CRAIGforCONGRESS

Missouri's 7th District, U.S. House of Representatives

  
 

 

 

Congressional Issues 2012
SOCIETY
A Biblical Defense of Pacifism



Biblical Law
Including the Old Testament
Opposes War, Capital Punishment, and Lethal Self-Defense



About the Author

In a nutshell, Kevin Craig has been a "Christian Reconstructionist" since 1977. His first Chalcedon Report article appeared in 1979. He received personal tutoring from R.J. Rushdoony and Greg Bahnsen, and shared the pulpit with David Chilton at Reformation Bible Church in Anaheim, CA. More details are available.

About the Reader

If you are a Christian, you are a pacifist. If you are not a pacifist, you are not following the Prince of Peace. You have reached a web site that would like to see you become a better pacifist!

What Is "Theonomy?"

"Theonomy" is an influential conservative Christian movement. The name comes from two Greek words, "God" and "Law." It attempts to establish the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, advocating the social implementation of God's Law in both Testaments. More Here. A whole lot more here.


The Biblical Mandate for Peace

(Matthew 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

(Luke 6:27-28) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

(Hebrews 12:14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

(Luke 2:8-14) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them ... and the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(Luke 1:77-79) To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, {78} Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, {79} To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

(Leviticus 26:6) I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of [tyrants and those who seek to impose their will on others by force] and keep your enemies out of your land.

(Proverbs 16:7) When man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

(Hosea 2:18) And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and warfare out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

(1 Peter 3:9) Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called--that you might inherit a blessing.

(1 Peter 2:21-23) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: {22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: {23} Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:

(Romans 12:17-20) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. {18} If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. {19} Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. {20} Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:

(Psalm 34:14) Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

(Psalm 35:20) For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

(Psalm 37:11) But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

(Psalm 37:37) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

(Psalm 72:7) In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

(Psalm 85:10) Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

(Psalm 119:165) Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

(Psalm 120:2-7) Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.{5} Woe is me, {6} My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. {7} I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

(Psalm 122:6-8) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. {7} peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. {8} For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, peace be within thee.

(Proverbs 3:17) The ways of Wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

(Proverbs 12:20) Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

(Isaiah 9:6-7) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. {7} Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 26:12) O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us.

(Isaiah 32:17-18) And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. {18} And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

(Isaiah 48:18) O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

(Isaiah 48:22) There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

(Isaiah 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

(Isaiah 54:13) And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

(Isaiah 55:12) For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

(Isaiah 57:19) I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

(Ephesians 2:14-17) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; {16} And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

(Isaiah 59:8) The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

(Isaiah 60:17) For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

(Isaiah 66:12) For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

(Ezekiel 34:25) And I will make with them a covenant of peace

(Ezekiel 37:26) Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

(Daniel 4:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

(Daniel 6:25) Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

(Nahum 1:15) Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

(Haggai 2:9) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

(Zechariah 6:13) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

(Zechariah 8:16) These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

(Zechariah 8:19) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

(Zechariah 9:10) And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

(Malachi 2:5-6) My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. {6} The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

(Malachi 2:6) The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

(Romans 1:7) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 2:10) But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

(Romans 3:10-18) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: {11} There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. {12} They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. {13} Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: {14} Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: {15} Their feet are swift to shed blood: {16} Destruction and misery are in their ways: {17} And the way of peace have they not known: {18} There is no fear of God before their eyes.

(Romans 8:6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Romans 10:15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

(Romans 14:17-19) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. {18} For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. {19} Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

(Romans 15:33) Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

(Romans 16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

(1 Corinthians 1:3) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 14:33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

(2 Corinthians 1:2) Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: {4} (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) {5} Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

(2 Corinthians 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

(Galatians 1:3) Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

(Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

(Galatians 6:16) And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

(Ephesians 1:2) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 4:3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(Ephesians 6:15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

(Ephesians 6:23) peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 1:2) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 4:9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

(Colossians 1:2) To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Colossians 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

(Colossians 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

(1 Thessalonians 1:1) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 1:2) Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 3:16) Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

(1 Timothy 1:2) Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1 Timothy 2:2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

(2 Timothy 1:2) To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

(2 Timothy 2:22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

(Titus 1:4) To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

(Philemon 1:3) Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(James 3:17-18) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. {18} And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

(Hebrews 13:20) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

(1 Peter 1:2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

(1 Peter 3:11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

(1 Peter 5:14) Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

(2 Peter 1:2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

(2 Peter 3:14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

(2 John 1:3) Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

(3 John 1:14) But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

(Jude 1:2) Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied.

(Revelation 1:4) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Why Americans in Particular Have Trouble Hearing God's Law

Anyone attempting to prove that Biblical Law requires pacifism must come to grips with the fact that the United States of America may well be the most violent nation on earth. Americans take for granted the idea that if anyone gets in the way of your instant gratification, any steps -- including violence -- may be taken.

Some patriots will chafe at that assertion, but the ideology goes back to the formation of the United States, a beginning splattered with blood. "Christian Reconstructionists" debate whether the colonists had legal basis for rebelling, whether they were rebelling against Parliament or against the king, whether it was a revolution or "a conservative counter-revolution," and on and on. This scholarly-sounding mumbo-jumbo is simply an evasion of the stark evil which was the Revolution. Blatantly in violation of Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2, the Revolution was also a plain violation of the commandment not to kill. Consider this excerpt from the blood-splattered link above:

Imagine a young man about 23 years old. As an agent of the British Empire, he wears a red coat. He believes that the colonies face a situation of "anarchy" and chaos. For generations, the British government has maintained law and order, and he has been told that this stability is threatened by lawless hordes who vandalize tax-paying merchants while dressed as Indians. Based on reports of a large cache of arms in Lexington and threats of armed revolution, he has been sent away from his family in Liverpool to help maintain order in the colonies.

Oh dear. This nice young man has just had a large part of his face and shoulders blown away by the musket fire of an outraged tax-resister. This colonist (and others like him) apparently believed that this young British agent evinced "a design to reduce them under absolute despotism." As the officer lies dying in a pool of his own blood, the revolutionary "minute-man" rejoices in his victory over this red-coat's objective of the "establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states." [Language from the Declaration of Independence.]

Is this a loving (1 Corinthians 13:5-7) or righteous (John 7:24; Exodus 23:2; Proverbs. 24:21) judgment of this young human being? Was this British soldier a budding Adolph Hitler, or a "good Christian family man"?

Was this revolutionary killing the beginning, or the end, of a Christian nation?

