Friday, March 03, 2006
The Stronghold of Wrong Thoughts
I just watched Steven Spielberg's latest movie, Munich -- which is about the events involving the massacre of Israeli athletes by a Palestinian terrorist group during the time of the Munich Olympics. How close is the storyline to actual events I am not sure, but it was a powerful and realistically filmed tale. There was one line in the movie which jumped at me. In the ending, a statement was made, saying,"Sometimes, you have to kill for peace...."
I wonder if everyone reading this statement had a similar instinctive reaction to me when I first heard it -- that is, to agree that the above statement 'is true, somewhat'. This reminded me of the power that is inherent in wrong thoughts, in the context of the conflict in Israel, or even for our own lives personally.
"You have to kill for peace" -- From this single line of thinking, can stem justifications for terrorist acts, violence and war in so many ways: that righteousness and justice can be gained from revenge and bloodshed; that one can do anything at all costs, including kill, to gain peace. Is this be the right way of thinking about this?
Considering this further, I realize the above statements are one of the biggest lies that Satan can ever lead people to believe. It is a lie because righteousness and justice can never be gained from killing, not when it is one sinful person killing another. That is why the situation in the Middle East is escalating. Certain groups think that current bloodshed avenges the bloodshed of the past. As much as this line of thinking feels intuitive, and perhaps even carries a certain perverse "logic" in it, the reality is very different. Bloodshed involving imperfect human beings, who do not have the strength to forgive, only results in bitterness, which gives birth to the desire for revenge, and then vengeful behavior. In line with what the movie is trying to convey, there is no righteousness produced here.
A wise person once said that we cannot change behavior without changing our thinking first. Behind every wrong attitude or line of thinking (that leads to unholy behavior), there is a pre-supposition. A pre-supposition is what we tell ourselves (directly or subconsciously) as "absolute truth".
Back to the story in the Munich movie: How do we stop sinful behavior? I don't know. All I know is the solution to bad behavior is not good behavior, but righteous thinking. And righteous thinking is gained from the wisdom in God's word, guided by the promptings of His Holy Spirit. All I know is that the pre-supposition underpinning the violence, that "you have to kill for gain peace....", is not righteous thinking. Therefore strongholds need to be broken down at this level if anything is to improve.
The stronghold of wrong thoughts -- On a personal level, if we consider and want to tear down the behavioral strongholds in our lives, we have to first identify, confront and replace the pre-suppositions with God's truth. And more often than not, these pre-suppositions are hidden and at times, deceptive. As Christians, the Bible calls us to cast down every argument that sets itself up against the knowledge of God - and these include arguments that poses itself as "conventional wisdom".
What thoughts or presumptions are we feeding ourselves? What assumptions do we hold from what the world, our society and the media that is being sold to us as "absolute truth"? That is a question we need to honestly ask ourselves, often.
[Related post: Present Day Gaza & the Hope of 2000 Years]
Labels: Current Affairs, Philosophies, Truth
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Agree with your post.And I belive many people have the same feeling when reading war stories or watching news today.
God said, DO NOT KILL. Then, there is no reason for people to kill. Not even the 'nice' and 'logical' excuses shall tempt men to kill.
God said, DO NOT KILL. Then, there is no reason for people to kill. Not even the 'nice' and 'logical' excuses shall tempt men to kill.
# posted by 
: March 05, 2006 10:27 p.m.
: March 05, 2006 10:27 p.m.
Actaully, if you read it correctly, God said "Do not murder", not "Do not Kill"! Didn't he tell the Isrealites to go in and kill every pagan Canaan lorified in killing their own children to appease the gods, Molek, etc, etc? Didn't God allow his people to win whilst they held up Moses' arms buit lose when he put them doen. that story seems to indicate to me that God was not only allowing the killing but was behind it. Has God changed? Isn't he the same yesterday, today and forever?
I agree that certainly the issue is that most of us aren't righteous enough to take that postion as Moses did but nevertheless to make a blanket statement against all killing is missing the point.
I believe scripture supports the notion of a just war. Certainly Israel has a right to defend herself agsaint the 23 hostile nations around her that for the most part and in tehir own language seek the complete annihilation of the country, and ever Jew, follwed by every Christian, inch by inch if they have to.
Did not killing the Nazi war machine lead to a greater peace for Europe than if everyone had let them continue to wreak destruction and death and The shedding of innocent blood demands account. Sometimes that means taking up arms.
-d.
I agree that certainly the issue is that most of us aren't righteous enough to take that postion as Moses did but nevertheless to make a blanket statement against all killing is missing the point.
