Guns and Bunny

[BvBPL]

In what I think people refer to by the euphemism “poor optics,” President Trump gave a curious address on Monday before the 140th White House Easter Egg Roll. To open a playtime event intended for the enjoyment of children, Mr. Trump announced that the US military “will soon be at a level that it’s never been before.” As he stood by the Easter Bunny, a fantasy character know for bringing candy to kids, and in celebration of the Resurrection of the Prince of Peace, Mr. Trump boasted of how the US military will soon be take even more money from US taxpayers thereby enabling it to kill even more people.

Mr. Trump closed his remarks by announcing the White House is in “tippity-top shape.”

 

[Commodore]

Resurrection of the Prince of Peace,

Jesus wasn't as much of a pacifist as people seem to think. At least, not if the Bible is to be believed.

 

[schlaufuchs]

He also called for an immediate end to DACA and a likewise immediate funding and construction of the wall in anticipation of the refugee caravan making its way north from El Salvador.

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "you shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. [...] We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up."

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others."

From the favorite book of our President, Ladies and Gentlemen.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

In what I think people refer to by the euphemism “poor optics,” President Trump gave a curious address on Monday before the 140th White House Easter Egg Roll. To open a playtime event intended for the enjoyment of children, Mr. Trump announced that the US military “will soon be at a level that it’s never been before.” As he stood by the Easter Bunny, a fantasy character know for bringing candy to kids, and in celebration of the Resurrection of the Prince of Peace, Mr. Trump boasted of how the US military will soon be take even more money from US taxpayers thereby enabling it to kill even more people.

Mr. Trump closed his remarks by announcing the White House is in “tippity-top shape.”

He seems a little confused about where he actually is at that moment:

President Trump thanked the White House Historical Association and "all of the people who work so hard with Melania, everybody, to keep this incredible house, or building, or whatever you want to call it because there really is no name for it."

 

[inthesomeday]

It’s always fun to see where his sentence ends up once he starts one, it’s like a roller coaster

 

[Perfection]

He relishes any chance to tell his policy ideas to a group of people who can't understand why he's wrong.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I saw an article on this and I thought it was an April Fool's joke.

 

[Lexicus]

New hot take: Jordan Peterson is right about postmodernism destroying the world, but its worst manifestation isn't women's studies departments, it's white American evangelicals thinking they're Christians.

 

[aelf]

The alt-right is post-modernist.

 

[Samson]

the Easter Bunny, a fantasy character know for bringing candy to kids

The easter bunny does not bring candy to kids. The easter bunny STEALS candy from kids, and only due to his incompetence (having a hole in his sack so the candy falls out) and the kids hard work (to find the candy) is the damage mitigated. It sounds like a perfect allegory for the Trump administration.

 

[El_Machinae]

New hot take: Jordan Peterson is right about postmodernism destroying the world, but its worst manifestation isn't women's studies departments, it's white American evangelicals thinking they're Christians.

I'm stealing this. Probably try to clean it up to make it easier to zing with. But I'm stealing this

 

[Berzerker]

when did they not think that

 

[Berzerker]

Jesus wasn't as much of a pacifist as people seem to think. At least, not if the Bible is to be believed.

The most violent thing he did I can see from the Bible is raising a ruckus at the Temple. But he did predict terrible fates for people who didn't get in line with the program, so 'the Father' is the violent one.

uh, sorry bout that. Should have combined those 2 posts

 

[Commodore]

The most violent thing he did I can see from the Bible is raising a ruckus at the Temple.

He may not have committed much violence himself, but he certainly advocated for it. One of his most famous "pro-violence" quotes from the Bible is Luke 22:36:

He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

 

[schlaufuchs]

He may not have committed much violence himself, but he certainly advocated for it. One of his most famous "pro-violence" quotes from the Bible is Luke 22:36:

You're taking that line out of context. It's in reference to two earlier passages: 9:3 and 10:4 in which Jesus commands his disciples to take nothing with them and to live off the generous hospitality of strangers. Now times are about to change; this line comes just after Jesus predicts his own death and Peter's triple denial. The disciples will have to gird themselves for the tough times ahead (e.g. Acts 25:11; Romans 13:4). This is clearly meant to be taken metaphorically, though, and this is emphasized further in two subsequent passages: Luke 22:38:

The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords."

"That's enough!" he replied"

The disciples take his word (to go procure swords) literally and he rebukes them for it. This is echoed again in Luke 22:47-53:

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour - when darkness reigns."

Even though Peter Malchus - the man struck on the ear, doesn't himself have faith in Christ, and so wouldn't ordinarily be able receive healing from God, Jesus heals him anyway, as Peter's strike itself runs contrary to Jesus' teachings of nonviolence.

 

[Berzerker]

I thought the 2 swords were Jesus fulfilling a prophecy of him breaking the law or something. The thing is, he told his followers to get some swords so he could fulfill the prophecy. When I think of a prophecy I'm not thinking of some guy who read the prophecy and tries to enact it, I'm thinking of someone who makes no effort to fulfill a prophecy but does anyway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sell_your_cloak_and_buy_a_sword

well, its a theory... But one that makes sense given how he didn't want the swords used for violence, just to violate the law. I guess they had sword control back then.

 

[Dachs]

I guess they had sword control back then.

Kind of. It's complicated.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I guess they had sword control back then.

Owen gave a very cogent analysis of the context that Commodore yanked that out of, but as a simplified statement of context:

The Roman occupation/protectorate was not into armed subversives. They weren't much tolerant of any subversives, but armed subversives were definitely out.

 

[El_Machinae]

I'd like to point out that the average disciple was so devoted to doing good that they couldn't really both own nice clothing AND a sword. And that it only costs about $350 to heal a leper these days (Jesus is on record as having healed 11). It's hard to be a gun-nut and be a Christian who follows that example.

Theologically, I think Jesus's most violent act was the Temple storming. The cool thing about the 'go buy a sword' is that when that sword is finally used (by, potentially, Peter), the act is chastised. Jesus's biggest morality error, as cool as he was, was to advocate the loving of Jehovah as God.

Jesus demanded that his follower love the god that performed all the ills described in the Torah, whereas we now know that God is actually innocent of many of these (accused) atrocities.

 

[Gori the Grey]

The cool thing about the 'go buy a sword' is that when that sword is finally used (by, potentially, Peter), the act is chastised.

and its violent effect undone by the very person in whose name the violence was perpetrated.