Would Jesus Have Booed Ron Paul's "Golden Rule for Foreign Policy?"

DownsizeDC
by Jim Babka

January 26, 2012

This is an open letter to my fellow Christians. If it moves you, please share it with other believers. It is intended to be a chain letter, to spread and cause discussion.

Here is The Golden Rule as expressed by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ . . .

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." And in this instance its "golden" because it "...sums up the Law and the Prophets." [Matthew 7:12 (NIV)]

On Tuesday, January 17, 2012, in the South Carolina Republican debate, candidate Ron Paul said the following...

My point is, if another country does to us what we do others, we're not going to like it very much. So I would say that maybe we ought to consider a golden rule in foreign policy. [loud boos begin to drown out Paul] Don't do to other nations what we don't want to have them do to us. [indecipherable angry shouts can be heard]

The booing stunned me. Maybe it wouldn't have a while back. Maybe I would've booed too. After all . . .

I was brought up in a fundamentalist church, educated at a Baptist school, thanks to parents who listened to Christian radio. My father was a Goldwater/Reagan Republican. I was a College Republican and a "dittohead" (Rush Limbaugh fan). In my adulthood, I taught Sunday School in two mainstream Evangelical churches.

Therefore, I understand that South Carolina crowd. But there's no disputing that many of them booed the words of their professed Messiah.

My heart has grown and my mind has transformed. So when the booing happened during the debate, I thought . . .

"Would Jesus have booed?"

Jesus advocated The Golden Rule. Ron Paul advocated applying The Golden Rule. But the Christian crowd booed the words "golden rule."

Someone committed an error. Was it Jesus? Was it Ron Paul? Or was it the church-going crowd?

Is there any way to defend that crowd without rejecting Jesus?

As I said, maybe I too would have booed in the past. I suspect I would've justified myself as follows . . .

The Golden Rule doesn't apply to government, which according to Romans 13 was given the "power of the sword" to "terrorize evildoers."
Ron Paul was being naive. These are dangerous Muslim terrorists, and they want to kill innocent Americans. The Golden Rule doesn't apply to Al Qaeda. They will see meekness as weakness and hurt us some more.

Indeed, according to Romans 13, government leaders are to be a terror to evildoers. The "power of the sword" may be required.

But candidate Paul advocates policies that accord perfectly with Romans 13. He admits that war is sometimes necessary. His only caveat is that Congress must first declare it. Mr. Paul argues that this legal impediment helps to ensure that war is pursued rarely and with sufficient cause. This position has the virtue of being consistent with Christian tradition (Just War) and the Constitution.

But is it somehow naive? And if so, was Jesus naive?

Consider what some call the hardest verses in the Bible, Matthew 5:38-42. They come from the Sermon on the Mount . . .

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."

And these thoughts are echoed in Romans 12:17-20 (see also Proverbs 25:21-22) . . .

"17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Is this how we conduct our foreign policy? Is this how we defend ourselves? Or is it possible that Jesus knows more about true security than either our politicians or that Christian crowd in South Carolina?

Read the rest of the article at SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS!!!

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Comment by Ragnarok on January 27, 2012 at 1:17pm: Amy im baaaaack :-) ... What i meant was Jesus was the first person in history that didnt put up with any BS at the time, weather hes a symbolic figure or truely existed. I grew up in a family who believed in what the pentecostal church says. And went to a private school who practiced the lutheran way (was the only alternative at the time for em). I can only say i have never met so many lies, deceit, hate, tragedies, suicides, and so on other in those enviroments the people were just fake to the bone. No matter what belief the proclaimed in the belief of Jesus Christ.

The reason i gave you Mark 11:15-19 (there are many other sciptures that relates to it) was the perfect exable that Jesus in the bible only hanged with the "real" people such as prostitutes, lepers, thieves, murderers, beggars and other "outcasts" he was the first true anarchist in recorded history (if he aint a fictive/symbolic character. He couldnt handle that hes fathers house had become an "economic whorehouse" just like you see the pyramids have become today. Look at all the fake preachers/ prophets that live in a life of luxury because of it today i say no more.!

Love from Denmark

Comment by Ragnarok on January 27, 2012 at 5:13am: I gotta go to course now but ill straight it out for you later on.!

Comment by Ragnarok on January 27, 2012 at 4:12am: Mark 11:15-19

¹⁵ And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹⁶ And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷ And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” ¹⁸ And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. ¹⁹ And when evening came they went out of the city.

So i guess this is where christianity in general went wrong ?

Comment by TommyD on January 27, 2012 at 3:29am: Yeah, but he didn't get involved in political shenanigans, if I recall, his teachings were on faith and the kingdom of heaven. He didn't attempt to overthrow the rulers he just did not recognize their authority, other than to succumb to mockery, beatings and that execution thing.

Comment by Ragnarok on January 26, 2012 at 6:59pm: If Jesus had lived today he had packed his bags and moved to another solar system.

Comment by TommyD on January 26, 2012 at 5:28pm: personally, from what I have read about the guy, I think Jesus would avoid politics all together...just sayin...

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