Posted on 12/02/2014 2:48:41 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., -- In an exclusive interview with FTMDaily's (http://ftmdaily.com/) Jerry Robinson, former Congressman Ron Paul discusses some of his core values as an American and as a human being. "On Faith and Family: A Conversation With Dr. Ron Paul" provides compelling insight on the problems facing the nation today, as well as reflections on Paul's three presidential campaigns.
Paul explained that war and strong-arm diplomacy, both part of America's compulsion to police the world, are fundamentally unsound policies. Most disturbingly, he said, is that a vocal minority of the Christian Evangelical community is strongly in favor of such foreign policy stances and considers die-hard support of Israel, for instance, to be a litmus test for any political candidate. Asked why some Evangelicals have gone down a path of militarism, Paul does not even hazard a guess.
"It's probably been going on for a hundred years or so, that there's been a segment of the Christian faith that endorses this violence," remarked Paul. "It's one of the discouraging things for me because it's, to me, so inconsistent. It doesn't even make any sense to me. I was taught that the New Testament was a 'new' testament, and that we didn't have sacrifices and other things of the Old Testament. My understanding is that Jesus was the Prince of Peace, and that you weren't out looking for war."(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Ron Paul needs to watch Sergeant York.
The sword in this scripture is not literal, but symbolic. Just who do you think the Lord is that He needs mere men to take up swords to physically defend Him?
Regarding the commandment about obedience, it is an interesting question that arises regarding when, if ever, Christians are justified in rebelling. By the logic displayed in the Bible, we are instructed to submit to the authorities because God has placed them in that position, so rebelling against them is to rebel against God’s will.
However, in the case of the U.S. we do have the benefit of hindsight. The American revolutionaries succeeded in throwing off their rulers, and forming a new government, and that government has so far stood the test of time. So, an argument can be made that such is evidence that God must have placed that government in authority over us as well. After all, if God willed us to remain obedient to our previous rulers, how could our venture have succeeded?
Also, there is one clear and undeniable case where God gives us permission to rebel against the earthly authorities: when those authorities command us to disobey God. We have many examples, most importantly the lives of Jesus and the apostles, which God used to teach us that important lesson.
Good points.
No, these swords were quite literal. Read the context of verse, the disciples did go out and get real swords, and they were carrying them in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ was arrested a few verses later:
“47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.” Luke 22:47-50
However, the purpose of the swords was not to defend Christ with, or even for the disciples to defend themselves with. It was to fulfill a prophecy of the Messiah, as Jesus explained in Luke 22:37-38:
“37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.”
The prophecy Jesus is referring to (”this that is written”) is from Isaiah 53:12:
“12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
The swords fulfilled prophecy but the act of using them in self-defense was not a sin. Jesus knew what would happen and commanded they bring them. He would not ask the disciples or us to do something that would harm our relationship with God.
The Jesus who cleared the Temple with a whip would beg to differ. War against evil is not only acceptable, it’s necessary.
“The swords fulfilled prophecy but the act of using them in self-defense was not a sin.”
No, it wasn’t a sin, but it was also not Jesus’ desire for the disciples to try and resist with arms at that time, since they tried to use them, and Jesus stopped them and healed the wounded man instead.
Nothing wrong with starting wars. Just make sure you can win them, and never start wars on borrowed money. If there is surplus sitting in the US Treasury, US must act as world policeman, and keep the bad guys in check. But it is Dumb and Dumber to borrow money from China to protect oil flow to China from middle-east. Our future generations are not gonna be happy!
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Uhh, not exactly.
The apostles stated they would obey God as ruler rather than men, regardless of the consequences.
Nothing there about rebelling against the rulers. Just refusing to obey them.
In America the "Obey the Rulers" command doesn't really fit all that well. All Americans share in the diffused rulership of a republic. We're all rulers and we're all the ruled.
At least in theory.
Dad is the major reason that I'm reluctant to support his son. I don't want this guy anywhere near the White House. I'm afraid if Rand became POTUS that his dad would be an informal adviser.
Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt's Generals: 'How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?'Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt's military -- even as Cairo's security forces massacre anti-government activists. [by "anti-government activists" is meant church-burning Christian-murdering jihadists][Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat]
Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said.[Posted on 01/31/2013 5:08:50 PM PST by xzins]
Run Ted Run! Presidential aspirant Cruz dominates ZOA’s annual event with his robust Zionism.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/gop/3232989/posts
He deliberately misrepresents those Christians then.
Show me, Mr Paultard, the actual statements evangelicals made, wanting to go to war or wanting to use the USA to police areas where we have no vital interests!
You won’t find them, because they do not exist.
We can have a debate about whether a particular part of the world, a country, or a resource in that area/country is vitally important to us, but it is not the will of evangelicals to go to war simply to have war. Usually there is long series of usurpations, tragedies, events and outrages that lead to war. That is where the debate is.
Appeasement as a solution to these types of problems DOES NOT work. The 1930’s rise of Hitler and the eventuality of WWII proved that.
Containment might work, but we have to be prepared to go to war to make it work, else it is just a bluff and appeasement in the end.
As Patrick Henry said, better to die on your feet then live as a slave on your knees.
And I honestly think Paul hates Jews, and a lot of this is simply plain old anti-Semitism.
“Nothing there about rebelling against the rulers. Just refusing to obey them.”
Refusing to obey rulers is a rebellion against their authority.
True.
However, it is very different from rising up to overthrow and replace them.
AFAIK, you will find no support in the NT for doing that.
$18 Trillion in recorded national debt.
$100 Trillion in unfunded liabilities to Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, Social Security short falls, and a zillion other welfare schemes.
Yearly budget deficits of $500 Billion to $1500 Billion for as far as the eye can see.
And you want more wars in the Muslim Middle-East?
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