NationStates Jolt Archive

So now that the three out of four remaining members of Christian Peacemeaker's Teams who were kidnapped have been safely rescued from their Iraqui captors, we have been privy to a little more of the philosophy of their orginization.

For a while after the military operation planned and carried out by US and British troops to pluck the kindnapees into safety, the Christian Peacemaker's Team refused to acknowledge their saviours, and instead thanked God, and their Iraqi, and international collegues. Only after public cencure did they adit their website to thank the soldiers. They were quick to point out that it was the invasion itself that was the reason for the kidnapping. Their captors, who killed one of the kidnapees, were not mentioned, while the occupiers who took great risks to help the threee captives were villified. Nice way to say thanks

This "militant pacifism" - ie. putting yourself intentionally in harm's way either as human shields, or to draw attention to war, and then blaming others when you get hurt, is pretty distatsteful. It's time people started pointing out the idiosynchranies of the christian left-wing as well as the right.

This "militant pacifism" - ie. putting yourself intentionally in harm's way either as human shields, or to draw attention to war, and then blaming others when you get hurt, is pretty distatsteful. It's time people started pointing out the idiosynchranies of the christian left-wing as well as the right.

Christian leftists are incredibly rare, though. They simply aren't worth the time to criticize. Christian rightists, by contrast, pose a serious threat to freedom.

Christian leftists are incredibly rare, though.
No they're not. Maybe in the US they are, but everywhere else many, many Christians are left wing.

I'm curious to what you mean by that statement.. what did u intend with that statement?

I'm curious to what you mean by that statement.. what did u intend with that statement?
sorry, I'm not sure to who you are reffering. could you clarify the question?

No they're not. Maybe in the US they are, but everywhere else many, many Christians are left wing.

The thing is the American concept of left wing is Liberal. Here we are talking about more socialistic tendencies


This "militant pacifism" - ie. putting yourself intentionally in harm's way either as human shields, or to draw attention to war, and then blaming others when you get hurt.

They do have a point. Had the invasion not happened and they gone to Iraq they wouldnt have been kidnapped. Espically since before they left they had made a point that they did not wish to be resqued in a millitary operation of any kind. And while I agree its a flawed premise, if you think this represents the Christian left, you have to look much further afield for that

I thought he'd said before he went to Iraq, that if he was kidnapped he didnt want to be released in military action, so who's suprised?

No they're not. Maybe in the US they are, but everywhere else many, many Christians are left wing.

Isn't it more or less a contradiction in terms for Christians to be anything other than right wing?

They do have a point. Had the invasion not happened and they gone to Iraq they wouldnt have been kidnapped. Espically since before they left they had made a point that they did not wish to be resqued in a millitary operation of any kind. And while I agree its a flawed premise, if you think this represents the Christian left, you have to look much further afield for that

Thats absolutely true! Just like the makers of guns are responsible for every murder that happens in the US! Just like every German person is responsible for the 9 million Jews killed in WWII since they all voted for Hitler!

For God's sake that is ridiculous. The US didnt create the kidnappers. They already existed. Its not like this war has been going for a full generation or anything. The US war there just clustered all these crazy extremists into Iraq, not left them scattered through the world.

Yep. Though you do have to admit the group is a little messed up for playing the help me card and then badmouthing the heros.

Thats called blinded by ideology, and sadly this country is so polarized and blinded by ideology on both sides that its getting almost as bad as back in the 1840's and 50's about slavery. And we all know what kind of ugly happenstance came about from that. Maybe V for Vendetta is right after all......

The thing is the American concept of left wing is Liberal. Here we are talking about more socialistic tendenciesThey aren't socialistic tendancies at all; the organization is political in an international sense as opposed to social and econonmic. They are extreme anti-war tendancies. More accurately, they are extreme anti-war-the-west-is-involved-with tendancies, though they don't seem to care about other violence - like the violence done to their own members by murderers. Essentially, I see these setting themselves up as martyrs for a cause they niether understand not improve.

They do have a point. Had the invasion not happened and they gone to Iraq they wouldnt have been kidnapped. Espically since before they left they had made a point that they did not wish to be resqued in a millitary operation of any kind. And while I agree its a flawed premise, if you think this represents the Christian left, you have to look much further afield for thatNo this is an extreme representative of the far left. However, the delusion and self-riteousness, probably can be a bit more generalized. In this case , it was taken to the extreme of the willful placement of oneself in danger, and as a burden to others.

And I challenge James Loney or Harmeet Sooden NOW to claim that they would have preffered not to be rescued at all. hah.

Ya....say next time we'll leave you there. See how they like that! :P

Isn't it more or less a contradiction in terms for Christians to be anything other than right wing?
Well, if Christians follow Christ and his teachings, then it's more of a contradiction in terms for them to be anything other than left wing.

Yep. Though you do have to admit the group is a little messed up for playing the help me card and then badmouthing the heros.

He didnt play the help me card. He specificly said he did not want a millitary resque

They aren't socialistic tendancies at all; the organization is political in an international sense as opposed to social and econonmic. They are extreme anti-war tendancies.

Being anti war is socialistic

Ya....say next time we'll leave you there. See how they like that! :P
They seemed to like it after the American was killed; there was suddenly room that wasn't being taken up by that ass, made courtesy of 30 years of eating at McDonald's. :D

Well, if Christians follow Christ and his teachings, then it's more of a contradiction in terms for them to be anything other than left wing.

