One must remember that violence begets violence... The problem with fighting that way on their terms (ie with violence) is that they will win. more technology, more firepower, etc...

Jesus has already found these solutions for us. Ghandi and King's idea on non-violence come from jesus and the teachings from the bible. To get the right context however we have to think about what was going on in the times of jesus, and what the customs were.

IN NO WAY was Jesus suggesting pacifism, and he was no pacifist! In his non violent practices he taught people how to stand up and fight they system they were imprisoned by WITHOUT resorting to violence. Pacifism was deffinately not what he wanted, as Jesus was very proactive... so lets take a look :-)

Matthew Chapter 5 is like a laundry list of how to fight injustice without violence...

Matthew 5:39: "But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Lets look at the times Jesus was in... In a right handed world, it is assumed here that the person striking you is right handed. If someone struck you on your right cheek, with their right hand, it means that they backhand slapped you. In those times it was illegal to backhand slap someone of your equal. It could get you in a lot of trouble. If someone of your equal status wanted to engage you, the way it was done was not with a slap but with a fist. SO, jesus is saying that if someone of a higher status slapped you, turn your other side to him.... which he could only strike if he chose to punch you... If he punches you with is right hand it would hit your left side, but in those time it would prove a lot more. Having someone punch you rather than slap you in essense is that person admitting you his equal. This is very empowering, having a peasant be punched by a merchant or a nobler man as it would be embarressing to that person, as he would only solve differences with someone HIS EQUAL with a punch. Jesus was pretty cleaver!

Matthew 5:40: "If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also."

In the times more wealthy people would give out loans to the poor that they knew they couldnt pay. If this debt went too long it would end up in court and the loaner would try to take everything the poor person had. in many cases, the only possession would be the clothes he was wearing. This is saying that if the lender is trying to take the last possession he is legally allowed to take from you to pay a debt, your coat, then give him the rest of your clothes as well... this serves a lovely perpose. You are walking out of a courthouse naked because someone was soooo greedy that they were willing to take a poorman's coat to fulfill a debt. This made the lender look evil, cold, and so grimey that he not only took your coat but your clothes too... this discredited and ashamed the loaner to everyone, even his peers.

Matthew 5:41 :"Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two."

The roman army was occupying much of the known world in the time of Jesus. Roman soldiers marching from town to town across the continent would get really tired. Any roman soldier walking down the road was allowed to make a peasant carry his backpack for him so he could rest. The law also says that he may only make someone carry his pack for ONE MILE, NO MORE! So this is jesus basically saying if a roman occupant that you do not like anyway because he is a part of the controlling of your homeland should ask you to carry his pack for a mile, after that mile continue to carry it! After the mile the roman soldier will be asking and telling you to put the pack down, but if you keep walking with it, you are not only embarressing him in fron of the other soldiers by not listening to him, but you could potentially get him repremanded for making you carry the pack for more than one mile...


Jesus was a master at non violence. What he has left for us are ideas and ways to fight back without FIGHTING... Jesus never advocated pacifism... but being a very active part of the non violent resistance. These customs from Matthew 5 do not apply today, however they are wonderful examples. Use your head, be creative, and use love as your guide!

No violence has ever proved to bring peace. So the peaceful of the world will never use violence... it is not the way

HOWEVER WE MUST ALL REALIZE THAT THE PACIFICATION AND APATHY OF THE PEACEFUL IN HUMAN KIND CANNOT CONTINUE...

its what they want...


LOVE YOU ALL
Brandon

Hi bro:

Glad to see you in this digital realm again. The solutions are possible I think. We'll keep on searching and, for me personally, fighting.

I look at MLK, JFK, etc, and these brothers were KILLED. Thus, I don't see much hope in letting "bad guys" just blow off our heads, and we sit quietly.

But we'll chat more brother.

REMINDER: Historically, I've noticed that any societies, tribes, groups, villages that simply sit back and let bigger guns move in without a fight, are simply CONQUERED and enslaved! I have yet to see examples of peoples who have met IMPERIAL and selfishly VIOLENT armies with a "coke and a smile" and have succeeded. And even in ghandi and Martin Luther King (and other) cases, it may not have been their actions alone that led to some improvement in the plight of their peoples, but additionally, TIMING, MEDIA COVERAGE, etc.

Now today, we are less likely to get MEDIA COVERAGE for such causes, especially since much of the media is controlled by the MATRIX. Of course, the Internet is changing things, but Internet laws are changing and sites SHUT DOWN some members who speak out against war, etc. I've had this happen to me in Yahoo, when I was pushing an anti-Iraq war message and was BLOCKED.

Lots for us all to think about, lots to work on, but in all things, NEVER GIVE UP HOPE FOR PEACEFUL WORLD. It'll be the best gift we could give the next generations!