The government levies a tax on you. What is your response as a Christian?

(a) pay the tax
(b) challenge the tax in court
(c) blow the IRS agent's brains out with Magnum Force
(d) a and b

If you answered "c," you lose. Jesus says "all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matthew. 26:52). If human life means less to you than taxes, or less than a particular political theory, then you have missed the Gospel.

America has missed the Gospel.

Worse than that, America once had the Gospel, and threw it away. The conflict in 1776 was not a group of colonists who were told they could not preach the Gospel. It was a group of merchants who did not want to submit to "the powers that be." They would rather destroy property and kill government agents than pay a tax one-tenth the size of the taxes we routinely pay today.

The casualties on both sides of this War were (are) staggering. How many Christians died? How many murders were committed over the issue of taxes? America was baptized in violence, materialism, and autonomous revolution.

This baptism resulted in the creation of a reprobate nation whose violence has gone unabated. While Britain and most other Christian nations abolished slavery without resorting to violence, the Unitarian United States fought an incredibly destructive Civil War. And when the most recent 200 years of American history are compared with the first 200 years, a Christian can only shed a tear at the decline of a "City Upon a Hill" into the Sugar Daddy of international socialism and bastion of the fascist New World Order.

Most Christians do not think of themselves as pacifists because they think of themselves as Americans. Unfortunately, America is an anti-Christian nation. America is a Secular Humanist Theocracy. For a Christian to think of himself as an American is as senseless as a Christian thinking of himself as an Islamic Fundamentalist. If you see the contradictions, you will be saying, "How can I become a better pacifist?" Well, you're in luck; the Bible tells you how.

The problem goes back to the origin of America. Whereas the original colonies were more or less Christian Theocracies, much of the formation of the Federal Government involved an attempt to get away from Christian Theocracy. There may have been some Christians involved in the effort, but they were not consistent with the Scriptures.

My goal as a pacifist is to follow the Scriptures even when it contradicts the reigning mythology of America. I trust that your goal - whether you call yourself a "pacifist" or not - is the same: God before country.

The Biblical texts considered in the links above are sufficient to prove the case for pacifism. If you have digested those links, you might be ready to consider more Biblical evidence for Pacifism.


The Prince of Peace and the Law of Love

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). "Pacifism" comes from the Latin word for "peace." This might be considered a prima facie case for pacifism in itself. But strangely, when the average conservative Christian is asked, he doesn't say "Yes, of course I'm a pacifist [and then clarify the term if need be]." The average American reacts quickly and angrily: "I ain't no pacifist."

Jesus said the entire Law and Prophets might be summed up in the command to love God and love your neighbor, which Jesus taught included our "enemies." Under the Sixth Commandment ("Thou shalt not kill"), the Westminster Larger Catechism explicates the Biblical requirements of non-violence. One could hardly imagine a fuller statement of pacifism.

But a clearer statement could be imagined: it would be obtained by removing three "exceptions" to the law of love which have crowded out pacifistic ethics since the time of Constantine. The Catechism teaches that "publick justice" (i.e., "capital punishment"), "lawful war," and "necessary defense" are all exceptions to the negative requirement not to kill, or the positive command to love one's "enemy." We should examine each of them, culminating in the death of our faith in the whole idea of the State itself.


"Self Defense" and the Way of the Cross

Jesus says we are to love our neighbor, even our "enemy." Jesus also says that no greater love exists than to give one's life for another. Jesus did not defend Himself when His life was threatened. Peter writes that this is a model for us (1 Peter 2:21-23). Some say, "But Jesus was giving His life as an atoning sacrifice; I'm not the Lamb of God; I've got to be 'responsible.'" This analysis completely overthrows the ethical teachings of Jesus. Read the passages again.

Some find a justification for lethal self-defense in Exodus 22:2-3. Indeed, some find here a mandate for killing. This is astonishing. The passage actually says that if you engage in lethal self-defense you are guilty of murder and must be executed! An exception arises at night, and one resorting to lethal self-defense will not be executed under those circumstances. But this is far from advocating lethal self-defense! And once again, even if the passage seemed to teach exactly what opponents of pacifism said it did, the whole system of ethics taught by Jesus would be negated by one passage. Everything else in the Catechism's exposition of the Sixth Commandment -- commands which should govern most of our daily lives -- is overturned by one "exception" -- a hypothetical exception which never even occurs in the lives of most people.

The willingness to give your life for another is not "impractical." I'd like to show you how it has worked for me. John Howard Yoder has edited a book entitled What Would You Do If . . ., which contains numerous accounts of how people have dealt with violent threats without themselves resorting to violence. But we must begin with the authority of Scripture, and admit that even if it doesn't "work," pacifism is still Christ's Command.


"Capital Punishment" and Liturgical Bloodshed

Another concept that has a tendency to overthrow everything else in the Catechism's exposition of the Sixth Commandment is the idea of "Capital Punishment." The Old Testament says nothing about "Capital Punishment." The Old Testament says that when certain sins are committed, there must be a shedding of blood to cleanse the land of bloodguiltiness (Numbers 35:33). This is a liturgy, not a penal sanction. Our ideas on "Capital Punishment" have been derived from Roman Law, not Biblical Law.

In Deuteronomy 21, the response to an unsolved homicide is the killing of an heifer. No responsible expositor believes that in A.D. 1999 the State should kill a cow when a homicide occurs but the perpetrator is not convicted. I think this is quite Biblical. No blood should be shed in such a case (Hebrews 10:4). But if we can convict the perpetrator, should we then shed his blood (Genesis. 9:4-5)? If our society needs to shed blood in the case of a solved homicide (Numbers 35:33), why not also in the case of an unsolved homicide (Deuteronomy 21)?

"Capital Punishment" is an issue of great consequence, and erroneous conclusions have been reinforced by centuries of Christian-Humanist syncretism. Accordingly, my page, The Death Penalty Debate, is a little on the long side.

"National Defense" and Liturgical Bloodshed

The thinking behind war also comes from Rome. The Bible says that Holy Wars were the execution of "capital punishment" on a national scale. Not just against one criminal, but against an outlaw nation. The Bible clearly says that the Canaanites polluted the Promised Land with their Leviticus 18-20 - type sins. The entire nation had to be dedicated to God as a sacrifice in order to cleanse the land. War in the Old Covenant was conducted by priests as a liturgical event. The objective was the shedding of blood. The pacifist says it is no longer theologically necessary to shed blood in "Holy War," but the Westminster Larger Catechism says otherwise, citing Jeremiah 48:10: "cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."

