WWJK Shirt

Let me say first that I am not a pacifist (excerpt on pacifism can be found here). Additionally, I have no disrespect those who have fought for this country. It is time to seek to be more like Christ, not just talk about it. Who Would Jesus Kill [WWJK] was based from the cliché slogan WWJD [What Would Jesus Do]. I’ve always hated the former slogan because of its shallowness and Deistic implications: unintendedly promoting a distant God who is not active nor in direct contact with His followers.

WWJK will likely be offensive to some people. However, it stands as a question that is both legitimate and imminently significant to all who would claim to follow Christ. I came about this idea six months prior to Pat Robertson’s reprehensible comment in August 05’. He said our special forces should “take-out” Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela. I have not acted on my idea of the WWJK shirt in order not to be reactionary. I want to expose and reassert that which has gone unnoticed for a long time.

Expose:
Around the world America is still seen as having an inseparable association with Christianity. Christianity it is thought represents Christ. So when America goes to war complete with “Christians” in it’s forces, incessant enunciations of “God Bless America,” constant evocations of heaven through solemn prayer, and the “Christian” remembrance of those fallen; what is the non-christian foreigner supposed to think? This question is especially germane when that non-christian may be Muslim, a terrorist or an innocent bystander that gets in the way of war, thus becoming an eternal victim. Are we less patience than God, wanting to prevent some from possibly coming to repentance in their natural lives, (cf. 2 Peter 3:9)?

First of all, to America’s enemies, Jesus, who is the alleged focus of Christianity, has become the advocate of the invaders. Much the same as He was in the Crusades. He becomes inseparable from the soldiers (good and bad) who carry out this war. Jesus becomes something other than what He really is to non-believers in countries where America carries out its imperial interests. He becomes America’s god; this would be over and against Iraq’s god or Mongolia’s god. Thus, God has been subjected to a national belonging rather than the God over all.

The people most upset about this illustration are “Christians.” Atheist, agnostics and secularist, pagans, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and hedonists won’t care a shred about this cartoon or its implications. So why will “Christians” get upset? Is it because it touches God, somehow impugning Him? Or is it rather that such a picture impugns the “Christian” because they have made God into something that He isn’t and they’ve been caught at it? Or do they get upset because they feel unjustly maligned having so aligned themselves with a god that has been created in their image so they are compelled to defend him because he is nothing but a figment of their imagination [in reality just defending themselves]?

Everybody in this country knows of the Bible “Christians” claim as authoritative in revealing God and His Son to us. So if Jesus is the patron or authenticator of religious nationalism then a novice should be able to see it, read it, and understand it clearly from the text “Christians” claim as foundational to their activities. However, if we look at Christ in the Bible we find quite the opposite of a nationalistic war-god, (cf. John 18:36). We do not see Him rallying Israel against Rome, (cf. Matt. 26:50-55). We don’t see Him joining forces with the Zealots to become their new leader. No, Jesus was doing something different. Since the Bible completion nothing has been authoritatively revealed to make what Christ did on earth old or non-applicable to people today who allegedly claim Him.

The “Christian” from America looks more like a medieval Crusader, or a Constantinian conqueror [who “spread” their new religion by use of a sword] than that they would ever be construed to be following Christ. American religious people who support the war, idealistically or materially, are “Christ” to non-believing foreigners because they have so aligned themselves with Him in name only. Mon-believe are unable to differentiation between in name only facades and those who claim Christ for the right reasons.

Since Christ is nothing like how He misrepresented by America’s brand of Christianity, we must seriously ask: Who Would Jesus Kill, meaning if you claim to follow Christ: Who Would You Kill? The major difference between Constantinian era conquerors and American “christian” soldiers is that today’s religious makes no pretense of spreading the knowledge of God. No, they are now into spreading “democracy.” Is this “democracy” the “Christian’s” new religious adulteration?

Reassertion:
I am reasserting the Kingdom of God as wholly separate of America or its’ interests. Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. This was not said because America wasn’t on the scene yet. He said it because He was doing things that were a complete alternative to the world of which has been made up of empires such as America, Rome, Greece, or Ancient Persia.

We need to see what is truer of us as followers of Christ: we are part of an international and eternal kingdom that is not bound to country; race or any other divisive grouping mankind has used to set themselves apart. There is no minority in God’s Kingdom, no disenfranchisement, no manipulation and no killing. There are only two types of people in America, those that are followers of Christ or those who accept America’s “gospel:” Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness [at the expense of everybody else in the world].

Better for a terrorist or a non-believer to meet their own demise as a result of consequences for their actions than through war [passive or active] perpetrated by anyone who would claim Christ, (cf. 2 Cor. 10:3-4, Eph. 6:12-20). “Christians” who mistakenly thrown their lot in with America’s Foreign Policy ARE IN NO WAY REPRESENTING God’s Kingdom; because it is not of this world. America is nothing else other than assuring its place and legacy in world [a temporal concern]. Therefore, the Kingdom of God and America are diametrically opposed.

We can no longer go about saying “For God and Country.”. It must be either for God or for Country, but not both! As followers of Christ we have a citizenship responsibility to the kingdom of God. Let’s come clean of the state’s corrupting influences and stop supporting its battles for temporal domination.

Thanks for your support and blessings in being a light,

Timothy L. Price

WhoWouldJesusKill.net Materials

WWJK T-Shirts: Cost is $13.00 (including postage) per shirt for 1-3 shirts; contact Tim for a discount on 4 or more shirts.

Sizes: M – 3X (Specify sizes in the comments area of your PayPal payment.)

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