Pastor Foltz is Pastor Emeritus of Saint James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, PA and author of the the Frontline Study content.
Let me report my personal experience with guns. I grew up in northern Pennsylvania, where there was a lot of hunting. I never heard anyone speak of a gun as a defense weapon until I went to divinity school. When working for a church in Bridgeport, CT, I noticed a very fine member had a […]
If faith assumes the transforming power of love, then the question becomes, “Where do we begin to overcome violence?” It’s not hard to know how Jesus answers. He always advises beginning with yourself. It’s also probably safe to think he would counsel starting with what you say. The power of words is central to his […]
I sensed a fatalism in response to the lessons on just war theory. There was a lot of “yes, but…” reactions, comments such as “I don’t think there is anything like a just war, but I am in no way a pacifist” or “I have always regarded myself as a pacifist, but events lately have […]
Let me ask some questions that I think demonstrate the limitations of any just war theory in our time. 1) Many of the those who read last week’s lesson reported they did not believe there was anything like a just war. They considered themselves conscientious objectors. Is that a moral position? Is it the only […]
Christians have two options when it comes to war. They can either be strict pacifists, or they can espouse a just war theory. The latter is not that easy. Certainly, one of the most difficult ethical issues is drawing up moral guidelines for fighting wars. At every step, you must prevent national self-interest from trumping […]
If you believe, as I do, that Jesus defined the Christian lifestyle as nonviolent love, you have to contend with all the times his followers acted violently in the name of love. That involves asking when, if ever, a historical situation might justify using physical force. Most importantly, it calls for discussion seeking to discern […]
Many of us are offended when modern-day apostles picture Jesus holding a gun or wearing a military uniform. Admittedly, Jesus comes across as extremely forceful when he cleanses the temple and speaks harshly defending himself or warning about an impending judgment. However, his lifestyle and teaching are overwhelmingly nonviolent. He never advocates physically attacking others. […]
Whenever the modern prophets look for scripture to support their calls to violence, they turn to the Old Testament. Many take that for granted, believing that part of the Bible presents a violent God who commands his people to viciously destroy their enemies. You certainly could get that picture if you read only accounts of […]
After looking at the Christian Nationalists, I thought a short series on violence might be in order. It’s bad enough that our society has little idea of how to handle the problem. Now we have many in the Church advocating the use of physical force in the name of Christ. A starting point might be […]
Let me conclude this series by referring to an article Don sent me: The New Apostolic Reformation drove the January 6 riots, so why was it overlooked by the House Select Committee? by Rick Pidcock. It traces in great detail how Christian Nationalists were deeply involved in the insurrection and wonders why the select committee […]
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