"Holy War" in the Old Testament was, with "capital punishment," a liturgical shedding of blood. War was an act of national "Capital Punishment." After Christ's work on Calvary, there is no longer a Biblical justification for "Holy War," and therefore no justification for war of any kind (Micah 4:3).


Pacifism, Limited Government, and Anarchism

If there is no justification for "Capital Punishment," and no justification for war, is there any justification for the State at all? Have we abolished "the Sword"?

If there is one thing that unites "Christian Reconstructionists" involved in politics, it is the ideal of "limited government." Undoubtedly more than 98% of the current Federal Budget would be eliminated in a Theonomist utopia. Welfare, Education, Foreign Aid to socialists, economic intervention, and the fire-bombing of "religious wackos" in Texas would all be eliminated by Theonomists as lacking Constitutional mandate, to say nothing of Scriptural mandate. But anyone who calls for an elimination of the remaining 2% of the Federal Government (criminal law and "national defense") would be called a "heretic" and denounced in scathing language by these same Theonomists. As close as Reconstructionists are to libertarians, they freak out at the idea of being mistaken for "anarchists."

The Bible plainly teaches anarchism. Jesus said that the Gentile kings love to be "archists," but His followers are not to be so. That is the definition of an "an-archist": a servant, not an archist (Mark 10:42-45). The "chaos" we envision in a state of "anarchy" is really the chaos of lots of would-be archists attempting to impose their concept of order (or dis-order) on others through terrorist violence. There is no ethical distinction between these terrorists and the U.N.-approved "smart-bombs" that killed half a million women and children in Iraq.

The Bible teaches that "national security" is more likely to result when there is no State at all than when there is a strong central government. Human beings were created by God in families, and there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that God intended human beings to leave patriarchy and pursue politics. The political paradigm has failed. We must return to the Edenic paradigm of Patriarchy.


The Pacifism Debate: Selected E-mail and Newsgroup posts

I don't claim to have the last word. I still have doubts and questions. I appreciate strong dissenting arguments. Mail them to me at Kevin4VFT@KevinCraig.us. Read some of them here.

How to Become a Pacifist

O.K., forget the word "pacifist." Just ask, "How can I be a better Christian?" or "How can I 'be at peace with all men?'" (Hebrews 12:14) (Frankly, I think our sanctification has to come to a point where we don't care what other people call us. I would rather be called a "pacifist" than an "American." At least if I'm being called a pacifist [or, more likely, "stupid pacifist!"] it will be because I am perceived as different from a nation of people who will kill other human beings over a relatively small amount of money. There's an ancient and very wise proverb that I just made up which goes something like this: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but emotion-laden labels are just a way of avoiding my argument.")

Slowly but surely I am posting the steps toward pacifism. If you have your own suggestions, I'd love to hear from you.


Pacifism is a critical issue in our day.

"Pacifists" are often criticized for being willing to stand by and do nothing while their wife or daughter is raped.

This is slanderous, a violation of the Ninth Commandment.

Pacifists continually meet objections like those of Samuel Bacchiocchi:

It would be morally irresponsible to turn over one's wife to a rapist just to "keep peace."

This is an unchristian thing to say. This is a "straw man." Such critics cannot name a single pacifist who would do nothing to try to prevent or stop a rape. Rape is violence. Pacifists oppose violence. Allowing rape to take place is not "keeping peace." I've never met a pacifist (and I've met hundreds and lived with several) who would say to a rapist, "Here she is. Go for it. And peace to you." A pacifist believes evil is real, and believes violence is evil. A pacifist would take prudent steps to stop evil, avoid evil, catch evil off guard, and evangelize evil, but would not—as many non-pacifists seem to advocate—start out immediately with lethal force. Many 2nd Amendment zealots would pull out their gun at the drop of the hat. At least that's the way they talk. Probably they are a bit more rational. Like Bacchiocchi.

Here's a simple question that will prove you are a pacifist.

Imagine you are "Star Trek" Captain Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. You are walking down the street of a planet in the Deltoid Galaxy with one of your never-ending stream of beautiful women at your arm, when a large burly alien with the tattoo "I AM A RAPIST" across his forehead jumps out from a dark alley, grabs your female companion and says "I'm going to rape this woman!" You pull out your Phaser gun and . . . here's the question:

Do you set the Phaser to "stun" and quickly put the rapist to sleep and call the proper authorities, or do you set your Phaser to "maximum molecular disruption" and utterly obliterate the rapist, ending his life?

When given such a choice, only a sociopath would choose annihilation or lethal force. Everyone else is a "pacifist." It's that simple.

What happens if you're consistent with this innate, conscientious pacifism?

Answer: you will begin to change the world.

In many ways the most violent world in recorded history.


Christ is the Prince of Peace. His vassal-subjects must be committed to Peace. The Prince of Peace commanded us to love our enemies. True Christians are willing to follow Christ to the cross (Matthew 16:25; 1 Peter 2:21).

But the religion of Secular Humanism (America's State religion) teaches vengeance. Modern Man believes it's better to make someone else die for you than to give your life for another. Entire populations are organized on the principle of institutionalized vengeance.

The State was invented to replace Pax Christi with Pax Lamech, Pax Nimrod, Pax Pharaoh, Pax Babylonia, Pax Romana, and Pax Americana.

The Christmas Conspiracy” is a conspiracy to crush the “New World Order” into powder (Daniel 2:44).

Biblical Law teaches us to pray and work for peace: personally, locally, globally. Obedience to Biblical Law will eliminate “the State.” Justice is altruistic, not adversarial.

Jesus Christ was executed as a threat to the “New World Order.” His followers must be prepared to be punished as “anarchists.”

The Chief End of Man: The Glory of God, not the Glory of the “Fatherland”

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: War is the Health of the State

Militaristic Industrialism or Decentralized Harmony? Swords into Plowshares.

The Christmas Conspiracy is the Discipling of the Nations


As a third-party candidate since 2002, I have had virtually no realistic chance of unseating the third most powerful Republican in Congress. In 2012, it is still not good odds to bet on a Libertarian unseating any Republican in Missouri's 7th District.

The main purpose of this campaign is not really to win an election, it is to persuade people to become libertarians -- that is, to reject the use of force and threats of violence as a tool of social change. Once they make that shift in thinking, of course, they can publicly declare that point of view with their vote, and seek to have that view represented in Congress..

