“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
Most non-Christians think that being peaceful is what we’re all about but many Christians don’t see it that way. Being made in the image of God we can be incredibly creative, especially when it comes to finding loopholes that will allow us to feel more comfortable and secure, and we can talk ourselves into almost anything to support our agendas. What’s most remarkable is that peaceful living is a topic that churches often avoid, even though the concepts of enemy love and self-sacrifice are documented on almost every page of the Gospels.
The purpose of The Peaceful Christian is to help us all to better understand the peace teachings of Jesus and then to live differently because of what we’ve learned. Jesus probably put it best in Luke 6: 27-28 when he said:
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
It should be a no-brainer that “love your enemies” means don’t kill them!
It’s important to note here that we must have the utmost respect for the brave Christian men and women who serve in the military and truly believe that what they’re doing is right in the eyes of God. What needs to be taken issue with is the religious culture that condones putting them in these insane situations, not the individuals themselves. If we can learn anything from the life and teachings of Jesus it’s that it’s ok to die for your faith but never to kill for it.
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To learn more, click on “Jesus” at the top of the page.
The Peaceful Christian 
Growing in grace helped me to understand what that passage really meant. To be blessed is costly. I am glad Jesus said to do it and watch him work on your behalf. If we’re not experiencing those things I believe it would time for a spiritual check up. If we ask in faith for his help to do those things, for sure, He will. He’s the reason why I have been blessed with an opportunity to love on an Atheist.
I think I’ve found a “home.” Tired of Christian War Hawks and armchair warriors, so anxious to send our young people to foreign lands to wage war.
man you’ve got guts, thanx for the info! blessings in Jesus ;D
My best friend was a combat infantryman in Vietnam and has PTSD. My son served 3 tours in Iraq-Afghanisan, also frontline infantry. After hearing and seeing the affects, close-up and personal, I began to reject the commonly held belief taught in most churches, that there is biblical sanction to wage wars. Either Jesus was a pacifist, or we had better cut-out large portions of the Gospels.
I am studying theology at Liberty University-an evangelicaL school-and 99% of them support waterboarding and Bib-Laden’s assasination, the wars, etc. Can you imagine Jesus in camoflage sporting an M-16 and a grenade laden utility belt while spraying children with bullets and screaming at the top of his lungs like out of some bad Rambo movie? All you need is a brainstem to see this is hardly something that would get a thumbs-up from Jesus.
I am pleased to see you have not been indoctrinated into becoming a Christian Jihadist. “Keep you head on about you, while all others are going insane.” I imagine this university would probably give Jesus himself, the right foot of fellowship! Keep thinking for yourself and know you aren’t alone in you criticism of Christian war-mongerers.
I’m 50 years old and I have realized now that Christian’s have kept me from the teachings of Jesus more than any other group. If you want to understand a real follower of Christ, study Martin Luther King Jr.
Or read John Howard Yoder.