Dear Sarah Palin: Jesus don't like this.
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Pete Z
Sep 4, 2008, 3:01:47 AM9/4/08
to gove...@gov.state.ak.us, Rum-Runners: Triad Emergent Cohort, Tripp Fuller, Atwood, Craig D., Gloria Bonner, Greg Dover, Dr. Bill Leonard, Sheila Whittenberg, Polly Morrison
(hey. this is really, really long. you may want to delete it. unless you are tripp, and then you have to read it, cause you are the one that made me google this sarah palin quote and find out she does not know that the church has made a distinct difference between Jesus and Caesar, even when they give into the spirit of Constantine.
oh, and you have to read it if you are Sarah Palin. if you are a prof, indulge my colloqiualism if you take time to read this and feel free to correct me because i am sure Sarah Palin is confused about Jesus and Caesar, but I may get some of my theory wrong. It is 3 am. i should be working on church history. But this history is in the making. So I had to email palin ASAP.
--
Pax,
Pete Zimmerman
210-912-0791
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."
--Dom Helder Pessoa Camera (1909-1999), Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Brazil
oh, and you have to read it if you are Sarah Palin. if you are a prof, indulge my colloqiualism if you take time to read this and feel free to correct me because i am sure Sarah Palin is confused about Jesus and Caesar, but I may get some of my theory wrong. It is 3 am. i should be working on church history. But this history is in the making. So I had to email palin ASAP.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pete Z <kelti...@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 2:55 AM
Subject: Jesus don't like this.
To: pete...@gmail.com
From a blog I read the following:
""I did a drive-by of Palin's church when I was traveling through Wasilla yesterday, not realizing the furor that would be churning the blogosphere less than 24-hours later about a speech Palin delivered there only three months ago. Here's what she said regarding the war in Iraq:
"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God."
Let that sink in a minute. A task that is from God. Sarah's war is a holy war. It's not, apparently from the God that says "turn the other cheek" or "I am my brother's keeper" or "the greatest of all these is love". It's not about diplomacy, international relations, figuring out why we are so despised in the Middle East, keeping Israel secure, revamping how the U.S. deals with its unsustainable dependence on foreign oil, combating poverty and desperation that leads young men to terrorism. Nope. This war is God's will. It's God's holy war. She went on:
That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
Seriously? (that is what I read. I hope she never said that. I think she did.) So here is what I want to say to Sarah.
I don't know if you think the bible is literal. I don't care if you think Adam and Eve really existed or not. Liberal Christians, moderate Christians, Conserative, whatever you are, we have the same gospel story. The core value of Christians is to live and act in ways that bring about the nonviolent kingdom of Love which is God's kingdom. We do that by following, loving and living like Jesus as his body and living in the community of faith, the beloved community called to change all the kingdoms of Caesar.
Now every nation on the earth is just like the roman empire. They all use the power and might of Caesar (the state) and they use violence to establish and defend the borders of their nation.
Many Christians, like, the first couple of thousand Christians from the time of Jesus until Constantine had a problem with Caesar and how to live in a kingdom based on violence. Because the Pax Romana was won through the violence of bloodshed. But the Pax Christi needs only the precious blood of Jesus be shed. Blood will be spilled in creating the Pax Christi but all the blood spilled falls from the body of Christ called the church and we do not fight evil with evil but bless our enemies. Our enemeies will make us bleed. We will not, in building the kingdom of Jesus, make them bleed. In fact, for hundreds of years, christians felt blessed to die as witnesses to the nonviolent kingdom of Jesus. Jesus knew the world was controlled by Caesar. So did Paul. Caesar may be "placed by God" as Paul contended or perhaps God lets us have free will and Caesar just happened to come along. But Caesar fights with a sword. Jesus's only sword is truth. The great
theological innovator, the creative St. Augustine, came up with the idea of a just war. He may be right and it could be true that Christians should obey a Caesar and fight in wars of Caesar. But only a just war. And according to Augustine's theory, few American wars fit the bill.
For example, our revolution, which was against a "god given" ruler, was not something Paul or Augustine would sanction. Paul would be ashamed. Not the civil war where Christians killed Christians who just wanted the same freedom from the union that the union got from King George. WW I and WW II have been seen by many as just wars. I have no problem with that. But guess what? Even a "just war" is just building up the KINGDOM OF CAESAR. America is not god's nation anymore than Mexico or Canada. Do you know who founded America? LIBERALS. Because anyone who thinks that a Christian has the right to attack their own king's men over taxation (which Jesus said render to Caesar) may have a great theory. But it is a new theory, not found in Jesus or Paul or the bible. It is as LIBERAL as gay ordination. I Some christians ordain gays. But they would be called liberal. Just as liberal as Thomas Jefferson (not a christian) or George Washington (a nominal anglican).
