On Saturday, March 22nd, approximately 20 people from Koinonia and Habitat for Humanity participated in an anti-war protest in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a multitude of signs that spoke to the international unrest concerning the United States preemptive strike against Iraq. During the demonstration, I ran into a fundamentalist Christian preacher who was attempting to use the Bible to support the use of violence against the Iraqi people. Typically, he was referring to passages in the Old Testament to justify war and killing. I could not help wondering if this man had ever read the New Testament or, more importantly, had ever spiritually encountered Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Koinonia’s founder, Clarence Jordan, knew that it is virtually impossible to force the New Testament to justify the use of violence as a valid means of overcoming conflict. One of the many tragic consequences of the conservative Christian support for this war is that it confirms the suspicions of so many people who observe that those who call themselves Christian so often do not follow the One in whom they claim to worship. Oh - if only the world could encounter more Christians who actually seek to follow the teachings of Jesus! Unfortunately, most religious people in our country have confused true Christianity with American nationalism and materialism.

For the first 300 years of it’s existence, the early Church was strongly pacifist. Tertullian said that "only without the sword can the Christian wage war: for the Lord has abolished the sword." Origen declared that Christians "do not go forth as soldiers". Clement of Alexandria wrote that "he who holds the sword must cast it away and that if one of the faithful becomes a soldier he must be rejected by the Church, for he has scorned God.”

It should be no surprise that so many modern day Christians who encounter the historical evidence of early Christian pacifism are so startled by their discovery. Unfortunately, this is a painful discovery to those who think war is compatible with Christianity. Following Jesus and following war are completely and unequivically in opposition. The collective testimony of the early Church reveals the indisputable fact that Christians knew that they could only serve one master - war or Jesus. To choose Jesus is to reject war. You too must make the choice. There are many Christians today (Mennonites, Quakers, Hutterites, Church of the Brethren, Amish, Bruderhof, etc) who DO understand that pacifism is the ONLY acceptable Christian choice. The earliest Christians and the Christian pacifists today confront you with the decision to renounce war & choose to follow Christ alone.

Here are some excellent links to articles you can read to learn more about the example and testimony of early Christians on war:

http://www.users.voicenet.com/~kuenning/qhp/dymond.html

How and when did Christians first begin to make peace with war?

http://www.mph.org/books/howchris.htm

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you." - Matt. v.39, &c.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." - Matt. v.9.