What Would Jesus Do in Gaza? The Tears of Pope Francis Point the Way

[cbayer]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/27/what-would-jesus-do-in-gaza-the-tears-of-pope-francis-point-the-way.html



Christopher Dickey

WORLD NEWS 07.27.14

The pontiff makes a heartfelt appeal for peace in Gaza, Iraq, Syria ... but is anyone listening?

PARIS — As the slaughter continues in Gaza, as bodies rain from the sky over Ukraine, as barbaric jihadists conquer swathes of Syria and Iraq, butchering their enemies and erasing the history of the Bible and of humankind, it seems empathy, sympathy, diplomacy and prayer are utterly unable to meet the demands of common humanity.

At such times, even those who are not especially religious might be moved to ask, in all seriousness, or perhaps in bitter irony, “What would Jesus do?” And as Pope Francis spoke to the multitude on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, he came as close to answering that question as he or anyone else is likely to come.

Francis wept.

He did not wipe away the tears, but the long lenses of the television cameras showed him blinking them back behind his glasses. As Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley has said, Francis is “a man who speaks in gestures.” And this was an important one. Francis wept, and it is fair to say that Jesus, too, would be weeping today.

more at link

[merrily]

1. To Mr. Dickey. If the Jesus described in the OT never existed, you

may as well ask what Tinkerbell would do in Gaza.

If the Jesus described in the Bible existed, or someone close to him, at least as a historical figure, then comparing him to Pope Francis flatters the Pope considerably.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Since the early 300's Jesus has gone to war, frequently on both sides of the conflict.

[trotsky]

3. I think humanity will reach a positive turning point when we can answer that question by saying...

"Who gives a fuck?"

Because individual interpretations and opinions of what Jesus would do have caused nothing but violence throughout history.

[Jim__]

4. Today is the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I.

Did we learn anything in the last 100 years? We learned a lot about the technology of war and death; but about what it takes to live together peacefully - not so much.

[Leontius]

5. Yes we have or at least relearned it, Man is just a bloodthirsty savage who will use any

opportunity to rip away the thin veneer of civilization and let the beast rage and devour at will and any and all excuses to justify it.

[trotsky]

6. Well nothing like skipping that whole "glass is half empty" outlook and just knocking it over...

to say that it's completely empty!

World Becoming Less Violent: Despite Global Conflict, Statistics Show Violence In Steady Decline
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/22/world-less-violent-stats_n_1026723.html

In his new book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined," Pinker makes the case that a smarter, more educated world is becoming more peaceful in several statistically significant ways. His findings are based on peer-reviewed studies published by other academics using examinations of graveyards, surveys and historical records:

_ The number of people killed in battle – calculated per 100,000 population – has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before there were organized countries, battles killed on average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people. In 19th century France, it was 70. In the 20th century with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60. Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a person per 100,000.

_ The rate of genocide deaths per world population was 1,400 times higher in 1942 than in 2008.

_ There were fewer than 20 democracies in 1946. Now there are close to 100. Meanwhile, the number of authoritarian countries has dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now.

[hrmjustin]

7. Jesus would say put down your weapons. I join the pope in prayers for peace.

[Lordquinton]

8. Seriously tho, the RCC is the last place I'd seek advice on what to do in the Holy land

they don't have the best track record when it comes to matters in that area.