Editor,
Ralph Arellanes Jr. has dropped some rather tempting bait in his letter in Monday's Daily Lobo, no doubt wanting a reaction, so I'm biting. I will not attempt to refute his claim that Republicans are ignorant of Scripture, except to say that the ignorance is not confined to any one particular political party. I am more concerned with his assertion that Christ is a peacenik, comparable to Michael Moore.
I do not blame Arellanes for his assumptions, as his upbringing is partly to blame. Both Catholic and Protestant churches have become obsessed with the individual I like to call "hippie Jesus." We have all seen him: long, flowing blonde hair, blue eyes and lots of warm fuzzy feelings. The Lion of Judah has been declawed, turned into a fuzzy plush toy. Yes, Christ did advocate peace, but not in the way our society likes to twist it. The peace we are promised will not and cannot come while man is on earth.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword," Christ says in Matthew 10:34.
As for Christ's command to us regarding peace, we are indeed told that peacemakers are blessed, and that we should love our neighbors. However, how do we show love for the tyrannical leader who persecuted his own people, killing thousands? There comes a point when love must be harsh in order to protect. We live in a fallen world, and we cannot escape without blood on our hands. Should it be the blood of one, or of many?
Pray that God will forgive us for what we do, but even more importantly, pray he will forgive us for what we don't do.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Joe Matthews
UNM student
