Here we go again. And again. After I heard about Saturday’s shooting in El Paso, I turned to the Internet to wrap my head around the horror of yet another mass shooting in my home state. Such as it is in the immediate aftermath of a shooting, reports from the scene were chaotic and contradictory.…
Continue reading ➞ A Christian’s Response to the El Paso and Dayton Shootings
The first time I heard about Christian nonviolence, I thought it was ridiculous. My struggle with Christian nonviolence was a result of the multitude of questions the stance generates. I gradually came to learn that these questions were normal. It's what happens when you're entire paradigm shifts on such a comprehensive issue. I grew up…
Continue reading ➞ Christians and Violence: Seven Tough Questions and Responses
On December 4, 2015, Jerry Falwell, Jr. - the president of Liberty University - stood in front of 10,000 Christian students and faculty members during a weekly chapel service and said, "If more good people had concealed [handgun] carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in." Falwell was referencing the terrorist…
Continue reading ➞ A Biblical Case for Christian Nonviolence
During the 12th Century, crusaders often hired mercenaries to fight in their stead during the Crusades. Because the Crusades were viewed as a religious undertaking, the mercenaries had to be baptized before being deployed to the Holy Land.
Instrument of Mercy 