A Google search shows that this denunciation of violence and coercion is a central theme of this website:

Violence (search):
Persuasion, not Coercion
Order without Violence ... You Are A Libertarian if you abhor violence and do not resort to it in your daily life. ...
Order without Violence
Archists attempt to convince us that when things don't go the way we would like them to go, we can resort to violence to change matters. ...
What is an "Archist"
Even if nothing will be changed by violence, that's OK, because making them ... When preaching fails to gain a convert, the archist resorts to violence or ...
"The State" as Criminal
Defenders of the State are quick to contend that society would be plunged into crime and violence without the State to hold back the floodtides of depravity ...
Capitalism vs. Socialism
To say “I am not a capitalist” is to say “I support the use of violence to get what ... Find someone who is called a "capitalist" who uses the violence and ...
The War on Drugs
In other words, government should protect us from the violence of others but not initiate violence against us. The government should not be allowed to steal ...
Homosexuality
... my friends on the Religious Right not to initiate force or violence (either as "gay-bashing" or in the form of criminal laws) against homosexuals. ...
KEVIN CRAIG for Congress
You've been trained to think an "extremist" is a hate-mongering bigot, irrational and prone to violence. But why cannot one be extremely loving, sensible, ...
Memorial Day 2008
Shouldn't a Christian nation like America have a day to honor those who withstood the temptation to violence and vengeance and chose peace instead? ...
A Nation "Under God"
The violence and confusion of Brownson's time would diminish somewhat; Marxism would make little headway in the United States. ...
What is the Libertarian Party?
Socialism always involves the initiation of force against the innocent. The consistent Libertarian will never approve the initiation of force or violence. ...
The Nature of Government
and threats of violence. Consider this opinion from the Los Angeles Times .... "The Government" is institutionalized violence, systematic murder and theft. ...
Liberty Under God
Because I oppose the violence, I support "theocracy." Specifically, I believe we should move in the direction of a pure Christian Theocracy. ...
Controlling Pornography
And the few who take steps to stop pornography usually do nothing more than ask the government to inflict violence on pornographers. ...
Why I am Running
Not content with persuasion, they resort to threats of unspeakable violence against those who do not want to give their family's money to Democratic welfare ...
Attack on the Bill of Rights
To fight government and criminal violence, Americans need the means to defend themselves more than ever, yet we are being legally disarmed. ...
Worldview: Your Philosophy of Life
... Stopping Pornography w/o Violence, Prescription Drugs, Prison, Privatization ... Victimless Crimes, Victims' Rights, Violence, Voluntary Associations ...
Fundamental Tax Reform
Real tax reform begins with the recognition that taxation is extortion, the seizing of income or property under threats of force or violence. ...
Welfare and Charity
In other words, government should protect us from the violence of others but not initiate violence against us. The government should not be allowed to steal ...
China
True freedom begins in the heart: the power to resist the temptation to initiate force or violence against others just because they won't do your bidding. ...
Why Leaders Should be Christians
The nation is exposed to foreign violence and domestic convulsion. Vicious rulers, chosen by vicious people, turn back the current of corruption to its ...
The Draft
In other words, government should protect us from the violence of others but not initiate violence against us. The government should not be allowed to steal ...
Abolish the Federal Government
The use of violence against tax collectors -- muskets, cannons, or new weapons -- can never be justified. Our only weapon is persuasion. ...
Crime
"When things don't go the way you want, use violence to solve your problems. ... The government has become a bizarre violence-worshipping cult, ...
Education
But states defined "persistently dangerous" schools to insure that almost no children can escape violence. A Colorado school with a thousand students could ...
Politics as Salvation
Those who worship the State as their Messiah are willing to initiate force or threaten violence against the innocent in order to obtain salvation for ...
Controlling Pornography
And the few who take steps to stop pornography usually do nothing more than ask the government to inflict violence on pornographers. ...
Tobacco and the Rule of Law
and represent the initiation of force and threats of violence against others. http://KevinCraig.US/libertarian/ It doesn't seem like we have much in common, ...
Taiwan
A "Second Amendment" approach is an ethical toxin; even if Taiwan could be armed sufficiently to defeat China, she would be forever poisoned by the violence ...
"Hate Crimes"
... crimes which happen to be "politically incorrect." Violence against a politically-favored group is not more important than violence against you or me. ...
Iraq
... Security • Terrorism • The U.S./Islamic-Oil Connection • National Security • Afghanistan • Defense • Defense Budget • Sanctions • Violence • Peace ...
India-Pakistan
... STRATFOR.com : India • Government policy hurts agriculture in India • India as a World Power: Changing Washington's Myopic Policy • Violence in India ...
The "Endorsement" Test
... being under the direction of reason and conviction only, not of violence or compulsion, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, ...
Promote Christianity
That power will either be used to cultivate the Christian religion, or it will be used to destroy it and harvest the fruits of violence, theft, and misery. ...
Sexuality and Culture
not impose heterosexual monogamous culture on America by threats of force and violence;; oppose legislation which penalizes or undermines heterosexual ...
Evangelism and Social Order
More than a little violence was unleashed against various immigrant groups. These organizations not only did not accomplish their purpose, but also did much ...
Why I am Judgmental and Intolerant
May these verses help us, not to be judgmental for the sake of being judgmental, but to exalt God's Law, and replace the ugliness and violence of the world ...
Reclaiming the War Powers
... Security • Terrorism • The U.S./Islamic-Oil Connection • National Security • Afghanistan • Defense • Defense Budget • Sanctions • Violence • Peace ...
Police
The police whose voices are heard on the tape are using the power of the sword -- coercion and violence -- to make an arrest in the "War on Drugs. ...
Pornography
While there are good arguments for attempting to protect children from pornography using the strong-arm of the State, this only adds violence to the social ...
"National Security"
Although the Zidonians of Laish at the time of the Judges may have been at peace, their worship of idols matured into violence and tyranny. ...
Labor Relations Law
Enmons (1973) that prohibits federal prosecution of unionists for acts of extortion and violence when those acts are undertaken in pursuit of "legitimate ...