I believe scripture supports the notion of a just war. Certainly Israel has a right to defend herself agsaint the 23 hostile nations around her that for the most part and in tehir own language seek the complete annihilation of the country, and ever Jew, follwed by every Christian, inch by inch if they have to.
Did not killing the Nazi war machine lead to a greater peace for Europe than if everyone had let them continue to wreak destruction and death and The shedding of innocent blood demands account. Sometimes that means taking up arms.
-d.
# posted by : March 05, 2006 11:24 p.m.
: March 05, 2006 11:24 p.m.
Would it have been better to allow the Nazis to complete thier final solution and if so wouldn't that have been a blight agasint us who proclaim righteousness and peace to allow the killing to continue?
# posted by : March 05, 2006 11:26 p.m.
: March 05, 2006 11:26 p.m.
This is a contentious issue, and there are no easy answers. When God says "do not kill", it is a command that applies to us (humans). Of course, this does not apply to God, for which the power of life and death are in His hands and up to Him to administer. We have no right to question. In the instances you quoted, there were righteous outcomes and it is based on God's direct revelation.
James 3:13-18, 4:1-3, it says,
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."
The verses above highlight the importance of motives and "righteous outcomes". And in the instance of terrorist activity, what is absent is
1. God's direct revelation (I know, another can of worms)
2. Righteous outcomes
What it degenerates into is bitterness, hatred and more slaughter. It just sounds more like a place "where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." (James 3:16)
James 3:13-18, 4:1-3, it says,
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."
The verses above highlight the importance of motives and "righteous outcomes". And in the instance of terrorist activity, what is absent is
1. God's direct revelation (I know, another can of worms)
2. Righteous outcomes
What it degenerates into is bitterness, hatred and more slaughter. It just sounds more like a place "where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." (James 3:16)
Oooooops.Sorry for my careless mistake if that cause confusion.
I appreciate duncan-elwyn's will to fight for justice and peace. The story of God helping Isrealites in fighting indicates to me that God is in control at all time. He was behind the killing (fortunately He is) but ...Does he delight in killing? I doubt.
God does help his people in war. Also I believe He delights in people who have mercy for enemies (like David). This point is much clearer in Jesus' teaching. I think He is absolutely wise, because killing and destroying can bring revenge and continuously fighting and death.
As we see confrontations amongst nations today, I do wish more and more His people would be willing to be peacemakers rather than courageous warriors. Death is always the biggest loss, whoever the dead is.
BTW, that verse 'Do not murder'
is translated into 'Thou shalt not kill' in KJV and some other language versions. :-P
I appreciate duncan-elwyn's will to fight for justice and peace. The story of God helping Isrealites in fighting indicates to me that God is in control at all time. He was behind the killing (fortunately He is) but ...Does he delight in killing? I doubt.
God does help his people in war. Also I believe He delights in people who have mercy for enemies (like David). This point is much clearer in Jesus' teaching. I think He is absolutely wise, because killing and destroying can bring revenge and continuously fighting and death.
As we see confrontations amongst nations today, I do wish more and more His people would be willing to be peacemakers rather than courageous warriors. Death is always the biggest loss, whoever the dead is.
BTW, that verse 'Do not murder'
is translated into 'Thou shalt not kill' in KJV and some other language versions. :-P
# posted by : March 07, 2006 11:28 p.m.
: March 07, 2006 11:28 p.m.
Sal, this Times article echoes your thoughts.
It starts with
"the cycle of attack and reprisal brought more grief..."
and ends with
"Outside the explosions began again cutting inquiries short. Incoming or outgoing it was hard to tell. Another day in Gaza."
M
It starts with
"the cycle of attack and reprisal brought more grief..."
and ends with
"Outside the explosions began again cutting inquiries short. Incoming or outgoing it was hard to tell. Another day in Gaza."
M
# posted by : April 11, 2006 3:40 p.m.
: April 11, 2006 3:40 p.m.
Francis Schaeffer in his book made this statement:
"People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than even they themselves may realize. By presuppositions we mean the basic way an individual looks at life, his basic world-view, the grid through which he sees the world. Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People's presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the external world. Their presuppositions also provide the basis for their values and therefore the basis for their decisions."
(Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?, Ch. 1)
"People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than even they themselves may realize. By presuppositions we mean the basic way an individual looks at life, his basic world-view, the grid through which he sees the world. Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People's presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the external world. Their presuppositions also provide the basis for their values and therefore the basis for their decisions."
(Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?, Ch. 1)
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