The Early Christians and the Military by Roman A. Montero

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by Roman A. Montero
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Oslo, Norway
May 23, 2018

In modern times it may not even seem like an issue if a Christian can or cannot serve in the military, clearly Christians today and for many centuries do, so what would the issue be? On the other hand, anyone who has honestly read the gospels must recognize that the issue of violence is at the very least problematic in Jesus’s teachings. One would simply have to point to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38–47) or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:27–31), or his teaching on the one taking the sword dying by the sword (Matthew 26:52), to recognize that Jesus tended to reject violence.

Art Katz: The Cross of Christ

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1nemind on Oct 5, 2014

“Empty entertainment/worship sung by pretty people. Doctrinally-correct sermons devoid of power. Sunday-only Christian lives barely distinguishable from the world. All these and many more ills are symptoms of a disease Art clearly identifies in this message. It’s such a fundamental thing, our understanding of the cross. It’s an indictment of our lives and the current impotence of the church. In the final analysis, unless we know ‘Christ and Him crucified,’ our knowledge of God will be false.”

Roman A. Montero: Early Christian Communism

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Updated: Feb. 23, 2018

by Roman A. Montero
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Oslo, Norway
February 22, 2018

I recently did an interview with Stephen Bedard on the History of Christianity podcast, also on youtube about my book All Things in Common: The Economic Practices of the Early Christians. I hope you enjoy it.

Jesus and the Abolition of the Courts by Roman A. Montero

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by Roman A. Montero
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Oslo, Norway
January 28, 2018

Probably the most famous parable by Jesus is the parable of the speck in your brother’s eye as opposed to the beam in your eye. Often this parable is taken to simply be about not being a hypocrite and not being personally judgmental against other individuals. However, this saying was not only used by Jesus and the early Christians, it was also a saying within rabbinic Judaism—seeing how they used it can shed some light on what Jesus meant with it. The saying is recorded the sermon on the plain in Luke 6:41–42:

Happy Birthday to Jesus, the Anti-Imperialist Socialist!

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Watch the video below

Sent to Dandelion Salad by The Anti-Social Socialist

Merry Christmas!

Dec. 24, 2017

Rev. Chris Hedges: Christmas, Charity, Anti-Empire and the Revolutionary Jesus + Transcript

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Note: DS updated this post yesterday with a new interview with Abby Martin on the same topic: Abby Martin: Coca Farmers Massacred In Colombia Under Pressure From Trump

Originally published Dec. 24, 2014

with Chris Hedges

TheRealNews on Dec 24, 2014

Rev. Chris Hedges and Rev. David Bullock discuss the real meaning of Christmas with Paul Jay.

Jesus against Hillel on Usury by Roman A. Montero

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by Roman A. Montero
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Oslo, Norway
June 15, 2017

I would argue that the best summation of Christian ethics is found in the sermon on the plain in Luke 6:20–49. What I love about the sermon on the plain is just how radical it seems on the surface, it seems almost impossible; however, when you think about what it’s saying, and think about it deeply—it makes sense. Probably my favorite example of this is found in Luke 6:34–35 (NRSV):

Jesus of Nazareth

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Happy Easter!

Originally posted Oct 21, 2009

Jesus of Nazareth miniseries

Wikipedia

Jesus of Nazareth (Italian: Gesù di Nazareth) is a 1977 British-Italian television miniseries co-written (with Anthony Burgess and Suso Cecchi d’Amico) and directed by Franco Zeffirelli which dramatizes the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus largely according the Christian Bible’s New Testament Gospels. It was filmed in Tunisia, Morocco, and Mexico and was produced by Lew Grade and Vincenzo Labella on a budget of an estimated US$12 million to $18 million.

The Gospel of Luke

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From Wikipedia

The Gospel According to Luke (Greek: Τὸ κατὰ Λουκᾶν εὐαγγέλιον, to kata Loukan euangelion), also called the Gospel of Luke, or simply Luke, is the third of the four canonical Gospels. It tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.^[1]

If We Don’t Solve The Problem Of Economic Polarization, We’re Going To Go Into Another Dark Age by Michael Hudson

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by Michael Hudson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Michael Hudson
January 27, 2017

Speech to Kairos group, Union, Columbia
[Edited version for clarification, January 23, 2017]

The focus of my talk today will be Jesus’ first sermon and the long background behind it that helps explain what he was talking about and what he sought to bring about. I’ve been associated with Harvard University’s Peabody Museum for over thirty years in Babylonian economic archeology. And for more than twenty years I’ve headed a group out of Harvard, the International Scholars Conference on Ancient Near Eastern Economies (ISCANEE), writing a new economic history of the ancient Near East.

Rev. Chris Hedges: Christmas, Charity, Anti-Empire and the Revolutionary Jesus + Transcript

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Originally published Dec. 24, 2014

with Chris Hedges

TheRealNews on Dec 24, 2014

Rev. Chris Hedges and Rev. David Bullock discuss the real meaning of Christmas with Paul Jay.

Today, Pope Francis Issued the Catholic Church’s First Statement on Nonviolence—Ever by Rev. John Dear

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by Rev. John Dear
World Beyond War
December 12, 2016

Today, Pope Francis released the annual World Day of Peace Message for January 1, 2017, called “Nonviolence—A Style of Politics for Peace.” This is the Vatican’s fiftieth World Day of Peace message, but it’s the first statement on nonviolence, in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—in history.

John Michael Talbot: He Is Risen + Pope Francis: Use ‘Weapons of Love’ to Fight Evil of Terrorism

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Happy Easter!

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. — Mark 16:6

DON TIPTON on Aug 11, 2012

The Jewish Roots of Christianity

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Dandelion Salad
December 16, 2015

Day of Discovery

Judaism and Christianity: Two spiritual points of view, seemingly worlds apart, yet sharing a common city, story, and Messianic hope. Discover the rich heritage of the Christian faith, which is grounded in the same Old Testament Scriptures as Judaism, and deepen your own understanding of the Scriptures. Join us as we venture into the Jewish roots of Christianity.

Dear President Obama: Easter Has Nothing To Do With War (repost)

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Warning

This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

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DerrickCCrowe

April 04, 2010 — In his weekly address, President Obama strangely introduces a war theme into a message ostensibly about a holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ…y’know, the Prince of Peace.

Mr. President, Easter has nothing to do with war. Please stop trying to make Jesus fit with your outlook on war and international relations. You just cheapen both.