Gentleness
Because conversion is the result of God's Spirit, I do not attempt to force others through violence or threats. I am committed to showing personal care and ...
Socialism is Evil
Socialism is institutionalized violence. Walter Williams: Socialism is Evil • Socialism vs. Capitalism: Which is the Moral System by C. Bradley Thompson ...
Gambling
... tax dollars studying the already-documented effects of gambling; not do anything to attempt to eliminate gambling by coercion or threats of violence ...
Persuasive
Committed to changing hearts and minds rather than resorting to violence or threats. Removing another's obstacles to belief by being. Patient. ...
Frankness
In a world of defiant homosexuality, unmasked hatred, and widespread violence, I cannot afford to keep my religion out of the public square. ...
Why Homosexuals Should be Hated
Christianity teaches love for enemies, not hatred (where "hatred" takes the form of making sinners suffer, violence, vengeance, or "vigilante justice"). ...
Victims' Rights
JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIM (lp); Victim's Rights by Gary North; What is Justice - JusticeFellowship • CRIME (lp); Crime & Violence (lp); Crime and Violence (lp ...
Feminism and Pornography
Government is power; government is organized violence. If it exists it is advancing someone's agenda. If it is advancing the agenda of the pornographers, ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - December 15, 2007
... Foreign Intervention • Security • Terrorism • The U.S./Islamic-Oil Connection • National Security • Afghanistan • Defense Budget • Sanctions • Violence ...
Gender Discrimination
There is no greater force for violence in the world than the socialist State, ... FMF promotes non-violence and works to eliminate violence against women. ...
Creationism
Here is how creationism turned me against violence and the "military-industrial complex." That in turn made me an anarcho-creationist, an opponent of the ...
Eminent Domain is Theft
The government will seize the property by force, and use lethal violence to keep the owner away, giving the owner no more than $X in compensation, ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - September 15, 2007
... Security • Terrorism • The U.S./Islamic-Oil Connection • National Security • Afghanistan • Defense • Defense Budget • Sanctions • Violence • Peace ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - November 3, 2007
Cheney's Victory in Iraq • Holocaust Denial in the Service of War • "Do Violence to No Man" • War and Public Relations • Petraeus: America Safer? ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - April 19, 2008
Globalization • Violence • The Abolition of America -- CNN's Lou Dobbs; Abolishing the Government -- America's Founding Fathers vs. the Bush-Clinton Regime ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - December 22, 2007
... Foreign Intervention • Security • Terrorism • The U.S./Islamic-Oil Connection • National Security • Afghanistan • Defense Budget • Sanctions • Violence ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - June 7, 2008
In Iraq, they've helped bring violence down to its lowest point since late March of 2004. Civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down. ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - November 3, 2007
Cheney's Victory in Iraq • Holocaust Denial in the Service of War • "Do Violence to No Man" • War and Public Relations • Petraeus: America Safer? ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - November 17, 2007
Ultimately, it is the worship of violence. Earlier this week, I visited Berkeley Plantation in Virginia. The story of this historic setting goes back nearly ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - April 12, 2008
While there's more to be done, sectarian violence, civilian deaths, and military ... Fifteen months ago, extremists were sowing sectarian violence; today, ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - October 20, 2007
It is sinful and immoral to take money from Jones under threats of violence to give to "the poor children." It is unconstitutional for the federal ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - September 29, 2007
It is sinful and immoral to take money from Jones under threats of violence to give to Graeme Frost. -- even if Graeme Frost is poor. ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - January 12, 2008
The "right" to "exist as a nation" is the "right" to impose one's will on a minority by force and threats of violence. The United States federal government ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - October 6, 2007
It is sinful and immoral to take money from Jones under threats of violence to give to "the poor children." It is unconstitutional for the federal ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - March 8, 2008
... Foreign Intervention • Terrorism • The U.S./Islamic-Oil Connection • National Security • Afghanistan • Defense • Defense Budget • Sanctions • Violence ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - May 17, 2008
No Jewish person, nor the "government" of the "nation" of Israel has the right to use violence or initiate force against non-Jews to take possession of ...
Missouri Farm Bureau Philosophy
Using force or threats of violence is wrong. This is the heart of the "Free Market" philosophy. 2. "Improving commodity prices" is a bad goal. ...
Missouri Farm Bureau - Moral Issues
... displeasure with television shows containing obscenity, sex, violence and obscene language which are being presented to the American viewing public. ...
The National Duty to Not Be "Secular"
... finally, that, turning the hearts of our enemies from the violence and injustice which sway their councils against us, He would hasten a restoration of ...
Exposing Self Deception
Violence is never the answer. But neither are ignorance, apathy, inaction, or wishful thinking. These politicians took a solemn oath not to do this. ...
Congressman Ron Paul on Abortion
The authors of the Constitution intended for criminal matters and acts of violence (except for a few rare exceptions) to be dealt with at the state level. ...
The Real Tax Burden
Violence is wrong, but so is apathy. Take action. Do something. Vote for Kevin Craig in November. He's the only candidate who promises never to raise any ...
W.W.J.D.?
Kevin Craig wants to change the way people think about capitalism, socialism, violence, personal responsibility, and above all, Jesus Christ and the Bible. ...
Iran
The taproot of violence in our society is our intent to use nuclear weapons. Once we have agreed to that, all other evil is minor in comparison. ...
Against the Tide
Congress should cast votes based on Christian ethics, against the tide of secular corruption and violence. "Against the Tide" is the title of a book by ...
John Lofton Exclusive Interview with Jim Gilchrist
Both the ACLU and communists believe that the use of force or threats of violence are useful tools. Gilchrist's use of the term "anarchists" in this context ...
Jill Lepore: Prior Convictions - The New Yorker -- An Anarcho ...
The State being the institutionalization of vengeance and violence, a truly Christian nation is therefore a State-less nation. ...