Actually Jesus wasnt left wing or right wing per se. Neither is God. Remember, it was God who destroyed Sodom and Gamorre because of the sins they were doing. I gotta say, a lot of people, especially non christians forget that there are two other pieces to the Christian Deity system. The new testiment is NOT the entire bible.

Actually Jesus wasnt left wing or right wing per se. Neither is God. Remember, it was God who destroyed Sodom and Gamorre because of the sins they were doing. I gotta say, a lot of people, especially non christians forget that there are two other pieces to the Christian Deity system. The new testiment is NOT the entire bible.
And neither is the Old Testament.

And neither is the Old Testament.
What about the book of Mormon?

Actually Jesus wasnt left wing or right wing per se. Neither is God. Remember, it was God who destroyed Sodom and Gamorre because of the sins they were doing. I gotta say, a lot of people, especially non christians forget that there are two other pieces to the Christian Deity system. The new testiment is NOT the entire bible.
Gamorre?

Never heard of it.

And neither is the Old Testament.

that is also true. But usually only Jews ignore the new testiment (for obvious reasons). It is much more common for people to either forget the Old testiment completely or try to snipe at christians about the old testiment

Nadkor: it might be spelled Gomorre, not quite sure, but they were twin cities iirc

Isn't it more or less a contradiction in terms for Christians to be anything other than right wing?

No!

No!

No!

Excuse me for saying it three times, but I had to make sure I was heard. Christianity = right wing only really applies in the USA and perhaps the Mediterrainian as far as I know.

Certainly in Catholicism there is a struggly between the right who wish the Church to be less political (that statements needs qualifying, but I am not sure how) and those who see a socialist role for the Church, particuarly in South America.

What about the book of Mormon?
Well... everyone knows that Smith just took Cocaine and wrote the books as apart of the first cult ever developed. So, it doesn't really count... :p

This isn’t the academy awards, where you catch it for forgetting to thank your hairdresser.

These people just came out of a very bad place. If the media hounding them caught them not immediately thanking the people who rescued them, then maybe the media should lay off them so they can have some more time to themselves.

I thought it was inappropriate for the British Officer to make a statement like that about freed hostages who had gone through an ordeal like their’s.

The Bruce

Well if they put themselves in danger to badmouth the military...they don't deserve news time at all anyways.

No!

No!

No!

Excuse me for saying it three times, but I had to make sure I was heard. Christianity = right wing only really applies in the USA and perhaps the Mediterrainian as far as I know.

Certainly in Catholicism there is a struggly between the right who wish the Church to be less political (that statements needs qualifying, but I am not sure how) and those who see a socialist role for the Church, particuarly in South America.


Actually the Catholic Church should be as apolitical as possible. What it should do is make sure ALL of its constituents follow the rules of the church, and let the media be damned. If someone doesnt follow those rules then they should be excommunicated.

Well if they put themselves in danger to badmouth the military...they don't deserve news time at all anyways.

So we should only hear 'approved war messages'...

And they didn't do that anyway. They went in, specifically requesting they not be rescued by the military. The military rescued them What do you think they would do?

that is also true. But usually only Jews ignore the new testiment (for obvious reasons).

Jews don't ignore it, they reject its legitimacy.

It is much more common for people to either forget the Old testiment completely or try to snipe at christians about the old testiment

The Sermon on the Mount is probably one of the most (effectively, not rhetorically) ignored Biblical passages existing.

Well, if Christians follow Christ and his teachings, then it's more of a contradiction in terms for them to be anything other than left wing.
Hear, hear.

The thing is the American concept of left wing is Liberal. Here we are talking about more socialistic tendencies
Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

Back to Letila, how do you know they were liberals? Just because one is conservative doesn't mean one must be a war hawk.

Isn't it more or less a contradiction in terms for Christians to be anything other than right wing?
It contradicts Acts for them to be right wing since the right isn't into helping people out who are less fortunate.

Being anti war is socialistic

emmmm...no. Maybe in America. Not in Europe certainly.

Being anti war is socialistic
I'm sure these guys (http://www.lp.org) would be alarmed to hear that they were socialists.

Besides, Marx advocated class war.

I'm sure these guys (http://www.lp.org) would be alarmed to hear that they were socialists.

Having one socialist stance wouldn't necesarrily make you a socialist...*shrug*

Besides, Marx advocated class war.

I wouldn't know, whatever.

This isn’t the academy awards, where you catch it for forgetting to thank your hairdresser.

These people just came out of a very bad place. If the media hounding them caught them not immediately thanking the people who rescued them, then maybe the media should lay off them so they can have some more time to themselves.
I don't think your hairdresser and the people that saved your life can be compared.
Being anti war is socialisticNo, no it isn't. it's unrellated.

Being anti-war is... well... being anti-war. There's nothing particularly socialist about being anti-war.

Bismarck, for example, was hardly a socialist, but he was very anti-WWI (and pro-a few other wars).


And these people did ask Not to be rescued by the military, so when they do get rescued, would you even expect their reply to be anything thankful?

"Yay, thank you for ruining our promise not to get involved with the military!"

"Yay, thank you for ruining our promise not to get involved with the military!"Then again, they should be equally as angry with their families for pleading for their release or safe rescue.

Sounds pretty idiotic to me.