The Preaching and the Teaching
Sam Aurelius Milam III
There's
a lot of evidence that contradicts the claims made by Christians regarding
their agenda of peace, love, and forgiveness. One small sample from
that large body of evidence is a hymn that we regularly sang in the Presbyterian
church at Boldtville, Texas, the community where I was raised. The
hymn is Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. I've presented the lyrics
below.
I
see a lot of warlike rhetoric in that hymn. I see words like soldiers,
banners, suffer, victory, army, unnumbered foes, vanquished, trumpet call,
obey, mighty conflict, glorious day, serve, courage, danger, oppose, armor,
strife, noise of battle, and victor's song. Each and every word or
phrase is glorified as being in the service of Jesus. Such warlike
rhetoric isn't universal in Christian hymns, but neither is it uncommon.
Some
Christians will try to excuse such inflammatory language in a Christian
hymn as being merely figurative. Nonsense. Christian brutality
throughout the centuries is consistent with such rhetoric. Examples
abound throughout both modern and ancient history. Not only that,
the hymn was sung to and by impressionable young children, when I was a
child. Many of the people who teach such hymns to their children
are the same people who whine about violence on television. It's
OK to glorify violence for Jesus but not to use it for profit or entertainment?
Furthermore,
if Christians can excuse their own warlike rhetoric as being merely figurative,
then so can Muslims. Do Christians condemn the alleged teaching of
such violence and militarism by Muslims? You bet they do. Christians
would do well to review their own rhetoric and history before they condemn
the teachings or behavior of other religions. The evidence seems
to suggest that Christians, given the least excuse, become warmongers for
Christ. By condemning the similar teachings of others, by preaching
peace and teaching war, they also become hypocrites for Christ.![10x5 Page Background GIF Image](../../Images/10x5_Page_Background.gif)
Why do you see the speck that is in your
brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your
eye,' when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take
the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the
speck out of your brother's eye.
— Matthew 7:3-5
Revised Standard Version
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Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross!
Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss:
From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished And Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, In this His glorious day:
Ye that are men, now serve Him, Against unnumbered foes;
Your courage rise with danger, And strength to strength
oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, Ye dare not trust your
own:
Put on the gospel armor, And watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger, Be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day, the noise of battle, The next, the victor's
song:
To him that overcometh, A crown of life shall be;
He with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally!
— from the Broadman Hymnal
Copyright — 1940, by The Broadman Press
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Frontiersman,
479 E. 700 N., Firth, Idaho 83236
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March 2003
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