighbors and fellow citizens and the land we inhabit together. I love our constitution. The little minority that goes to Washington I consider to be traitors in various big and small ways.  From selling out on regulations designed to stifle competition and destroy small businesses to terrorizing the minds of terror suspects with water-boarding and psychological torture. 

Our claims to conscience were somewhat shredded during the Bush years when we forsook the path of our forefathers and began denying rights to human beings. Citizens or no, lawful combatants or not.  We once held that men have rights based on the fact that they are human beings created in God's image, and no man ought to be seized without warrant or tortured based on suspicion (as many were in the past decade). I don't know if you are familiar with the cases, but the fear and terror in the hearts of our leaders has left a black mark on our history which I am in no way confident is ever going to be removed or healed. 

 

Sincerely,

Paul Stringini

Emailer's Second Reply:

----- Original Message -----

From: Name Withheld

To: Paul Stringini

Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 1:51 AM

Subject: RE: Question

Well, I truly appreciate your rapid and candid response.  You were actually a big help...more because you gave me some insight about myself and how I view things...and how I need to open my eyes to bigger pictures.  I'm not perfect.  We all have opinions, and mine aren't right or wrong, they're mine.  And my friend...his aren't right or wrong either...they're simply his.  I'm patriotic too.  I love my country.  We simply spend too much time hating each other in this new civil war between democrats and republicans, when the real enemy is embedded in both parties.  Politicians are just loving that people are doing their dirty work for them...let the peasants fight amongst themselves, meanwhile we will rape and steal them blind.  Thanks again.

Name Withheld