Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
» Religious Wars
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Religious Wars
How do you explain all the terrible things that people have done in the name of God? What about all the wars that have been fought over religion? How is it “loving” to bomb abortion clinics?
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 am
I think one of the things to point out with this is that what Christians do doesn’t make Christianity. We’re human, and we have flaws and we sin. Jesus would not have had to die if we were perfect. So, even as Christians, we’re going to make mistakes. For example, take an anti-abortion and pro-life Christian. To support those good stances he decides to do something evil and bomb abortion clinics. The reaction is wrong–and though he might claim to do it in the name of God, that doesn’t mean that God told him to do that. He made the mistake. This is why we try to seek God, ask Him to teach us how to love, etc. It is He that prevents these misunderstandings and shows us how we should truly live and react to things. I can do something in the name of Alla, but I’m not Muslim. That’s something to bear in mind too when questioning events that have happened.
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Not every person that claims he’s a Christian is really a Christ-follower. 85% of Americans claim the title “Christian.” Clearly, there are not 250 million Americans actively following the teachings of Jesus Christ (or we would live in a very different place). This makes the word Christian basically meaningless. We should be more careful to distinguish between the actions of those who claim the label “Christian” when they take surveys, and those who are attempting to follow Jesus.
Jesus said, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him,” not war against him or bomb him.