[quote]Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. -Proverbs 31:9 They have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. -Jeremiah 5:28[/quote] Neither verse commands physical action. You can vouch for the oppressed, like MLK, without hurting people. [quote]So, with your interpretation of that verse, any resistance of someone who is evil is sin. So then you resisting the evil antichrists and their doctrines of war and hate is sin.[/quote] The word translated to mean resist is talking about physical resistance. [quote]Calling this nonviolent resistance may strike some as odd, given that Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, “Do not resist an evildoer” (Matt. 5:38-42). But as scripture scholar Walter Wink has documented, the meaning of the original Greek is quite different. While the verb antistenai has been almost universally translated as “resist,” it is a military term that actually means “resist violently or lethally.” Rather than exhorting us to passivity, Jesus urges us to repudiate violence in our response to the evildoer.[/quote] http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:3dia_2Wnk28J:www.paceebene.org/pace/nvns/essays-on-nonviolence/the-spiritual-journey-of-christian-no+antistenai+physically+resist&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a http://www.searchgodsword.org/isb/bible.cgi?query=mt+5:39&translation=nas&ot=bhs&nt=na&sr=1&l=en Thus, as Rev 13:10 says, we are to be patient as we are slain and incarcerated, for God is just and will essentially "return the 'favor.'" You may be young, so I forgive you for your lack of philosophical sophistication. I think your attempt you use philosophy (i.e. "any resistance of someone who is evil is sin. So then you resisting the evil antichrists and their doctrines of war and hate is sin.") by trying to use dialectics to construe universals is in my opinion a dangerous hellenistic practice that Paul has advised us against: "See to it that no one takes you captive with deceitful philosophy." (Col 2:8) Avoid philosophy all together when it pertains to spiritual matters. [quote]I also would like to know if you have any Scriptural backup for this claim.[/quote] No matter the sin, unless we repent, have faith, and receive God's grace, we are screwed. Having blood on one's hands, literally or figuratively, is definitely not the way to get God's favor. Is 1:15 So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. [quote]Another thing... these verses merely state that those who live by the sword will die by the sword. But these verses don't actually say it is wrong, they just state the consequences.[/quote] What part of, "If [b][u][i]anyone[/b][/u][/i] slays with the sword, with the sword [b][i][u]must[/b][/i][/u] he be slain" is difficult to understand? There are no exceptions made for "just" or "Christian" slayings. "Anyone" who slays "must" be slain. Because Revelations obviously deals with the prayers of the Saints in chapter 5 for divine justice, it is not Christians or any human authority that carries out God's command for justice. God will judge everyone by the fruits they bare, and if the slay they will be slain. It is quite simple. "Christians" are in a position of incredible power right now, and the way we muscle out and oppress those weaker than us, we have become the wicked nation Isaiah has decried. We ignore those commandments we do not like--the obvious ones that tell us not to kill. God will judge us for all our sins, but especially in the end times, the importance of not warring and joining the Beast is paramount. The way many act here, the Beast will find, as foretold in scripture, many adherents who will so quickly turn their backs on God and instead do the bidding of evil by being violent. I am speaking to Christians here. I have no need to beat around the bush. I do not espouse hate, I am calling you to love your enemy and not physically resist evil. We, collectively, need to repent from our love of hate and war. Because the result of our hate and violence, our "slayings" with the sword, will be our own condemnation. For "if [b][u][i]anyone[/b][/u][/i] slays with the sword, with the sword [b][i][u]must[/b][/i][/u] he be slain."

Post edited by: JamesRaio, at: 2007/10/08 05:58