Speak Compassion

I think most people will agree that true peace cannot be found when a “Call to Arms” exists. When we are screaming at the top of our lungs to “defend” something we are making a call to arms. History has showed us what the “call to arms” brings to us even in cultural wars. In the 50 and 60’s sergregationist used this same mantra of the “call to arms”. They declared that the “negro’s must be stopped”. So what happen, people took the call to arms and any non-white folk were “lynched”, houses bombed, churches bombed. The call to arms to stop the “negro” was heard and followed. We know now how wrong and immoral that was.

In the late 30’s the Nazi’s put out their call to arms against the Jews. Witch hunts ensued to catch the jews and bring them to the camps. People were killed even for helping the Jews. It was said in Nazi propaganda films how the Jews were immoral, diseased, jews are after your children, and Jews are taking control of everything. A call to arms was out! Stop the Jews they are evil. So we know what happen when the call to arms came, people listen or became to afraid to speak out. We know now how immoral and wrong that was.

Here we are in the year 2006, and a new “Call to Arms” is being called by conservative Christians. Pick up your arms and “defind Marriage”….stop the Homo’s from taking over the school”….homo’s are after your children. Another call to arms. Great, we still haven’t learned a thing from out past.

In the 2004 elections where the call to arms was “defend marriage” we saw hate crimes against gays and lesbians rise 37àSome of those resulted in deaths. We have people like Stacy Harp touting how the homo’s are after your children, we have Stephen Bennett telling us homo’s will destroy marriage and the family. We have Renew America telling the world homo’s are anti-god and out to silence christians. All more call to arms. We know this is immoral, so why are we doing it?

The Call to Arms is our problem. It only leads to death, violence and pain. The end doesn’t justfy the means. They scream they are fighting for a more “moral” America while using immoral means like the call to arms to get there. They scream that by any means neccessary marriage must be defended. Nonviolence teaches us that ends and means must be equal. If you want a more moral society than you must use moral means to get that end. Sadly this is not what is happening and the results are violence and death. Christians have become bitter against Gays and Lesbians and in return Gays and Lesbians have become bitter against Christians. As always, the end result of violence is bitterness, the end result of nonviolence is the “Beloved Community”