As this nation honors the brave men and women who have died in military conflicts our resident self-absorbed self-appointed prophet of the Church of God is back ranting today about Memorial Day and what else, but football.
Never in the entirety of Christianity has the church been blessed with such a wise and enlightened prophet in its midst. What more should we expect though, since he was foreordained as the world was coming into existence to lead a mighty end-time work of God because there would be no other competent human alive at that time to lead a church. Besides, a few nightmares and dreams by a few equally nutty people proves his position as our prophet and revelator of all things truly unimportant in one's Christian walk of faith.
After traveling to Ireland and adding his two cents to Irish history, our doubly blessed prophet returned home to sunny California to dream up another foolish rant about football, with some boxing thrown into the ring.
But first, he attempts to honor those who have died fighting for the freedom he has to write irrelevant stupidity:
Today, while many are in mourning over various mass shootings, many in the USA observe ‘Memorial Day.’ It was originally known as ‘Decoration Day.’ It started after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day was extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.
He goes on to include information one of his "readers" sent to him about "just wars'.
Memorial Day a time to question war…
It is proper to pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. Memorial Day should also be a time of reflection on when it is moral for the United States to wage war and, if allowed, how this country should conduct war.
War is awful. In these days of shallow, sanitized news coverage, the real horror of war rarely confronts us with the terrible death it levies against fellow humans, soldiers and civilians alike, and the maiming injuries, physical and psychological, it leaves behind in its wake…
Over the centuries, religious leaders and moral philosophers have clarified moral principles for commencing a “just war.” Choices about war and peace involve not only military and political options, but also moral questions.
Then, our greatest theologian in COG history weighs in with this:
The ‘just war’ concept, to a major degree, is based upon the writings of the Roman Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas, and was a term used by early followers of Martin Luther. In the 16th century, Martin Luther’s followers condemned those who did not believe that Christians were to be soldiers.
Elijah Bwana Bob has a huge hang-up with Maritn Luther and believes that if Luther were alive today he would be killing and torturing those in the improperly named "continuing" Church of "god".
It should be noted that some of those called Anabaptists were in the Church of God (please see the article The Sardis Church Era). Martin Luther would have also condemned groups like the Continuing Church of God which hold to beliefs that he condemned on these matters.
Then, rather quickly, our apostate prophet turns the tables and drags in Romans, gladiators, and fighting that cause bodily harm, which automatically sends his homeopathic brain into a pill-popping frenzy to compare war with American football and boxing. Who knew?????
Even today, many Christians realize that watching brutal events intent on causing physical harm, such as real boxing and American football, is inappropriate.
Apparently, in the eyes of our Great Bwana, those who watch football or boxing are grievous sinners in the sight of his god. Have they committed the unpardonable sin???? Is the Spirit grieved because they are watching football?
So, true Christians did not believe that they were to fight nor even watch the violent sports that were popular in the second century.
God's most true Christian to ever walk this earth then goes on to mock an article in Christianity Today, apparently written go "so-called" Christians about military service.
Christianity Today has recognized that early Christians were against military service:
The ancient church understood that war has been around as long as human beings and sin have coexisted. It is a consistent tenet throughout the Christian tradition that war is the result of sin. The responses to war, however, have followed two basic trains of thought: pacifism, and the idea that certain wars can be just.
Pacifism is characteristic of the early centuries of Christianity in someone like the North African apologist Tertullian (160-220 A.D.), who regularly warned Christians to distance themselves from pagan culture. He wrote:
“How will he serve in the army even during peacetime without the sword that Jesus Christ has taken away? Even if soldiers came to John and got advice on how they ought to act, even if the centurion became a believer, the Lord by taking away Peter’s sword, disarmed every soldier thereafter. We are not allowed to wear any uniform that symbolizes a sinful act” (On Idolatry 19.3).
The third-century Roman Presbyter Hippolytus wrote The Apostolic Tradition, Canon 16, (ca. 215 A.D.) which opposed serving in the military as a matter of church discipline:
“A soldier in the lower ranks shall kill no one. If ordered to do so, he shall not obey, and he shall not take an oath. If he does not want to comply with this directive, let him be dismissed [from the church].”
(Elowsky, Joel. Ancient Christian Commentary on Current Events: What Is War Good For? Christianity Today, posted October 28, 2003).
Now, I should add that it is doubtful that most of those quoted in the article were true Christians themselves. Yet, it is clear that they understood that John the Baptist and the Apostles were against war.
No one wants war, or even wants to fight in a war or some regional conflict, but this is the price we pay for being able to live in a moderately free world. Just or unjust, the wars and conflicts people fought in have given Bwana Bob the freedom to sit comfortably in his home on the CA coast and write stupidity. We are glad Bwana Bob takes advantage of that freedom because it allows us to mock his pathetic ministry that has nothing to do with being a follower of Jesus.
So, as many remember the soldiers who died in warfare today, Christians can look forward to the time that there will be no more war nor pain of war.
Amen
