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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Re: Christians and Morality
Message-ID: <262@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Oct-84 08:52:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.262
Posted: Mon Oct  1 08:52:35 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Oct-84 05:50:46 EDT
References: <259@whuxl.UUCP> <210@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs
Lines: 55

> 
> Yes, ITS TRUE! just as you all believed all along: every single
> Christian ever agrees 110% with Jerry Falwell.  YES! When we are
> baptized we were submerged just long enough to become mindless automata!
> EXCUSE US ALL TO HELL!
> 
> 
> The Roman Catholic Church in America recently released a bishops letter
> condemning nuclear weapons.  I guess this escaped your notice.
> Main-line protestants have also spoken against war of agression and
> against the use of any weapons against civilians.
> 
> Christians as a whole have been against war.  You'll recall that during
> the First and Second World Wars almost all concientious objectors were
> either Quakers, Mennonites or Brethern -- solid Christians all of them.
> 
> Stu
 
The Catholic Bishops letter condemning nuclear weapons has not escaped my
notice.  But where are the Catholic bishops making headlines now?
Archbishop O'Connor is making headlines by urging his Catholic flock to
ignore all other issues in this election and vote only on the basis of
candidate's stands for or against making abortion illegal.
The Republican Convention bathed itself in hosannas and religious fervor-
where were the Christians to question whether Christianity means 
"full speed ahead" for the nuclear arms race ?  
I realize that there are many Christians who are against war and the current
arms race.  But their voices are seldom heard, unfortunately.
There were many Christians against the Nazi persecution of Jews--but
were they vocal enough to counter the "Christians" who supported or at
least condoned such actions?
Perhaps it is simply the bias of the media but the only Christians 
seen in the media are the militarist variety.  
I did not wish to tar all Christians with the same brush--I am well aware of
the other side of the Crusades and the Inquisition, that in fact one reason
the early Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire was that many of
them refused to serve in the Roman Army at a time when it was desperate for
personnel.  In fact Christians were also at the forefront of the fight to
abolish slavery, and certain sects have always been conscientious objectors
to War.  But if that is what Christianity should stand for then those
Christians who support that viewpoint should raise the issue of the nuclear
arms race in their churches and not let their quiet support for peace be
drowned out by the Jerry Falwells of this world.
Abortion is an important moral issue and regardless of whether I agree with
the Catholic Church's position on this issue, at least I think they have been
consistent in advocating not only the fetal right to life, but all humanity's
right to life by advocating a stop to the nuclear arms race.
It is unfortunate that other Christians have for the most part ignored the
threat to everyone's right to life posed by the nuclear arms race.
 
Tim Sevener
Bell Labs, Whippany
whuxl!orb

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