1. Seventh Day
Adventist comments
2. Activist Feedback
3. DVD Feedback
4.
Christianity and the Problem of Human Violence
1. Seventh Day Adventist
comments
In recent weeks, we have had diverse comments on whether or not SDAs
support ethical vegetarianism. For purposes of clarification, the
Christian Vegetarian Association is not an SDA organization; the CVA is
non-denominational.
2. Activist Feedback
Anita, tabling at the Vegfest in Toronto, writes:
The festival was wonderful. Two glorious days by Lake Ontario on an
early fall day. The turn out was tremendous and there was no shortage of
discussion and debate. There were a number of patterns of discussion
that emerged over the last 2 days.
1) Many Christian vegetarians disclosed to me the struggles that they
have experienced at their churches and within their families and circle
of friends because they are Christian and vegetarian. Some individuals
sadly left their churches because of it. Many took stacks of pamphlets
that they want to distribute at their churches and amongst friends and
family.
2) Another group were vegetarians who were not Christian, but clearly
wanted to challenge the fact that I am both. Their arguments were about
the meat eating that occurred in the bible and that Jesus was not a
vegetarian because he ate fish. I simply stated that I believe the core
values of the Christian faith are love, compassion and non-violence and
that my practice of vegetarianism, not only makes sense, but honours
these values. In most situations, this ended the debate.
3) The third were individuals that were vegetarian, not Christian,
but spiritual in some way. They were very open to the discussion about
spirituality and vegetarianism. Most of them were pleasantly surprised
to see the CVA.
Many people commented on my t-shirt and the lovely framed picture.
I had a great time.
Peace and blessings.
Anita
To find out about all upcoming leafleting and tabling opportunities
in your area, join the CVA Calendar Group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group.christian_vegetarian/.
Read the home page, and then join. You will then be able to log in
anytime to identify upcoming events in your region.
Contact Paris at
christian_vegetarian@yahoo.com if you might be able to help.
3. DVD Feedback
Charles writes, "My wife and I watched the video on the weekend. It's
so impressive! We are ordering some for our friends.
The video is available at
www.christianveg.org/materials.htm on DVD or VHS for $12 ($10 each
for 2 or more) postpaid from
CVA, PO Box 201791, Cleveland OH 44120.
4.
Christianity and the Problem of Human Violence
Narrative Christus Victor
[This series reflects my views and not "official" CVA positions. It
is being archived at
http://www.christianveg.org/violence_view.htm.]
We have seen that satisfaction atonement theories and the moral
influence theory are problematic. They arose in part because many
Christian theologians rejected the earlier Christus Victor framework
because it posits that Satan played a necessary part in God’s divine
plan. However, satanic forces are very real, and they militate against
the realization of God’s realm in which, the Bible relates, all Creation
will live in peace and harmony. Consequently, Weaver has articulated a
framework that depicts Jesus’ life and death as designed to nonviolently
overcome satanic forces. She has suggested the term “narrative Christus
Victor,” because it relies heavily on the Gospel and Revelation
narratives.
In the Gospel narratives, Jesus taught about the reconciling and
redemptive power of love and forgiveness, while Revelation describes a
cosmic battle between God’s forces and those of Satan. The cosmic
imagery depicts the cosmic importance of the conflict and should not, in
my opinion and that of many scholars, be taken literally. As I will
discuss, Revelation anticipates God’s reign on earth as a historical
event, realized not with a sword but though the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus.
Weaver’s framework neither portrays Jesus as a passive victim nor as
resisting his victimization by complaining about the injustice or
fighting the powers and principalities that persecuted him. If Jesus had
been passive, the mob would have concluded that he agreed with their
verdict that he was satanic; if he had resisted his fate, the mob
(unable to see its own violence) would have seen his actions as proof of
guilt. Either way, he would have been just another in the endless series
of scapegoats. Instead, he actively challenged the satanic structures by
demonstrating, in word and deed, God’s loving plans for the world. He
was well aware that, by challenging the authorities, he would prompt
them to torture and murder and him. In life, Jesus made the realm of God
visible, bringing light, life, and love to the world. In death, the
resurrection established Jesus as ultimate victor in the conflict
between good and evil.
As discussed previously, I see “Satan” as describing the human
desires that lead to conflict, rivalry, hostility, and violence.
Throughout human history, satanic desires for power have undermined the
reign of God, and it is possible that Christian authorities have been
gripped by the same satanic desires that have always captivated people.
While the Revelation equates the violent and rapacious Roman Empire with
Satan1, the world has seen countless powers and
principalities that have assumed this role. Provocatively, Weaver
suggests that the Christus Victor framework lost favor “. . . when the
church came to support the world’s social order, to accept the
intervention of political authorities in churchly affairs, and to look
to political authorities for support and protection.”2 In
other words, when the church joined the satanic powers and
principalities, it sought atonement theologies that removed Satan from
the picture.
It is tempting to condemn other people for yielding to Satan’s
enticements, but none of us is immune. Whenever we harm any of God’s
creation and call our actions righteous, our activities are satanic,
because we are resisting and undermining God’s reign. It is indeed
“Amazing Grace” that God forgives our participation with the same kind
of powers that killed Jesus and lovingly invites all of us to join in
the realm of God.
1. The symbolism in Revelation shows that the writer equated the
Roman Empire with the forces of evil. For example, the seven-headed
dragon (Revelation 12:3) relates to the seven hills of Rome as well as a
sequence of seven emperors.
2. Weaver, J. Denny. “Violence in Christian Theology” Cross Currents
July 2001.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.