what would jesus say?

[flordehinojos]

the words of Thomas J. Gumbleston--Auxiliary Bishop of the Archidiocese of Detroit, Michigan.


This is a homily that was preached by the Archbishop of the Military services some months ago. Archbishop Edward O'Brien, the head of the U.S. archdiocese for the military services, he preached a homily in St. Patrick's Cathedral and in it, in the presence of all these military personnel, he said, "Yours is more than a job; it is a call from God, a true vocation, a call to imitate the very life of Jesus Christ."

How could he say that? Didn't Jesus, as Dr. King put it so beautifully, teach us to accept suffering rather than inflict suffering, to be killed rather than kill? Isn't that what Jesus taught? Could you imagine Jesus being armed, killing people? Nowhere in the Gospel is there any suggestion that Jesus would do that. This is actually in direct contradiction of something Pope John Paul II said when he visited Ireland many years ago: "Do not believe in violence. Violence is a lie. Violence goes against the truth of our faith. Violence is a lie that goes against the truth of our faith. Reject violence. Only forgiveness, peace and love are of Christ."

Only peace, forgiveness and love are of Christ and yet constantly we support war, support the military, support killing. We cannot even get our Catholic churches in the United States to condemn a public policy of our country that calls for the use of nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction. Wouldn't what Jesus tells those Pharisees and priests and religious leaders so long ago, wouldn't Jesus say the same thing to us? We are bringing forth rotten grapes. Part of it is because our own leaders do not follow and speak clearly, the way of Jesus, the way of nonviolence, the way of love.


(more at link--i hope it works!!)
http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/peace/

http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/peace/

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. That's what happens when people

mix up the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of Paul of Tarsus.

[flordehinojos]

2. in the article (i hope the link to it works)

the Bishop also quotes the words of Mejia ... which are really quite beautiful... and seem to join so perfectly with the message of peace,
wherever that message is found...(and in my mind with that beautiful picture in your post of the hands holding the yellow rose).

[GrpCaptMandrake]

3. Mainstream Churches

are vehicles for social control and submission to governmental will.

At the bottom line, it may be fairly said that there is scarcely a mainstream denomination that would not cry "Crucify him!" all over again, were Yeshua the brown-skinned Palestinian carpenter to go about this nation today preaching the same message he did two millenia ago.

It is one of the proofs that we are become a fascist state. Fascist states can never tolerate a message of peace, as they have a vested interest in the antithesis of peace, since, in the short term, war is good both for the government (its military machine) and the corporate business structure.

So don't be surprised when you hear a priest transform "Suffer the children to come unto me" into "Come now, and let us go and make the children suffer."

[flordehinojos]

4. I think that in his Peace Message Bishop Gumbleston is being horrified at

precisely what you are saying. He is saying how can the church be saying something so different from what Christ preached?

[beingthere]

5. John Prine said it well:

"Jesus don't like killin' no matter what the reason for..."

from Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore

[tomg]

6. What I find wonderful in the homily

by Archbishop Gumbleton that you cite from where Gumbleton calls Archbishop O'Brien to account for those statements is when Gumbleton goes on to say

"Only peace, forgiveness and love are of Christ and yet constantly we support war, support the military, support killing. We cannot even get our Catholic churches in the United States to condemn a public policy of our country that calls for the use of nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction. Wouldn't what Jesus tells those Pharisees and priests and religious leaders so long ago, wouldn't Jesus say the same thing to us? We are bringing forth rotten grapes. Part of it is because our own leaders do not follow and speak clearly, the way of Jesus, the way of nonviolence, the way of love."



After 55 years a Catholic ( sometimes practicing, sometimes very angrily not)I have a very ambivalent relationship ( two years ago I left - again). Still, that bozos like William Donohue are seen as spokespersons for the laity of the Catholic Church instead of those on the Catholic Left always infuriates me. In the media, the O'Briens get the play and the Gumbletons get hammered.

[flordehinojos]

8. i too am an "in church again, out of church again," catholic.

this message of peace has been inspiring to me this morning.
:-)

[tomg]

9. Maybe that quote ascribed to the

Jesuits ( or sometimes Stalin) "Give me a child before he is 12 and I'll have him the rest of my life" should read " and "I'll have him (or her) in therapy for the rest of his (or her) life." You are right, though, Gumbleton's words are beautiful. :)

[Hubert Flottz]

7. "F**K George W Bush!"

Sorry I couldn't write it in red ink...