Major attack on Israel by Hamas

[Ken]

When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbour?” his answer included Samaritans. Considering the Palestinians are literally neighbours to Israelis, perhaps that parable he told the Israelites 2,000 years ago still applies today.

And vice versa.

[Josh]

When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbour?” his answer included Samaritans. Considering the Palestinians are literally neighbours to Israelis, perhaps that parable he told the Israelites 2,000 years ago still applies today.

And vice versa.

Yes, they are both literal neighbours and should choose to treat each other kindly.

[Valerie]

Are you suggesting that the Jews have no need to obey Jesus' command to "resist not evil" or to "turn the other cheek"?

As you know, most New Covenant Christians do not apply that passage the same as Anabaptists. MOST denominations believe Jesus was referring to "petsonal" enemies and do not see that as a mandate for a country to not engage in war if necessary. For example the video of the Son of Hamas leader who was involved in Hamas himself, became a Christian. A Jesus follower. Yet he believes and is presently stating Israel was left with no choice but war. So you see he interprets that passage differently than Anabaptists.

Maybe the OT references to "love your neighbor and hate your enemy" also applied only to "petsonal" enemies....

So then if that was the "only" case, how do you explain the fact that God Himself TOLS the Isrealites to kill every man woman and child in certain places? This is what Jews know.

[Valerie]

When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbour?” his answer included Samaritans. Considering the Palestinians are literally neighbours to Israelis, perhaps that parable he told the Israelites 2,000 years ago still applies today.

And vice versa.

It is not going to happen. You do not understand radical Islam goals. I understand that you have not listened to the many testimonies of Islamists who have become Christians.

[Valerie]

When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbour?” his answer included Samaritans. Considering the Palestinians are literally neighbours to Israelis, perhaps that parable he told the Israelites 2,000 years ago still applies today.

And vice versa.

Yes, they are both literal neighbours and should choose to treat each other kindly.

Not gonna happen Scripture teaches it. I'm surprised at the lack of understanding Scripture/prophecy/radical Islam goals. Until people do they will not get the bigger picture.

[ken_sylvania]

As you know, most New Covenant Christians do not apply that passage the same as Anabaptists. MOST denominations believe Jesus was referring to "petsonal" enemies and do not see that as a mandate for a country to not engage in war if necessary. For example the video of the Son of Hamas leader who was involved in Hamas himself, became a Christian. A Jesus follower. Yet he believes and is presently stating Israel was left with no choice but war. So you see he interprets that passage differently than Anabaptists.

Maybe the OT references to "love your neighbor and hate your enemy" also applied only to "petsonal" enemies....

So then if that was the "only" case, how do you explain the fact that God Himself TOLS the Isrealites to kill every man woman and child in certain places? This is what Jews know.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

[Szdfan]

And vice versa.

Yes, they are both literal neighbours and should choose to treat each other kindly.

Not gonna happen Scripture teaches it. I'm surprised at the lack of understanding Scripture/prophecy/radical Islam goals. Until people do they will not get the bigger picture.

Scripture can always be misused to justify atrocities. I think that using Deuteronomy to justify the killing of innocent people in Gaza is terrible theology.

[Josh]

And vice versa.

Yes, they are both literal neighbours and should choose to treat each other kindly.

Not gonna happen Scripture teaches it. I'm surprised at the lack of understanding Scripture/prophecy/radical Islam goals. Until people do they will not get the bigger picture.

The Bible never talks about Islam at all.

[Bootstrap]

Scripture can always be misused to justify atrocities. I think that using Deuteronomy to justify the killing of innocent people in Gaza is terrible theology.

If Christians justify killing innocent civilians with Scripture, how are we different from radical Muslims who do the same? When Muslims do that, we say they are promoting hatred in the name of religion. What should we say when Christians and Jews do it too?

And even in the Old Testament, you really need to look at what God said before and after that time. It's a much different picture than some people see.

[HondurasKeiser]

That plays a part but it's not the only factor. If the Israelis were Chinese I suspect they would still feel desperate.

What do you think the other factor(s) of their desperation is(are)?

Gaza is a tough place, I might feel desperate if I were born there.

Lot's of places are tough places and can lead to feelings of desperation, among other things. Answering Mike's question of "Why did Hamas do it?" with the single word "desperation" alleviates the gravity of the thing they actually did and shift the responsibility and guilt of their actions from themselves to a nebulous and intersecting "other".

I honestly don't understand the inclination of so many here to minimize the horror of what Hamas committed, or to find Israel as the primary locus of the conflict. Or, to expect Israel to somehow, and unlike any other country in human history, to use Gandhi-level restraint and find diplomatic solutions for attempted genocide.

I agree with Ken, that going back through history there is much that both sides have done to bring us to the present moment. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians are wholly innocent or guilty. Nevertheless, there is one side that has chosen to use conventional methods of warfare, offer concessions and use technology as a shield from attack. There is another side that has consistently chosen to use barbaric methods to engage in genocide and use their own civilians as human shields. Somehow most of the ire on this thread is being directed at the former. I guess MCC and CPT have been far more influential in the CA world than I had assumed.