Follow the Words of Paul

DIGG THIS

At the recent CNN/YouTube Republican debate, a question was asked of the candidates: Would Jesus use the death penalty? Mike Huckabee cleverly dodged the question by stating that Jesus is not a politician. After all Huckabee, who does support the death penalty, is a Baptist minister who ceaselessly touts his devotion to Jesus' teachings. Yet any Christian who has bothered to read any of Jesus' word would realize that Jesus would not support the death penalty. I am sure we are all glad, as Huckabee pointed out, that Jesus is not a politician because chicken-hawks, such as Huckabee, probably would not vote for him.

To prove this point I decided to check my Bible for Jesus' views on war, and aggression. Everyone knows what I found, so I will not bore readers with passages of scripture proving unequivocally that Jesus was against aggressive warfare and very pro-peace. Clearly he would be a cut-and-run candidate unworthy of any of the neocon Republican establishment's support.

However, I found something else that was very interesting. It was in the Apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthians from the New Living Translation. Paul wrote that "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments." 2 Cor.10:3–4.

Does this sound like something Huckabee would endorse? Does it sound like something any of the Republican candidates would endorse? The only one I can think of is a man also named Paul. Ron Paul. Here are some quotes from Ron Paul.

"Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms."

"Logic tells us that we can make a better world in a much easier way than causing wars."

"We need to talk to people, trade with people, not go to war with them."

We should take the advice of both Pauls when dealing with foreign policy. We should set a good example at home, and spread our ideals of freedom through peaceful means, not bombs falling from the sky. None of the other Republican candidates endorse this view. Even Huckabee who, like President Bush, wears his faith on his sleeve to make sure everyone knows that he is a Christian.

The Apostle Paul mentioned this type of men in his letter as well. He wrote "Oh don't worry; we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard measurement. How ignorant!" 2 Cor. 10:12.

At the debate Huckabee stated that the Bible was the living Word of God. Maybe its time he re-read God's Word.

December 1, 2007