The Fourth Archetype - Peace

Articles

 

Coercion (search):
Providence, not Coercion
Congress should. rely on the Protection of Divine Providence, as the Signers of the Declaration of Independence did. ...
Persuasion, not Coercion
reject all legislation which relies on the initiation of force, coercion, or violence as a means of achieving political or social goals ...
Controlling Abortion
MORALITY AND CULTURE How to End Abortion Without Government Coercion .... the power of "the sword": the 90% have been coerced into silence and inaction. ...
Tobacco and the Rule of Law
Use of government coercion to fight tobacco encourages government coercion in other areas: .... I do not believe in using government coercion and ...
Capitalism vs. Socialism
Capitalists believe in persuasion, not coercion. .... reject all legislation which relies on the initiation of force, coercion, or violence as a means of ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - January 12, 2008
The United States federal government has no Constitutional, moral, Biblical, political, ethical, or pragmatic justification to use government coercion to ...
Order without Violence
... created in the Garden of Eden, and the construction of institutions based on Humanistic power: coercion and violence. It is the history of Politics vs. ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - July 21, 2007
As there is no more important distinction in all of political economy than that which divides coercion and non-coercion, such combinations tend to blur this ...
Immigration
The Colossus of Rhodes - Symbol of Power and Coercion America's Statue of Liberty is not about power, or collective unity arrived at by government coercion. ...
David Chilton on Immigration and Population
National greatness does not come about through legislation or governmental coercion. Ronald Sider’s call for a “guaranteed national income”[3] is geared ...
Fundamentalism
All three groups retain pagan notions of kingship, political domination, and coercion. All three groups reject laissez-faire capitalism and embrace state ...
Jill Lepore: Prior Convictions - The New Yorker -- An Anarcho ...
Faith answers to truth, not coercion. Reason answers to faith. Reason presupposes in faith that the mind of man was created by a reasonable Creator. ...
The War on Drugs
This is not a problem which can be solved by "getting tough" on drugs, that is, increasing government coercion and decreasing Constitutional liberties. ...
KEVIN CRAIG for Congress
True religion cannot be advanced through the use of government coercion, ..... I am not out to impose any religion on anyone using the coercive power of the ...
"True Religion"
This is why Christians demanded the First Amendment: they wanted these disagreements to be worked out without government coercion. ...
Welfare and Charity
In the days following the terrorism of 9-11, Americans showed themselves to be charitable beyond measure, without government coercion. ...
Education
... and because parents should have authority to choose the education their children will receive, government coercion is inappropriate. ...
Controlling Pornography
MORALITY AND CULTURE How to End Pornography Without Government Coercion ... by pro-porn forces: the 90% have been subtly coerced into silence and inaction. ...
The Supreme Court's War on God
But nobody in this case was coerced. No denomination was favored over any other ..... The "psychological coercion test" gives a lone atheist the right to ...
National Service
Social order is neither created nor maintained by the coercive apparatus of "organized government." Social order is not the result of threats and negative ...
Missouri Farm Bureau Platform and "Liberty Under God" -- Table of ...
Every attempt to achieve a short-term objective by resorting to government coercion, regulation or subsidy is a move toward Socialism and away from the ...
Euthanasia
Family members should be free to deal with the dying without government threats and coercion. But their decisions should be informed by a Christian ...
Police
The police whose voices are heard on the tape are using the power of the sword -- coercion and violence -- to make an arrest in the "War on Drugs. ...
Gambling
... tax dollars studying the already-documented effects of gambling; not do anything to attempt to eliminate gambling by coercion or threats of violence ...
Ozarks Virtual Town Hall - October 20, 2007
It is coercion and compulsion based on threats of violence. One way we are practicing cooperative conservation is through our efforts to preserve our ...
Missouri Farm Bureau - Welfare
It will never be solved by a government that claims to be "secular," short of massive enslavement and coercion. We believe our current system discourages ...
Missouri Farm Bureau - Natural Resources
As long as "incentives" are not funded by federal coercion. We believe that state and local agencies should be allowed to assume the job of assessing the ...
"Founding Presidents Not Christian"??
What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. And to support roguery and error all over the ...
Congressman Ron Paul on Abortion
... contained in the PATRIOT Act. HR 10 characterizes terrorism as acts intended “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion. ...
Why I am Running
Because the education of children is intensely personal and inescapably value-laden, government coercion is inappropriate. Atheists should not be taxed to ...
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
... confiscating money for war-making from Americans using government force and coercion, government should confiscate money for welfare appropriations. ...
Intellectual Property
... What's Wrong with Forced Disclosure? "Against Intellectual Property" • Against Intellectual Property • Intellectual Property Without Coercion ...
Government Tentacles of Atheism and Immorality
Our goal should not be to change government funding from atheistic agencies to "Christian" agencies; to use the coercive power of the U.S. Federal ...
Western Civilization is Christian Civilization
Such communities are coercive and tyrannical. Christianity, in short, opens up the ideal ... This program is inexorably coercive, unlovely, and depressing. ...
Antitrust
Solutions: We condemn all coercive monopolies. In order to abolish them, we advocate a strict separation of business and State. Laws of incorporation should ...
War and Imperialism
repudiate militaristic, coercive imperialism with the non-violent spiritual imperialism envisioned by our Founding Fathers;; use the power of the purse ...
Limited Government and the Rule of Law
... certainty how the authority will use its coercive powers in given circumstances and to plan one's individual affairs on the basis of this knowledge." ...
Libertarian Party Platform: Population
Recognizing that the American people are not a collective national resource, we oppose all coercive measures for population control. ...
Gender Discrimination
Kevin Craig favors maximizing liberty, and minimizing the coercive power of government. The Feminist Majority Foundation defines "feminism" as: ...
Repeal the 14th Amendment!
This line of cases reached its coercive nadir in Missouri v. Jenkins, when the Supreme Court held that, to further integration, a federal judge could order ...
Magic, Envy, and Economic Underdevelopment
[19] If a century and a half of coercive public education has failed to meet its promised goals, then there has to be more of it. All facts are interpreted ...
Unions: Government-Buttressed
Unions: Government-Buttressed. The 112th Congress should:. abolish all laws which permit unions to engage in violence or the initiation of force. ...

Platform Statements:

Ozarks Virtual Townhall


Blog posts

 


Wars

The Christian Conciliation Manifesto - Overview
Away from a Vengeance-based Society


The Biblical History of the Rise and Fall of Violence
and the Coming of Peace on Earth


Why Read the Bible?

Myth:
The Old Testament
advocates war, slavery, genocide, and vengeful retaliation.
Myth:
The Teachings of Jesus
are impractical, utopian, unrealistic, and should be relegated to the inner religious meditations of a Mother Theresa, but should be kept away from public policy, especially foreign affairs and military strategy.

Both sides of this coin are wrong.
We need to examine these myths.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament. The prophets spoke of a day when we would beat our swords into plowshares and everyone would dwell securely under his own Vine & Fig Tree -- not because his property was being taken from him to fund the "military-industrial complex," which "keeps us all safe," but because nobody was training for war any more. If we were to follow the teachings of Jesus in Washington D.C., we would experience security, peace, and economic prosperity. No war that the U.S. federal government has waged has ever made things better than they would have been without military intervention.
  • How did the Civil War make things better? It gave us complete domination by the federal government.
  • What future was improved for Poland and Czechoslovakia by World War II? They were rescued from Hitler and turned over to Stalin.
  • How did U.S. war help the people of Iraq? A westernized, secular nation was converted into an Islamic Theocracy that leans toward Iran. Hundreds of thousands of Christians were killed or made homeless. Infrastructure was destroyed.
  • Which improvements in the human condition were won by war?

