Comments on: Jake Belder: Sometimes faithfulness hurts http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/ A First Things Blog Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:35:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Michael Snow http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/#comment-21204 Michael Snow Wed, 30 May 2012 19:47:25 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=12288#comment-21204 The statement about the look of faithfulness [the par. w/o any red links] is outstanding. It brought to mind one area where most American Christians have unwittingly accommodated themselves to our culture. I was thinking of this statement of Stanley Hauerwas: ""War is a moral necessity for America..." it "is America's central liturgical act..." That is why most American Christians shun any honest discussion of such as this: http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Pacifism-Fruit-Narrow-ebook/dp/B005RIKH62/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1 The cultural bondage is too great. The statement about the look of faithfulness [the par. w/o any red links] is outstanding. It brought to mind one area where most American Christians have unwittingly accommodated themselves to our culture. I was thinking of this statement of Stanley Hauerwas: “”War is a moral necessity for America…” it “is America’s central liturgical act…”

That is why most American Christians shun any honest discussion of such as this:
http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Pacifism-Fruit-Narrow-ebook/dp/B005RIKH62/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1

The cultural bondage is too great.

]]> By: Jake Belder http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/#comment-21187 Jake Belder Wed, 23 May 2012 21:15:30 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=12288#comment-21187 Conflict within churches and between Christians is an unfortunate reality owing to our sinfulness. But yes, I think sometimes we will see conflict between Christians arise as a result of differing understandings of what it looks like to submit to the Lordship of Christ in different situations. Conflict within churches and between Christians is an unfortunate reality owing to our sinfulness. But yes, I think sometimes we will see conflict between Christians arise as a result of differing understandings of what it looks like to submit to the Lordship of Christ in different situations.

]]> By: Truth Unites... and Divides http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/#comment-21185 Truth Unites... and Divides Wed, 23 May 2012 17:26:41 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=12288#comment-21185 That last quote should be attributed to Belder, not Koyzis. Sorry. That last quote should be attributed to Belder, not Koyzis. Sorry.

]]> By: Truth Unites... and Divides http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/#comment-21184 Truth Unites... and Divides Wed, 23 May 2012 17:25:27 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=12288#comment-21184 <b>Koyzis</b>: <i>"We bear witness to the rule of a King who makes a total claim on all of life, and at every point the gospel challenges a culture which rejects that rule. And so we should expect conflict."</i> Do you expect conflict <i>within</i> churches? Between professing Christians? Koyzis: “We bear witness to the rule of a King who makes a total claim on all of life, and at every point the gospel challenges a culture which rejects that rule. And so we should expect conflict.”

Do you expect conflict within churches? Between professing Christians?

]]> By: jason taylor http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/#comment-21182 jason taylor Wed, 23 May 2012 14:25:12 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=12288#comment-21182 We will provisionally accept that a lot of those killed are not martyrs in the technical sense. However a lot of that warfare is definitely not in the manner of nineteenth century Europe where only professionals actually got killed and when they were done with killing each other they went to the same ball with no hard feelings because it was just business. In many of these wars it is a standard tactic of warlords to slaughter each other's peasants while avoiding a real clash of arms. We will provisionally accept that a lot of those killed are not martyrs in the technical sense. However a lot of that warfare is definitely not in the manner of nineteenth century Europe where only professionals actually got killed and when they were done with killing each other they went to the same ball with no hard feelings because it was just business. In many of these wars it is a standard tactic of warlords to slaughter each other’s peasants while avoiding a real clash of arms.

]]> By: fleander http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2012/05/jake-belder-sometimes-faithfulness-hurts/#comment-21179 fleander Wed, 23 May 2012 03:39:31 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=12288#comment-21179 Your number of Christians dying for their faith is woefully inflated. It counts every Christian who dies in a civil war as a martyr, for example. More here (in translation so the syntax is a bit wonky): http://www.thomasschirrmacher.net/blog/a-response-to-the-high-counts-of-christian-martyrs-per-year/ Your number of Christians dying for their faith is woefully inflated. It counts every Christian who dies in a civil war as a martyr, for example. More here (in translation so the syntax is a bit wonky): http://www.thomasschirrmacher.net/blog/a-response-to-the-high-counts-of-christian-martyrs-per-year/

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