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From: nlt@duke.UUCP (N. L. Tinkham)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: What does it mean to be a Christian?
Message-ID: <5802@duke.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 18:37:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: duke.5802
Posted: Mon Apr 29 18:37:24 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Apr-85 07:21:15 EDT
Organization: Duke University
Lines: 42
Xref: watmath net.religion:6791 net.religion.christian:683

[*]

   Tim Sevener writes the following (after discussing Reagan's
use of one of Jesus' parables to justify a strong military force):

> Our President has been wrapping his militaristic policies in a cloak
> of Christianity.  Is this what Christianity really means?  Are
> Christians going to support such policies as other "Christians"
> supported the Inquisition and the Crusades?
>  
> Fundamentalist Christians were reported to have voted for Ronald Reagan
> by a margin of about 77%. Is this what you voted for?
>  
> Do the Christians on the net really believe the lesson of Christ's life
> was to abandon all other social goals to prepare to incinerate the
> planet?

   Do not be quick to dismiss modern Christians as followers of Reagan
or as apathetic.  Many are, and that is regrettable.  But there are many
of us who are actively working, right now, to try to persuade the
U.S. government to refrain from engaging in (or supporting) war for
American self-interest, to stop using Christian-sounding statements
to rationalize unjust aggression, and to work for world peace and the
welfare of other nations.  My first-hand experience has been here in Durham, NC
-- the local chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship has been
working with other peace groups this month to protest the proposed
contra aid -- but I understand that similar protests have been organized
across the nation.
   While I understand the desire to prevent the establishment of a
repressive government in Central America, it disturbs me that our government
would easily resort to a military solution (that is, that they would attempt a
military solution before all other means of conflict resolution have
been tried and shown to be futile).  More significantly, it disturbs
many other Christians as well.  There is concern and action for peace
by Christians in this country; and this is action in the "real world",
not just assorted articles on the net.

                                            N. L. Tinkham
                                            duke!nlt

(The above political opinions are not necessarily held by Duke University, or
by anyone else, for that matter.)