The Two Futures Project: Who Would Jesus Bomb?

by Shane Claiborne 05-06-2009

In light of headlines that dozens of kids and families were killed in US bombings of Afghanistan on Tuesday, this conversation seems as urgent as ever. God help us. It was a beautiful thing to join my friend and brotha Rob Bell, Baptist minister Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, former Secretary of State George Schultz, author and mega-church co-founder Lynne Hybels, and Southern Baptist leader Jonathan Merritt as we launched the Two Futures Project last week, an ambitious new initiative to abolish nuclear weapons. Several folks have asked for transcripts of the two-minute statements we made at the press conference (via phone). So we threw mine together here:

Forgive the background noise …. I’m sitting in an airport coming back from Taylor University, a typical Christian liberal arts college in the Midwest. But last night hundreds of students built a cardboard shantytown in the middle of the campus quad and slept out in the rain to remember the homeless, undocumented, and displaced people in the world. They will continue to sleep out as part of an entire week of faith and social justice, bringing attention to issues like nuclear weapons, immigration, and poverty.

It was one more sign of the changing face of evangelicalism in post-religious right America, where young Christians are not limited to the hot-button issues and stale debates of the past — but are convinced that our faith has to connect to the world we live in, that we have to read the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

And we are aware of the glaring contradictions – that the U.S. continues to try to be a credible voice for peace while maintaining the largest weapons arsenal in the world, with a military budget larger than the combined military budgets of the next 30 countries…

We are convinced that Dr.King was right when he said, “A country that continues to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching a spiritual death.”

We have seen the mistakes. Harry Truman thanked God for the atomic bomb and prayed God would help us use it wisely, as he dropped it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A new generation in the church is saying our God does not bless bombs. Our God is the One who lived in Jesus and said if we pick up the sword we will die by the sword… if we trust in the bomb we will die by it.

It is this Jesus who said we are to love our enemies, and we are convinced that it is impossible to simultaneously love them and prepare to kill them en masse. When I was a teenager we wore bracelets that said WWJD — What Would Jesus Do? Now young people in the church are taking that a step further, wearing T-shirts like the one I saw last night — WWJB — Who Would Jesus Bomb? And the answer is clear. It is time to imagine another future than the one doomed to us by nuclear arms — one that the prophets foretold where people beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, one where we turn the instruments of death into things that bring life. That is why I am excited to endorse and champion the Two Future’s Project… because I think it gets us one step closer to God’s dream for the world.

For more info and to join the movement, check out www.twofuturesproject.org.

Shane Claiborne is a Red Letter Christian and a founding partner of The Simple Way community, a radical faith community that lives among and serves the homeless in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. He is the co-author, with Chris Haw, of Jesus for President.

Categories: War & Peace

hollysavage

For those who want the biblical view of justice: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/genesis/sod...

hollysavage

The answer to Shane's question, "Who would Jesus bomb?" is very simple if we simply ask another question: Who has Jesus already bombed? People are constantly raging against weapons of mass destruction, using Jesus as the focal point of their message of "peace." However, if you look at the story of Sodom and Gommorah in the Bible it is obvious that Jesus was packing nukes long before the Manhattan Project. Sodom (where we get the term "sodomy") and Gommorah were so sold out to homosexuality that the cities had turned violent with the perversion. What did Jesus do? Did he walk down mainstreet wearing tie-dye clothes and holding a peace sign? Did he participate in civil disobedience and "peaceful" protesting? Did he bring in Abraham's family with the mission of loving their neighbors as themselves? No. As Mark Driscoll would say, he wiped out the cities with "road tar from Heaven." As the Bible clearly says in Genesis 19: 24-25, "Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah - from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities - and also the vegetation in teh land." In other words, Jesus not only smoked all the people, but also all of the land and plants. That was justice. By the way, the idea of "hate the sin, love the sinner" is not biblical. I'm not saying that the United States should wipe out Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm simply answering the question Shane brought up. American cannot act as Jesus because she is imperfect. Her justice will never meet His standard. As a result, she does not have his authority to wipe out entire nations. However, she has a responsibility to protect her people and the Believers therin should strive to portray both the loving and just side of the Savior they serve. Not simply the side that's easier or more feel-good.

richardaberdeen

You might find our CD and video below of interest...

WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB? - video
http://freedomtracks.com/videowhowouldjesusbomb...

Who Would Jesus Bomb? - Nashville Session Players Free 20-Song CD
http://freedomtracks.com/anw.html

Thank You, Sincerely
Richard Aberdeen
www.FreedomTracks.com

Legal will kit Australia

I think He'd bomb no one, but his false followers have and will continue their war mongering and senseless shedding of blood. :(

koalamasala

Hello, Sister Marie,

Actually, Shane has risked both jail time AND his life by going to Iraq with the Christian Peacemakers (see his book "The Irresistible Revolution").

And I agree with talitha koum, that college students sleeping outside in cardboard boxes -is- meaningful, as it may mean a life of service and compassion to those living in cardboard boxes on regular basis (esp. up North!).

CStat

Ando, my deepest apology for what I just posted. I reread both your comments and realized that I made a big mistake. You are saying that you care about abortions and about innocent lives being lost in the bombings. I need to work on my anger about this topic, and I am very sorry for being sarcastic and hateful.

CStat

Ando, I do not advocate abortion. The topic here is dropping bombs which kill indescriminately and take innocent lives. These are two seperate issues. I must say that I don't understand how one who feels so deeply sad about abortions can shrug off bombs being dropped indescriminately on people, many of whom are innocent children who are fully formed and who comprehend the horror and pain that is being inflicted on them AND who have no access to medical care or painkilling medications to alleviate their suffering. It is difficult to imagine and to feel the pain of people in foreign lands, but we need to try harder to put ourselves in their place and truly make protecting and caring for the innocent a priority.

keithsmith

From the article

Our God is the One who lived in Jesus and said if we pick up the sword we will die by the sword

A few hours before this Jesus told the same disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword. They said they had two and he said that was enough.

Seems like sometimes the sword is the option since Jesus told them to sell their cloak and buy one.

It is just it should not be the ONLY option or even the FIRST option.

Nathan Bedford

Wow. I actually know that song. Citing it does reveal something about your age.

lysager

I love Shane as a brother and he has caused me to question many of my comfortable notions. I have some problems, however, with proclaiming I am a total passivist. Some years ago I came close to rejecting Christianity largely due to this very issue. If we see evil and do nothing to stop it, are we not complicit in that evil? If you see the war in Iraq as wrong and you work to educate people to that end that is good. You are working against an evil. However, if a despot like Hitler begins to exterminate people and launch a serious assault on the free world, and you do nothing, are you pleasing in God's eyes? Dietrich Bonhoeffer died in prison largely because he was part of a plan to asassinate Hitler. I do not believe Sadaam Hussein was equivalent to Hitler nor even Al Quaeda. We must, however, be careful about some sort of blanket passivism. The book of Revelation portrays a battle between the forces of evil and the Lamb. The descriptions are graphic and show God's ultimate response to incorrigible evil. His response is powerful and violent! We are not God, but we are responsible to judge righteously and respond accordingly. I find that very sobering. We may not have our finger on the button, so to speak, but what do we think and say? If I see a thug mugging a person, do I have a responsibility to do something? Perhaps I could quickly quote a bible verse, or explain to him how wrong it is that he is beating this person senseless. We are here to live the Christ life, but also to be instruments of His righteousness. Sitting like a passive lump is not His desire for us. Our raging about like avenging angels is also not His will. Judge with righteous judgement, whether in the micro or macro, and act accordingly.

ando

cstat,

Sorry that pre-born children aren't important to you. But they are to God. He counts more than your ideology. Your cynicism is not appreciated. If you had cared to notice I agreed with you on your main point. But, of course, what you say is ever more so relevant.

canucklehead

Whew, I'm feeling better already!!!! BOMBS AWAY!! YEE-HAH!!

