War Peace

War Peace

What’s In a Word? War or Peace?

Our world is filled with war, not only war against people, but also violence and savagery toward nature and the animals. The atmosphere, the earth and the waters are being polluted and destroyed non-stop. Mass factory farming is the order of the day. In addition to this, animals are tormented, tortured, and murdered in fields and woods, in slaughterhouses and in the world of animal testing laboratories. It is a single murdering and killing all over the earth. But the worst is that people make a recreational sport out of this violence and savagery, by organizing fox hunts, cock fights, bullfights, dog fights and rodeos, to only name a few.

To stop this kind of brutality, we need to ask ourselves the following question: Where do wars start, in the first place? Don’t they perhaps first start in our thoughts? Isn’t it a basic disregard of any concept about life, which stems from God? Many people in the western world call themselves Christian. What does Christianity signify for us Christians? Isn’t this word derived from Christ, the Son of God, who came to bring us Redemption? If we call ourselves Christian, why don’t we ask ourselves whether the aforementioned activities have anything to do with Jesus, the Christ?

So what about the word “Christian”? Does it correspond to the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth? When we look into what His teachings want to tell us, what exists is the exact opposite. The teachings of Jesus of Nazareth should lead us to Him, to Christ in us. Did the word “Christian” bring us closer to Him? Over the past 2000 years, the answer has to be a resounding NO!

Instead, if we look into the world, what does it look like? Hostility, fighting, quarrelling, greed, envy, hatred and much more. If we look more closely in families: Quarrelling – at sporting events, at work or play, in queues, in traffic jams, strife, spiteful words are exchanged, and in some cases, even physical violence may take place. Much of it is passed on under cover of being “Christian,” but it does not mean “Christ in us”, but “Christian.”

Historically, so much disaster has come into the world through this word. Think of the Crusades. So-called Christians brutally killed millions of people who had another religion, allegedly in the name of Christ, in the name of the cross. Why? Is this Christian?

If we look at what happened to the Indians of North and South America, whole nations were exterminated. Those who had another belief, who were not Catholic, were eradicated. Scientists were annihilated all in the name of “Christian.”

For centuries, there were witch hunts, witch burnings. Hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women were killed. They were tortured, beheaded and quartered. The church leaders of that time instigated all of this and the state often carried it out, all under the covering of “Christian.” As with the Inquisition, with duress, torture, unending torment and murder for those affected.

Property, gold and a lot more was taken from other continents where they also forced conversions. People had to become Christian or be killed or murdered.

We have to imagine that: all these cruel deeds, which took place all over the world, were committed under the name of “Christian.”

Over centuries, Christian Church leaders fuelled anti-Semitism.

What about the immeasurable suffering of the animals? The church doctrines denied that animals have a soul. What came from this? Mass factory farms, sport hunting, experimental laboratories, all of this under cover of being “Christian.”

Just think: Both world wars were started by so-called Christian nations and cruelly led by them. The church leaders did not fight against this. They even gave their blessing to it. The popes back then did not even call on the people of the world to tell them this was not Christian. They never turned against these world wars, for example, by explaining that Jesus had said, “Put your sword back in its scabbard, for the one who takes up a sword, will die by the sword.” The popes never said anything like this!

At this point, let us ask ourselves what is actually Christian? What did Jesus teach? By looking at what is actually in the Christian teaching, we will see what the opposite of it is. For a starter, Jesus said, “I did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfil them.” He also said, “Put your sword back in its scabbard. The one who fights with a sword will die through a sword.”

Jesus also said: You have heard that it was said of them of old time, You shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, That whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment … And then, Jesus also said: But I say to you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless them that curse you… With this, he surely meant make peace and not war.

He even went further, because he then explained to his disciples, and I quote: That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans do the same? Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. He also said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” In regard to and relevant to the wars being waged today: “Why do you see the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam that is in your own eye? … You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother's eye.”

If we’re going to call ourselves Christian, isn’t it about time to start paying attention to these words?

About the Author

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Is war and peace a good book to read at 14 years old?

I'm a 14 year old girl in eighth grade. I'm an advanced reader and I like classics a lot. Is War and Peace a good choice? If you've read it, how old were you?

It offers a well-organized plot with a myriad of characters. I read it in college. I remember writing down the names of the characters to help me remember families' last names..family members and friends of each family...military personnel...the years that passed within the plot

I enjoyed War & Peace, but (unlike Pride & Prejudice) it wasn't a novel I re-read and encouraged others to read. Tolstoy's prolixity was a major turn-off for most of my friends.

I hope you try reading Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"...a tragic romance but a well-developed, entertaining story.

Ryuichi Sakamoto 坂本龍一- War & Peace (2005)