I was raised evangelical. I was raised with a disdain for “dirty hippies and peace-nicks”; but I was also raised with a disdain for the peace process, multilateralism and any sort of lasting effect for real diplomacy.
Now, I wasn’t raised on a compound or home-schooled. I wasn’t even a boy scout. I was Southern Suburban. I say that so you understand I wasn’t raised in a militia-loving or other right-wing extreme household. Hell, we didn’t even have a gun. But, we had an unfounded disregard for peace.
I have since come to see we were not alone. The Neo-Cons with their never-ending quest for war and American Imperialism have co-opted the evangelical hesitancy towards peace for their own means. The Tea Party, being a new face on an old movement shares that disregard. But I still cannot figure out WHY?
I know the scripture telling believers to beware when men cry peace, peace for surely it leads to war. But is that scripture really enough to get Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians who believe in the literal interpretation of the bible, to forsake the very teaching of Christ himself? Christ said “Blessed are the peacemakers.” But to many American Christians there is a loophole in that verse. Somewhere?
The very concept of the United Nations and their peace missions, first popularized by Hal Lindsey in “The Late Great Planet Earth”, have an inspired an absolute fear in Evangelicals . Ridicule was reserved for peace and peace-keeping like nothing else, except for perhaps psychology.
But I say all that, and still cannot figure out why or what causes it. Is peace really such a horrible concept? Did the hippies really muck it up so badly? Is the UN really so scary as to cause an all-out war on the one thing that could be most beneficial to all mankind?
Maybe that is it? Maybe peace is so abhorrent because it means that the small-minded understanding of God that is evident in fundamental religions is wrong. Maybe peace is so transformational that we will not be able to hate “the other”? Maybe peace and working for peace is such a community builder that our understanding of WHO we are and WHY we are will have to change just by accepting it as a goal?
One can only hope . . .
Interesting first diary. Maybe you could help me – I’ve always wondered about the meaning of the word “evangelical.”
I was raised Catholic, and of course was deeply insulted at the suggestion that there was a religion superior to ours. But then the word “catholic” is supposed to mean all-inclusive.
My personal interpretation of evagelism was people whose purpose was to convert my way of thinking to theirs.
Do we want status or do we want to share a good thing? I know that I feel all evangelical when I enjoy a book or a movie and want to share it with somebody else. Surprise! – they may not be interested.
I don’t know – we have competing impulses. So we’re all going nuts looking for balance.
Seems like if you’re a Christian in America, the only time you should express any sentiment toward peace on earth is at Christmas. End of babbling…
Of course I can’t know for certain, but I suspect they are just dupes of these guys:
A warning from a famous republican, nearly half a century ago echos yet today:
Still true, even more so now than in Nixon’s time of power:
Deep Throat: “Follow the money. Always follow the money.”
Most Christianity ignores the stuff attributed to Jesus and stresses the stuff attributed to Paul.
I wouldnt underestimate fear either as a factor in disliking peace. When there is war the battle against an enemy is open and ongoing. When there is peace the enemy may be up to no good unnoticed in many minds especially the minds of those versed in good versus evil.
And media constantly rail against peace and want everyone bombed. And of cose the arms industry is probably the only industry that is recession proofed
Little hope for the future I think.