Conclusion:

We should take both the Old Testament and the New Testament seriously.

Biblical Pacifism is a comprehensive world-and-life-view. If you don't consider yourself to be a "Bible-believing Christian," or if you do but don't consider yourself to be a "Biblical pacifist," then the task is huge. It will take a year or more to convert you.

We have a program geared to do this: www.PeacemakerCoaching.org. We take you through the five most important works in the history of Western Civilization. You come out on the other end as a Christian pacifist.

Welcome to “The 95 Days of Christmas” | Read
The Importance of Luther's 95 Theses | Read
The Origin of These 95 Theses | Read
Introduction: Taking the Bible Seriously | Read
Thesis 1: Christ the Word | Read
Thesis 2: Christ the Creator | Read
Thesis 3: Creation, not Evolution | Read
Thesis 4: Omniscience, Predestination, and Provide... | Read
Thesis 5: “Self-Evident Truths” | Read
A. “Vine & Fig TreeBEFORE THE FALL | Read
Thesis 6: The Biological Basis of Patriarchy | Read
Thesis 7: The Dominion Mandate | Read
Thesis 8: Patriarchy and “the Extended Family” | Read
Thesis 9: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the Sanctions of the Covenant | Read
Thesis 10: The Priority of Agrarianism | Read
Thesis 11: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the Mountain | Read
B. “Vine & Fig TreeBEFORE THE FLOOD | Read
Thesis 12: The Fall Of The Angels | Read
Thesis 13: The Fall of Man | Read
Thesis 14: The Purpose of Cain’s “Suspended Sentence” | Read
Thesis 15: Cain’s City: The Autonomy of the State | Read
Thesis 16: The Demonic Roots of Violent Tyranny | Read
C. “Vine & Fig TreeBEFORE SINAI | Read
Thesis 17: The Post-Flood Absence of The Institutional Church | Read
Thesis 18: The Patriarchal Power Of “Capital Punishment” | Read
Thesis 19: Nimrod: The First Politician (Post-Flood) | Read
Thesis 20: “Vine & Fig Tree” vs. Political Slavery | Read
Thesis 21: Demonic Activity At   Babel | Read
Thesis 22: The Division of The Nations | Read
Thesis 23: Evangelism In The Old Covenant | Read
Thesis 24: “Vine & Fig Tree,” “National Defense,” And Military Socialism | Read
Thesis 25: “Vine & Fig Tree” and “Sacraments”: Circumcision | Read
Thesis 27: “Vine & Fig Tree”, Precious Metals, and Money | Read
Thesis 26: The Myth of The “Separation Of Church And State” | Read
Thesis 28: Salvation is Political | Read
D. “Vine & Fig TreeUNDER MOSES | Read
Thesis 29: “Vine & Fig Tree” and Resistance to Tyranny in the Early Days of the Old Testament | Read
Thesis 30: As With All Angelic Activity, No State Action Is Coincidental or Random | Read
Thesis 31: Ceremony, Ritual, Liturgy, And The “Pedagogical Law” | Read
Thesis 32: “Vine & Fig Tree” and “Sacraments”: Passover | Read
Thesis 33: Patriarchs And “Elders” | Read
Thesis 34: The Need for a Pedagogical Legal Structure | Read
Thesis 35: Angels And The Pedagogical Legal Structure | Read
Thesis 36: The Promised Land | Read
Thesis 37: The Temporary Character of The First “Church Officers” | Read
Thesis 38: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the Temple  | Read
Thesis 39: Patriarchy and Education | Read
Thesis 40: “Vine & Fig Tree” and Oaths | Read
E. “Vine & Fig TreeAND THE RISE OF THE STATE | Read
Thesis 41: The Character of “gods” | Read
Thesis 42: National Security Without a State | Read
Thesis 43: The Prohibition of Monarchism | Read
Thesis 44: The State as the Answer to the Prayers of Rebels | Read
Thesis 45: The Inferiority of Old Covenant Typological Mediators | Read
F. “Vine & Fig TreeAND PROVIDENCE : THE STATE | Read
Thesis 46: Romans 8:28 and The State | Read
Thesis 47: God’s Sovereign Ordering of Every State | Read
Thesis 48: The State Serves God by Sinning | Read
Thesis 49: The State As Sanctified “Servant”/“Deacon”/”Minister” | Read
Thesis 50: The State Does Not Serve God Self-Consciously | Read
Thesis 51: Only One King Self-Consciously Serves God | Read
Thesis 52: Judgment of the State in Heaven and Earth | Read
Thesis 53: Moloch-Worship and the Nature of Idols | Read
Thesis 54: War, Capital Punishment, and “The Sword” | Read
Thesis 55: The Throne of David | Read
G. “Vine & Fig TreeAND THE MESSIAH | Read
Thesis 56: Statism At The Time Of Christ | Read
Thesis 57: Kingship, Citizenship, and The Gospel | Read
Thesis 58: The Civil Authority of The Pastor: Christ The Shepherd | Read
Thesis 59: Jewish Opposition To The Kingdom | Read
Thesis 60: Christ’s Binding of Satan | Read
Thesis 61: True Power vs. Political Power | Read
Thesis 62: Agrarianism As Environmentalism | Read
Thesis 63: Christ’s Ascension to the Throne of David | Read
Thesis 64: The Camaraderie of “Church” And State | Read
Thesis 65: Fox News and the Coming of the Kingdom | Read
Thesis 66: The Anointed King vs. Political Kings | Read
Thesis 67: Jesus The Nazarene | Read
H. “Vine & Fig TreeAND THE EARLY HOME-CHURCHES | Read
Thesis 68: Extremism Vs. Neutrality | Read
Thesis 69: Sons of God and Pedagogues | Read
Thesis 70: Judgment and the Church-Courts of Christ | Read
Thesis 71: The Apostolic Church and the Spread of Power | Read
Thesis 72: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the House-Church | Read
Thesis 73: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the “Sacraments”: Baptism | Read
Thesis 74: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the “Sacraments”: “The Lord’s Supper” | Read
Thesis 75: Self-Ordination | Read
Thesis 76: Salt and Statism | Read
Thesis 77: Political Authority and Kingdom Citizenship | Read
Thesis 78: “Vine & Fig Tree” and Resistance to Tyranny in the Last Days of the Old Covenant | Read
Thesis 79: Taxation, Kingdom Citizenship, and Overcoming Through Suffering | Read
Thesis 80: Violence | Read
Thesis 81: Vengeance | Read
Thesis 82: Creationist Anarcho-Socialism and Darwinian Archo-Socialism | Read
Thesis 83: Pedagogy and The Powers | Read
Thesis 84: The End of Archists: The Pedagogues Judged by the Church | Read
Thesis 85: The Last Days of the Old Covenant | Read
I. “Vine & Fig TreeINTHE MILLENNIUM” | Read
Thesis 86: “The Millennium” | Read
Thesis 87: “Ruling with Christ” | Read
Thesis 88: Salvation as Light and Social Healing | Read
Thesis 89: Edenic Restoration | Read
Thesis 90: The New Heavens and New Earth | Read
Thesis 91: The Unconverted In the “Millennium” | Read
Thesis 92: The Last Acts of Earthly Archists | Read
Thesis 93: The City of God | Read
The most important work in the history of America and Western Civilization, obviously, is the Bible.
George Washington read the Bible an hour every morning.
Then another hour in the evening.
America's Founding Fathers knew it well.
It takes 11 minutes a day to read the Bible
from cover to cover in one year.
Maybe you've already read the Bible --
but you read it as a religious book.
A "devotional" book.
A book to "inspire" you.
A book to help your "self-esteem."
 