I MAY NEVER MARCH IN THE INFANTRY, RIDE IN THE CAVALRY, SHOOT THE ARTILLERY; I MAY NEVER FLY O'ER THE ENEMY, BUT I'Z IN THE LO-WARD'S ARMEE, YEE-HAW! (repeat**)

ALTOGETHER NOW

I'Z IN THE LO-WARD'S ARMEE, YEE-HAW! I'Z IN THE LO-WARD'S ARMEE, YEE-HAH! (to repeat**) - and repeat ad nauseum until Squeaky tires of squeezin' the accordion YEE-HAW!

CStat

"Jesus indicated there would be times we would need a sword"

Jesus only approves the sword when the cause is righteous and just. There is no point in wasting my time to speak of the insanity of invading Iraq. The facts speak for themselves. There were just reasons for going into Afghanistan and if we had stayed there and prevented the Taliban from regrouping we would not be in the position we are now. The last news report I heard today stated that the Taliban are 70 miles outside of Islamabad. If they gain access to the nuclear weapons in Pakistan, our discussion may be cut short. But then some of you won't notice since you are so busy out fighting abortion.

CStat

Exactly where is all the proof that the Bush administration was doing God's will by invading Iraq or even interested in what the will of God is? Do you think you can just slap the Christian label on anything that suits your fancy and call it justice? Do you think the United States has the right to slaughter and torture because we are more valuable than other people? Women choosing to get abortions and the choice of our government to lie and manipulate us into a war are two entirely separate issues. Abortion is always the lame excuse everytime you don't have anything relevant to say. I repeat my earlier statement: Until Americans fear God more than they fear a group of terrorists our country is in great peril.

JamesM

Okay. Thanks. Time to look for another god. I don't want any part of the one you described.

keithsmith

While it is absolutely true that Jesus said those who live by the sword, die by the sword but that Scripture is often not a complete thought.

Because that exact sword that Jesus got onto to Peter about came from where/when?

Jesus telling the disciples to sell their cloaks and buy a sword during the Last Supper. They responded that they already have two and he said that would be enough.

So, absolutely, we are to not live by the sword but equally and absolutely Jesus indicated there would be times we would need a sword.

It is time for Christians to use Scripture in their full context and not the only parts that makes THEIR point.

djames_abi

CSTAT: Does this mean that you see it in WWII and before?

ando

"God has not particularly blessed us lately. Our economy and morale are both failing. Iraqi and Afghanistan people are, on the whole, victims of cruel people coming from various places, but mostly from the US. These people are suffering and are in despair!"

I'll agree with you on that point. Would you also add the 50 million aborted children and a promiscuous society to the mix? Then we can move past ideology and onto a holistic view of scripture.

CStat

I cannot comprehend how so many Americans think that our military actions during all the wars the US has participated in following WWII "protected the innocent"! In the Old Testament when God was carrying out his plan of establishing the Israelites as his chosen people, wars were fought by soldiers meeting and fighting man to man on the battlefield. Today bombs are dropped from planes manned by individuals who do not see the people who are killed below which include many, many innocent civilians and small children. Fighting on the ground also causes many civilian deaths and serious, agonizing injuries. This is no more a God-sanctioned war than was the Viet Nam war. Wars today are fought for political reasons and for keeping the military industrial complex in business. No one can convince me that God is approving of the Iraq war. Our country is going to reap what the proud and reckless Bush Administration has sown. Until Americans fear the Lord and seek to do his will more than they fear a handful of terrorists, we are in trouble. Anyone can see that God has not particularly blessed us lately. Our economy and morale are both failing. Iraqi and Afghanistan people are, on the whole, victims of cruel people coming from various places, but mostly from the US. These people are suffering and are in despair! Their lives have been in a state of turmoil and on-going trauma, as have the lives of our military men and their loved ones at home, for 7 years now! If any American truly believes that we are doing good in the Middle East instead of evil, he or she must be either delusional or woefully uninformed. Please seek the truth and connect with the reality that close to 200,000 unnecessary deaths as a result of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have occurred with an estimated 2 million refugees fleeing Iraq and nothing positive has come of it. I would love to see our country as the protector of innocents. Let us all pray that we can become that. There is nothing more blessed and moral that we can ever hope to be.

letjusticerolldown

To me your comment sounds very 'ungenerous.' Is that what you want?