Isn’t Christianity a Violent Religion?

Christian Critics Answered  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  48:47
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Joel 3:9-10
Joel 3:9 ESV
Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.
Thesis:
Critics falsely attempt to lay the blood of mankind at Christianity’s feet.
Introduction:
Today, the term “religion” gets separated from political, social, economic and cultural life.
And so if we’re pondering whether religion is inherently violent, then we’re probably interested in why an individual or group acts violently.
So is religion really something we can compartmentalize and blame for the violent actions of individuals or groups?
Not at all, argues William Cavanaugh in his 2009 book The Myth of Religious Violence.
While society often makes clear distinctions between religion and secularity, Cavanaugh argues religion is a poor category to use when trying to understand why individuals or groups act violently.
By Cavanaugh’s reasoning, a more contemporary example would be the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas.
Stephen Paddock, who shot from the 32nd floor of a hotel to kill 58 people, had no apparent religious affiliation.
Neither did many other perpetrators of mass shootings, among the most violent and horrifying crimes committed in the United States, including the murderer who gunned down 20 young schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., in 2012.
So instead of asking “was religion the reason that a group or individual acted violently?”
Cavanaugh suggests it’s impossible to separate religion from culture, politics and economics — making the question incoherent and misleading.
For those inclined to believe religious groups are more violent than their secular counterparts,
Cavanaugh challenges that notion by pointing out
secular institutions often commit violence,
but avoid moral scrutiny because they present themselves as reasonable and not driven by religious fervor.

Looking at the Battles of the Bible

Battles from Abraham to Israel’s Conquest ( 13)
Battles of the Kingdom (19)
Battles of the Divided Kingdoms, Judah and Israel (14)
Battles of the Christian Era
There have been 46 battles, on average 1 battle every 87 years
all in the O.T.,
in the N.T. the complete backdrop takes place during Roman occupation
There is a clear passage of scripture critics overlook...
Exodus 20:13 ESV
13 “You shall not murder.
A command revealed in the second book of the Bible
And when the first murder happened in the Bible God himself gave this admonition to the guilty
Genesis 4:7 ESV
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Mankind does not in general or as a whole want to rule over sin. We would rather participate in it, even in the name of science.
[Very clearly it can be shown that without religion mankind would still have war and violence. But that is what Atheist and critics want you to believe. We also need to break Christianity out from being lump summed into all of religion…]

Religion alone does not explain violence

Remember, critics use the term “religion” and separate it from political, social, economic and cultural life, so that religion is the scapegoat.
James 4:1 ESV
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
For Christians; war is not the solution to the worlds problems, sin is the problem and only the Bible correctly remedies it...
Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Psalm 58:2 ESV
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.
Proverbs 24:2 ESV
2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.
Jeremiah 13:22 ESV
22 And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come upon me?’ it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up and you suffer violence.
Jeremiah 22:17 ESV
17 But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”
Christianity is not the reason for war and violence in our world,
it is the solution,
to the guilty hearts of men,
where their sins can be forgiven and
new life can be established for men to live in peace with each other and with God.
[The Bible calls us to live much differently than the world and the flesh…]

The Bible’s fight is Spiritual and it’s reward is Heaven

Jesus had an opportunity to fight flesh with flesh...
John 18:10–11 ESV
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world
John 18:36 ESV
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Our Bible teaches that this world is not our home, we are not fighting for it...
2 Corinthians 10:3 ESV
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
The Christians war is spiritual and it mainly is with yourself...
1 Peter 2:11 ESV
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Trying to call Christianity violent because you believe you see physical evidence is like trying to compare Apples and Oranges...
Romans 14:17 ESV
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Atheists and other opportune critics mistakenly attempt to blame obvious incorrect and unrighteous efforts of religion and lay them at the foot step of Christians.
There misguided and often times purposely misleading propaganda is not worth your consideration.
They are liars, speaking there native tongue of their father. Simple opportunist who see a chance to help dig Christianities grave.
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