03/02/21 WITH A LARGE PICTURE OF YOSEMITE SAM HOLDING SMOKING GUNS, and dressed in pirate attire.

03/02/21 WITH A LARGE PICTURE OF YOSEMITE SAM HOLDING SMOKING GUNS, and dressed in pirate attire.

After four years of getting established in God's word at Bible college (65-69) I entered pastoral ministry. I built on my foundation and studied issues that confronted believers in the nitty gritty of life. Remember, in the 60s and 70s we were still in the Viet Nam era.

Soon after entering pastoral ministry I wanted to be sure that I was teaching my parishioners (especially the young people) Biblical truth rather than human ideas, dressed in Christian garb. After a great deal of study (Bible, theology and Christian history) and prayer, and personal changing, I came to understand the New Testament truth of non-violence.

While I was in Bible college I seriously considered joining the Marine Corps, in order to protect my country from Communism. I had no problem seeing myself with an M16 in one hand and a Bible in the other. I was really naive, but I was interested in winning the souls of our enemy, but if necessary I felt it was good to dispatch them before they brought Communism to American soil.

The Bible does tell us that God hates Communism and that God has given the State the power of the sword of steel, in order to protect the righteous and punish the wicked. But God has also given Christians (the Church) a different set of marching orders. The New Testament clearly teaches Christian non-violence (which is not the same as popular Pacifism).

I was not taught Christian non-violence by my family, my home church or even by my Bible college (though there were some students and faulty who had a "peace" background). Therefore I did not come to a Biblical position until I took the time to study it as a pastor.

However, since I have come to a Biblical understanding...
AT LEAST I HAVE A REASON FOR NT GOING YOSEMITE SAM in a world gone haywire.