The church would not sanction violence for 300 years, and then porgressively and liberally changes to just war (but not against your own ruler)That was stretching the fabric of orthodoxy. If you come along and say God is cool with the revolutionary war: you may be right but you are not orthodox, conservative, or strictly biblical.
God has one nation already. It is not America. It is the kingdom of Jesus. To say that america is "chosen" by God to be "special" and that the work of america is the work of God is heresy on par with denial of the resurrection.
We need to get over ourselves and realize: America, Canada, Mexico..they are all different kingdoms of Caesar. They are not the kingdom of God. They can be evil kingdoms of Caesar, or less evil. They may be the nicest and most just, most jesus-like kingdom of Caesar ever concieved. But they are still built by coercion, force, violence, propoganda, carrot and stick. These tools are fine for building a safe, prosperous temporary, worldy kingdom of Caesar. And Christians are allowed to live in the kingdom of Caesar, paying taxes, rendering service, but they must remain clear on where final authority lies. (it ain't caesar.)
Now I vote in the kingdom of Caesar. I pay taxes to the kingdom of Caesar I obey the laws of Caesar when they do not conflict with what God has called us to. Many, in good conscience, believe that God wants them to serve Caesar and be a soldier. For the safety of Caesar and the people of Caesar, they have the weighty and serious task to engage in violence that will kill fellow children of God. Because some of these children of God do not like my version of Caesar and they have their own Caesar. And they like their Caesar better than my Caesar. They may want to take the freedom that Caesar gave me. They may want to see my nation of Caesar destroyed. I may, out of what I feel necessity, kill them. But I cannot call that violence the work of God or good. It may be justifiable. it is not good. It may be inevitable. Does not make it holy or part of the work of the PAX CHRISTI.
an Iraqi Christian is more my brother than an American who is not part of the body of Jesus. I do not hate the kingdom of Caesar in America. The kingdom of Caesar in America has allowed my family to worship, own stuff, be educated, work, etc. I am thankful for all that the freedom that Caesar allows in our nation. I am thankful that in our nation of Caesar, we have freedom of worship. But that does not make it the kingdom of Jesus. I am thankful that in our nation of Caesar, the power of this republic is one in which I can elect officials to help make this nation of Caesar act in ways that bring fairness and hope.
Palin does not worship the same Jesus as me. I am not saying she will not end up in heaven. But I read about my Jesus in the gospels and he does not have weapons of warfare that are carnal. You think a charismatic would know that. my Jesus does not build a kingdom of wholeness, mercy, and fairness through violence or material power, but simply by the spirit. America is not doing the work of Jesus in going to war, Sarah. They are building up the kingdom of Caesar. Before you claim the name Christian you need to remember you pay taxes to Caesar, but you worship Jesus alone. And you never claim a nation of wealth, privilege, and temporal power is the kingdom in which jesus said "blessed are the poor, the meek, the pure in heart, the persecuted."
America is great nation. Those who serve in Iraq should be thanked for the service they have rendered to Caesar. Because we are to obey Caesar. But do not confuse Caesar and Jesus, Sarah. They are not, ultimately, on the same team. And I know who wins.
From: Pete Z <kelti...@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 2:55 AM
Subject: Jesus don't like this.
To: pete...@gmail.com
From a blog I read the following:
""I did a drive-by of Palin's church when I was traveling through Wasilla yesterday, not realizing the furor that would be churning the blogosphere less than 24-hours later about a speech Palin delivered there only three months ago. Here's what she said regarding the war in Iraq:
"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God."
Let that sink in a minute. A task that is from God. Sarah's war is a holy war. It's not, apparently from the God that says "turn the other cheek" or "I am my brother's keeper" or "the greatest of all these is love". It's not about diplomacy, international relations, figuring out why we are so despised in the Middle East, keeping Israel secure, revamping how the U.S. deals with its unsustainable dependence on foreign oil, combating poverty and desperation that leads young men to terrorism. Nope. This war is God's will. It's God's holy war. She went on:
That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
Seriously? (that is what I read. I hope she never said that. I think she did.) So here is what I want to say to Sarah.
I don't know if you think the bible is literal. I don't care if you think Adam and Eve really existed or not. Liberal Christians, moderate Christians, Conserative, whatever you are, we have the same gospel story. The core value of Christians is to live and act in ways that bring about the nonviolent kingdom of Love which is God's kingdom. We do that by following, loving and living like Jesus as his body and living in the community of faith, the beloved community called to change all the kingdoms of Caesar.
Now every nation on the earth is just like the roman empire. They all use the power and might of Caesar (the state) and they use violence to establish and defend the borders of their nation.
