FAST FOOD (AD 2019): First Helping
“If Jesus can be trusted to have said anything at all, he renounced violence…If Jesus did not reject any type of violence for any purpose, then we know nothing of him.”
—Rev. John L. McKenzie, Preeminent Catholic Biblical Scholar Mid-Twentieth Century
The issue of whether the Nonviolent Jesus of the Gospels teaches by word and by deed a Way of Nonviolent Love of friends and enemies is settled. He does! All attempts today to justify violence and/or enmity from the life of Jesus or from the teachings of Jesus are devoid of spiritual and intellectual merit. That is not opinion, that is fact. A person or a nation of persons, a Christian or a Church of Christians may consider Jesus and His teaching of Nonviolent Love of friends and enemies unrealistic, stupid, naive, impracticable, unfeasible, fanciful and foolish, e.g., “love your enemies,”” put up the sword”, “love one another as I have loved you,” “do good to those who hate you,” “turn the other cheek,” “pray for those who persecute you”, etc. So be it, if that is what a person or a group of persons think of Jesus’ teachings. All I am saying is, “That’s what the Man said!”
-Emmanuel Charles McCarthy
