Violence in Defense of Justice

I so enjoyed New Testament 18 with professor Hays that I eagerly purchased a copy of, The Moral Vision of the New Testament. I was shocked and challenged by professor Hays interpretation of the responsibility of the Christian to pacifism. I say shocked because in my Christian formation I had never been taught that Christians should be pacifists, so perhaps you can imagine my surprise when I came across the passage, “ Can a soldier be a Christian? probably so, but my understanding of the gospel requires me to urge that person to renounce the way of violence and to follow Jesus in the way of costly refusal of violence as a means to justice[1].” I came across this quote in another section of the book. Immediately my curiosity peaked I flipped the pages to discover to my shock that not only did Professor Hays contend that the way of the Cross excluded one from military service, but that the church for this reason should be at the margins of society. In my Christian formation I had always learned the opposite. Christians should participate in the life of the polis. The two ideas are in diametrical tension. While I hope to be able to reorient my understanding to the truth of the scripture, I am not quite yet ready to accept all of the professors argument.

I think one of the challenges I have to Dr. Hays’ understanding, is the idea that Christians should not serve the state, if I am understanding him correctly. Having grown up in Washington, DC. I have seen first hand the perversion that power can do to people. I recognize that there are people who can make horrible decisions based on their desire to stay in control. There is a definite ugliness to the political life, but does that have to be? I think the same observation could be made for any authority role. Even in a family an insecure immature parent can through poor judgment become an ogre. The maxim that politics always corrupts is perhaps to quickly accepted. For example, I believe this article does not address the current reality that many of the most well trained able leaders for many countries around the world are Christians. In many places in the world the best education has for many years come from religious schools. My wife comes from Burma, you may know the country as Myanmar, but those who fled the country due to the brutal military regime prefer to remember the country by the old name, in Burma currently a military government rules the country in a horrible way. At family gatherings I hear the older family members reminisce about how much better life was under the colonial authorities. The British for all their problems brought education to the mass of people. There was not corruption at least not at the level that exists today. There was not the trafficking of young girls by the government to brothels around Southeast Asia etc. Is it possible that the participation in good government by Christians could be a witness to the truth and glory of God?

If Christians are to serve in positions of authority then they must use the sword to maintain justice, thus the reason for Dr. Hays contention that Christians should not serve in such a capacity. I believe this is an issue that should be at least considered. If a Christian has the responsibility for administering authority there is always the need to administer consequences for improper actions. As an example on page 7 of Dr. Hays’ syllabus he cautions, “Any student who is found guilty of plagiarism will receive an F in the course and will be referred to the academic dean for possible expulsion.” The warning against plagiarism is recognition that wrong actions have consequences. Can the execution of justice that is necessary for society be compatible with the Christian life? In the Old Testament one finds the people of God in positions of civil authority, and certainly there is the use of force. Dr. Hays argues that the New Testament witness trumps the Old Testament where there is a conflicting message. I agree that one should not take passages of holy war from the Old Testament and apply them to the role of the church, but could one see in the Old Testament an example of people of faith using both justly and unjustly the use of violence for the sake of the society.

Beyond the issue of how a Christian is to live within the state at the theoretical level there is also the practical question of how we are to live in a society of violence. Before coming to Duke I worked in a crime ridden neighborhood. One day I was working with children outside on the streets and a fight broke out across from where we were practicing baseball. One man chased another with a pistol. How according to Dr. Hays’ paradigm is a Christian to respond? Is one to call the police? If one is to call the police, how can one say that a Christian cannot serve as a police officer, but one can call on their services if needed? Or is one supposed to just keep playing baseball?

In Durham, probably while I type this letter there are drunken men beating their girlfriends. Priests sodomize children. Hundreds of parents refuse to pay child support. I could go on but I am sure one would concede that there is much that is unjust in the world. I am not a liberationist (perhaps I should be) I simply think that if a woman was being raped across the street it would be immoral not to stop the violence even if it necessitated the use of force. If you would concede this than it follows that if there is a rape in China that we could some how stop we would have the moral authority indeed the moral obligation to intercede. I willingly recognize that my thoughts on this matter are formed in large measure by the community that raised me, but this was a community shaped by the message of Christ. The passage in Matthew Dr. Hays cites from the Sermon on the Mount that followers of Christ are to turn the other cheek is a difficult passage. There are many passages in the New Testament that challenge one’s sense of fairness (the Old Testament too for that matter). At the same time is there not a difference between letting oneself be wronged, and letting someone else be wronged especially when it comes to people who we choose not to help? The parable of the Samaritan is applicable in principle (I think). Pacifism seems to be like the Levite who does not want to get defiled by the bloody corpse. No doubt the sword has been misused in the history of the church all the more reason to request that Christians engage how to measure the use of force.

Kate Campbell wrote a song that perhaps sums up my thoughts, “The devil’s got a line for you and ten thousand lures.” The devil can be misguiding the church in what is perceived as Biblical pacifism just as the devil deceives the Church in Serbia to bless murder.