We're going to read the Bible as
marching orders from General Headquarters.
We're going to read the Bible as a
textbook in political science and economics.
For example,
We're going to pay close attention to
what the Bible says about
inflation and fractional reserve banking,
which led the Framers of the Constitution to say
"No state shall make anything but gold or silver a tender in payment in of debts."
Americans in 1776 knew what the Bible said about economics, law, political science, and more.
Americans today do not.

Christianity is not just religious devotionals.

Christianity is a worldview that affects every area of life.

At left you can see a list of contemporary issues which the Bible addresses directly and clearly. During the next 365 days, you'll see these issues in the Bible like America's Founding Fathers did, and like you've never seen them before.
In addition, you're going to see the story of the Bible like you've never seen it before. Many Christians today believe the story of the Bible goes something like this:
  • God created planet earth;
  • God put man on earth to be a good steward;
  • Satan tempted man;
  • Man rebelled against God, choosing to be his own god instead,
  • Satan now controls the world.
  • Since Satan and man are not playing God's game by God's rules, God is soon going to take his cosmic football and go home.

In other words, Satan wins.

Pretty dismal story, isn't it?

Sure, God sent His Son, who died on the cross, so that some of the players can be forgiven for their rebellion and go home with God, but God's original purposes for man and the creation were thwarted by Satan, the ultimate victor.

The Bible doesn't teach this.

The Bible says our purpose as human beings is to turn a fallen wilderness into a Garden-City. The New Jerusalem is the "Vine & Fig Tree" society.

Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet Daniel spoke of the first Christmas, the birth of the Messiah in the days of the Roman Empire. That barbaric, debauched empire was destroyed, and the Kingdom of Christ began growing like a mustard tree, like leaven, like a field (Matthew 13). The Emperor Justinian began Christianizing the Eastern Roman Empire, and in the West kings like Alfred and Ethelbert made the 10 Commandments the basis of new legal systems. The "Common Law" began, with a Christian foundation, and eventually found its way into the Constitution of the United States, "a Christian nation." Though there have been ups and downs, the progress of Christianity has been undeniable -- at least to those who have been taught the facts of history.

Most Americans in the 21st century have not.

If you enroll in the PeacemakerCoaching Program, you will learn the story of the "Vine & Fig Tree." You will learn that the Bible says the purpose of the first Christmas was that "the knowledge of the Lord should cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). This has been going on for 2,000 years now. This is a wonderful story that isn't being told.

Some people sincerely believe that the Bible says that everything is going to get worse and worse until God finally destroys everything and then starts over. (Why He would want to go through failure again is not disclosed.)

You will read a different story in the Bible when you enroll in the PeacemakerCoaching Program, and have a coach pointing out things in the Bible that you may have missed.

Perhaps you're reluctant to pay your tuition for a class that teaches something very different from what you've always heard. So we'll give you the entire year-long curriculum. We want to make it clear that simply reading the class outline in a week, or even a month, will not give you the same result as you will have if you enroll in the PeacemakerCoaching Program and study a little bit each day, think about it, study more the next day, pray about it, and take an entire year to complete your reading of the “Vine & Fig Tree” story. It just won't be the same.

But you wouldn't be a good shopper if you bought a product without knowing what it delivered. So if you're doubtful about our agenda, here are two ways to survey the story of the Bible that you'll learn in the year-long PeacemakerCoaching Program.

The first way is a 12-day study entitled "The 12 Days of Liberty." It's modeled after the "12 Days of Christmas, which take place from December 25 to January 6. You've never heard the Christmas message like this:

This study is obviously not a review of the entire Bible, though many other parts of the Bible are reviewed besides the Christmas narratives in the Gospels.

Here, then, is a review of the entire Bible. Again, it is no substitute for the Berean model of searching the Scriptures daily. And reading them all in an afternoon is not the same as reading one a day and thinking about it prayerfully over a period of time. But just so you can see an example of the worldview of the PeacemakerCoaching Program, here are 95 Bible Studies, patterned loosely after Martin Luther's "95 Theses," somewhat-humorously called “The 95 Days of Christmas”:

You need to go through the entire year-long program to appreciate these studies. You do yourself a disservice if you try to judge any one of the studies without studying the entire series. Real change will take place when you work through the entire Bible systematically, daily, prayerfully, thoughtfully, over the course of a year. The change in your thinking -- the change in your worldview -- will not come about because we forced you or tricked you. You will experience those "Aha!' moments when the lightbulb goes on and you're never able to look at the Bible the same way again.

The significance of most of these studies will become clearer after you become acquainted with the four other works that we'll be covering in the PeacemakerCoaching Program.


Secularism and Total War

The retreat from Christianity and the advance of Secular Humanism has paved the way for total war and endless genocide. The religion of evolutionism is the religion of genocide:

"Religion" (Christianity, the Bible) is sometimes blamed for war. This is an outrageous lie.


CAUSE -- Christians Against the U.S. Empire (1999)


next: Campaign Finance, Corruption and the Oath of Office