My brothers and sisters,
This conversational thread has as many themes as the sides of a snowflake.
God (or whatever Theistic Being word) has been used by every national leader as supporting their causes against all others. Christians have been in trouble since Constantine let our spiritual ancestors in the halls of power, rather than satisfy the cravings of hungry lions. We have had Christian Crusades and Islamic Jihads.
Jesus cried. Jesus taught. Jesus admonished. Jesus chastised. Jesus was even violent in the Temple with those who were defiling His Father's House.
It has been my delight to travel extensively, including the Indian sub-continent. Hinduism, with its caste system, and its ordered society, is very informative when we discuss M. K. Ghandi.
Yes, Ghandi preached non-violence, but as an educated man and natural politician, he realised that certain acts COULD induce violent reactions from allies and opponents alike. The fact that his beloved India was forced to divide into first two nations, and eventually three nations, must be factored into the discussion. At what point does naivete of possible results inform the facts? The British Raj had social and political roots....but it had economic and religious factors as well that Ghandi played like a rare violin.
I assume that we eventually must speak about " justifiable anger " and " justification for peaceful assembly that can become self defence."
Make no mistake, brothers and sisters, there are world governments and leaders who want to exterminate all societal elements that they deem unacceptable. Not since the 1930's have we seen such a world shift to the Right and Extreme Right. World political and economic blocs are solidifying.
All of us must answer a crucial question: If they started to corral us all first into ghettoes and then into camps, would you go quietly, or would you resist and die standing up rather than lying down? Would you scream LIFE, LIFE, LIFE as they were successful in taking yours?
We North Americans have lived without war (US civil war 1861-65) and have a disbelief that the tragedies and horrors of Europe, Asia and Africa could never occur here.
Do you believe it?