President Reagan scans the Bible occasionally, although it does not appear that he really reads it. He hits on a few phrases and statements, and then comes forth with novel and hitherto hidden interpretations which have, up to present, eluded Biblical scholars.
His latest excursion into Biblical exegesis was used to reinforce his plea for more MX missiles. He quotes Luke 14:31-32: "Or what king going to another king in war does not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand. And if not, while the other is still a long way off he sends an emissary to ask for terms of peace." The President says the first king must build ip his army to thwart the second king. Hence, we must build the MX missile and deploy it whether it works or not; and with it a lot of military hardware developed by grafting defence contractors, General Dynamics, General Electric, Boeing, Westinghouse, etc.
Three things the President overlooked figure in the parable.
First, the President assumes the role of king going out to war, and insists on preparing for it. His notions as how to settle disputes are out of place and out of date in a nuclear age. Preparing for a war is the surest way to provoke a war. It makes the war inevitable. No other alternative is considered. Weapons in the hands of a contestant are never "Peacemakers". They are a challenge to the opponent, and sooner or later the challenge is accepted and the shooting starts.
Second, the war mentioned by Luke was king against king, ruler against rules. The people had no voice in the matter. The people of Russia fear the government of the United States just as much as we fear the government of Russia. The people of Russia, having lived through a holocaust of their own - more than 20,000,000 lives lost in four years of war - fear war again. So do we. Any war against Russia is ruling clique against ruling clique, not people against people. It is the President who demands that those who differ from him cry "uncle".
Third, Luke suggests the ruler should realize the risk before going to war. The risk in nuclear war is total destruction. The second Commandment (Exodus 20:4) mentions "visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations." If we have nuclear war there will be no third or fourth generations, nor a second one either. Jesus' advice, reported by Luke is for the wise ruler to send an emissary to ask therms of peace. Possibly Benjamin Franklin had this in mind when he wrote, "There never was a good war nor a bad peace."
As Mr. Reagan skims through the Bible he might find some interesting passages about which he could enlighten us. Here are a few of them.
"Thou shall not kill." Exodus 20:13
"Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into it's place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword." Matthew 26:51
"So if you are offering your gift at the alter, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother ; and then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:23-24
"Go sell all that you have and distribute to the poor." Luke 18:23
Jesus' parable about paying the same wages to all the laborers in the field, regardless of how long they worked - possibly because they needed the wages to support their families. (Luke 20:1-16)
"He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away." Luke 1:52-53
"It is not the rich who oppress you?" James 2:6
"What causes wars, and what causes fighting among you? - You desire and do not have, so you kill. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and wage war." James 4:1-2
We await more Presidential Biblical lectures.
No comments:
Post a Comment