Many Christians, like, the first couple of thousand Christians from the time of Jesus until Constantine had a problem with Caesar and how to live in a kingdom based on violence. Because the Pax Romana was won through the violence of bloodshed. But the Pax Christi needs only the precious blood of Jesus be shed. Blood will be spilled in creating the Pax Christi but all the blood spilled falls from the body of Christ called the church and we do not fight evil with evil but bless our enemies. Our enemeies will make us bleed. We will not, in building the kingdom of Jesus, make them bleed. In fact, for hundreds of years, christians felt blessed to die as witnesses to the nonviolent kingdom of Jesus. Jesus knew the world was controlled by Caesar. So did Paul. Caesar may be "placed by God" as Paul contended or perhaps God lets us have free will and Caesar just happened to come along. But Caesar fights with a sword. Jesus's only sword is truth. The great
theological innovator, the creative St. Augustine, came up with the idea of a just war. He may be right and it could be true that Christians should obey a Caesar and fight in wars of Caesar. But only a just war. And according to Augustine's theory, few American wars fit the bill.
For example, our revolution, which was against a "god given" ruler, was not something Paul or Augustine would sanction. Paul would be ashamed. Not the civil war where Christians killed Christians who just wanted the same freedom from the union that the union got from King George. WW I and WW II have been seen by many as just wars. I have no problem with that. But guess what? Even a "just war" is just building up the KINGDOM OF CAESAR. America is not god's nation anymore than Mexico or Canada. Do you know who founded America? LIBERALS. Because anyone who thinks that a Christian has the right to attack their own king's men over taxation (which Jesus said render to Caesar) may have a great theory. But it is a new theory, not found in Jesus or Paul or the bible. It is as LIBERAL as gay ordination. I Some christians ordain gays. But they would be called liberal. Just as liberal as Thomas Jefferson (not a christian) or George Washington (a nominal anglican).
The church would not sanction violence for 300 years, and then porgressively and liberally changes to just war (but not against your own ruler)That was stretching the fabric of orthodoxy. If you come along and say God is cool with the revolutionary war: you may be right but you are not orthodox, conservative, or strictly biblical.
God has one nation already. It is not America. It is the kingdom of Jesus. To say that america is "chosen" by God to be "special" and that the work of america is the work of God is heresy on par with denial of the resurrection.
We need to get over ourselves and realize: America, Canada, Mexico..they are all different kingdoms of Caesar. They are not the kingdom of God. They can be evil kingdoms of Caesar, or less evil. They may be the nicest and most just, most jesus-like kingdom of Caesar ever concieved. But they are still built by coercion, force, violence, propoganda, carrot and stick. These tools are fine for building a safe, prosperous temporary, worldy kingdom of Caesar. And Christians are allowed to live in the kingdom of Caesar, paying taxes, rendering service, but they must remain clear on where final authority lies. (it ain't caesar.)
Now I vote in the kingdom of Caesar. I pay taxes to the kingdom of Caesar I obey the laws of Caesar when they do not conflict with what God has called us to. Many, in good conscience, believe that God wants them to serve Caesar and be a soldier. For the safety of Caesar and the people of Caesar, they have the weighty and serious task to engage in violence that will kill fellow children of God. Because some of these children of God do not like my version of Caesar and they have their own Caesar. And they like their Caesar better than my Caesar. They may want to take the freedom that Caesar gave me. They may want to see my nation of Caesar destroyed. I may, out of what I feel necessity, kill them. But I cannot call that violence the work of God or good. It may be justifiable. it is not good. It may be inevitable. Does not make it holy or part of the work of the PAX CHRISTI.
an Iraqi Christian is more my brother than an American who is not part of the body of Jesus. I do not hate the kingdom of Caesar in America. The kingdom of Caesar in America has allowed my family to worship, own stuff, be educated, work, etc. I am thankful for all that the freedom that Caesar allows in our nation. I am thankful that in our nation of Caesar, we have freedom of worship. But that does not make it the kingdom of Jesus. I am thankful that in our nation of Caesar, the power of this republic is one in which I can elect officials to help make this nation of Caesar act in ways that bring fairness and hope.
Palin does not worship the same Jesus as me. I am not saying she will not end up in heaven. But I read about my Jesus in the gospels and he does not have weapons of warfare that are carnal. You think a charismatic would know that. my Jesus does not build a kingdom of wholeness, mercy, and fairness through violence or material power, but simply by the spirit. America is not doing the work of Jesus in going to war, Sarah. They are building up the kingdom of Caesar. Before you claim the name Christian you need to remember you pay taxes to Caesar, but you worship Jesus alone. And you never claim a nation of wealth, privilege, and temporal power is the kingdom in which jesus said "blessed are the poor, the meek, the pure in heart, the persecuted."
America is great nation. Those who serve in Iraq should be thanked for the service they have rendered to Caesar. Because we are to obey Caesar. But do not confuse Caesar and Jesus, Sarah. They are not, ultimately, on the same team. And I know who wins.
--
Pax,
Pete Zimmerman
210-912-0791
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."
--Dom Helder Pessoa Camera (1909-1999), Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Brazil
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