The 1960s were a time when war and violence became personal matters. The images arriving via television and magazines of cargo planes full of body bags, F4 Phantom jets carrying loads of napalm that incinerate jungle and humans, B52 bombers converting the landscape into a lunar landscape, Cobra gunships pouring lead like pencils into neon lights delivering death letters, Buddhist monks and nuns lighting up the streets in silent self-immolation protest, Diem government officials carrying out public executions of Viet Cong leaders in downtown streets, young children running naked and burned from their villages and soldiers walking through rice fields while others mourn over the dead and dying comrades. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayHorror, disgust, and repugnance were part of the daily diet of every American. Everyone knew someone who was killed or who was injured. And if that wasn't enough, there were the scandals of American soldiers killing for no reason and the murders: John, Bobby and Martin; and the race riots, the drug-induced chaos of Manson, the anti-war protestors and massacre of Kent State students by the National Guard, and the generation gap that turned children against parents and parents against children. We were a nation at war on every front, from within and without. The disease became a plague and spread across the country and affected every living person, leaving devastation, depression and misery in its wake. We were a lost people, sated with death and violence; then we grew up and forgot; then silence; and it was, and is, deafening. Veterans reluctantly speak of the carnage, but have chosen to confine their memory to just one place and time, avoiding details. They seem to cling to an event, because it happened, and they could not deny it; they live in a cage of lies and disturbing realities that were their duty: after all, they were patriots, the war was “just” and the cause was good. With this justification their consciences were cleared and their sanity maintained, for the most part. Every musician and poet was a prophet in those days who regurgitated over and over again the pain and suffering of the American people, until the sounds became nauseating, their disciples all stoned, and the prophets are gone. As the years have passed we have closed the book and closed our minds, and Santayana's words continue to haunt us; “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” and “Only the dead have seen the end of the war.” Anyone who has lived through this era knows the pain I speak of; there were complaints, mourning and suffering in every corner of every community that simply did not want to stop; and the thin veneer of patriotism could not hide the shame of what had just happened. It is not for me to judge whether war is right or wrong; war will always be with us, and pain and suffering are its spirit and reward, desecrating every heart and offending every conscience. Contending, fighting, toiling, competing and tormenting oneself for pre-eminence is at the root of war and discord, and is the basis of every soul born of a woman; it's selfishness from start to finish. I don't agree with most of the counterculture groups that have existed since that era or the new groups that are arising; but they demonstrate the seriousness with which people seek solutions for a better life. This time period is not dissimilar to the times in which the Anabaptists of the 16th century appeared. It was a period of rebellion and violent non-conformismtradition and authority, which gave rise to debates and death. It was during these difficult times that a peaceful people appeared, introducing a forgotten biblical model of brotherly love and community. These kind people were persuaded by the Scriptures that nationalism and patriotism were works of evil and are hopelessly involved in aggression, war and violence. Their vision of world peace was tempered by the reality of watching the world mindlessly rush towards self-destruction. Today there are those, like the Anabaptists, who have a vision of a pilgrim Church; those who grew up under false traditions, coercive institutional programs and creeds of established Christianity, seeking to liberate their lives by separating themselves from this world. Just like the Anabaptists, these new pilgrims believe that the Bible is relevant to the instinctive flow of human history and that it alone is the key to how God intends humans to relate to one another. It was these believers who suffered at the hands of Catholics and Protestants, who were burned, drowned, and maimed for their biblical stance of refusing to grease the wheels of the Church-State machine, and for the power structures seen forming throughout the world. continent. The spiritual battle waged was, for the Anabaptists, a direct attack against violations of their freedom, conscience and human dignity. Theirs was a true devotion to Christ and not to social reform, and their weapons were not of this world. The term conspiracy of silence, or culture of silence, refers to a condition or issue that is known to exist, but due to tacit community silence the consensus is not discussed or acknowledged. Commonly such issues are considered culturally shameful. Taboo topics may be discussed indirectly through the use of politically correct code words or euphemisms. (From Wikipedia) Now, I could continue exposing the political machine that propagates war, but that doesn't interest me. Or I could talk to the citizens who are the fuel that powers the machine, and try to get them to recognize the impotence of sending their children as cannon fodder to some foreign land, but that is not why I write. The conspiracy I speak of is the muting of the body of Christ to be the bold voice of their Lord, in a world gone mad by war and violence. The Church has lost its voice in the proclamation of peace at all costs, that is, in the salvation of its own flesh. Jesus' message was evident in His non-violent, non-resisting walk of faith and trust in His Father. Where do we hear that voice today? Did you hear it? Do we hear it from “evangelicals”? They are too busy talking about the “church growth” business. All we hear is the sound of silence coming from the pulpits. The Amish, Mennonites, and Quakers have their own voice, but it is confined within the walls of their communities, and we only hear their voice by studying history books. Although Jesus' teaching nowhere advocates support for politics or war, and loudly proclaims that Christians should not actively engage in these matters, we hear nothing from our Churches, yet they call themselves evangelicals, messengers of the truth . It is simply not enough to just preach love and forgiveness; we must walk as He walked. We hear with incessant regularity how much God loves us; the Devil himself knows how much love God has shown on our behalf; but this is not enough; we must walk as He walked. How did Jesus walk? He loved his enemies and forgave them while he was nailed to a cross, suspended above the earth, with the nails holding him tight, with agonizing pain coursing through his body; while showinghumility to the wild and amazed human animals, he forgave them. Can you forgive your enemies, foreign or domestic? Will you vote for the man who will destroy your enemies? When they destroy our people and tear down our buildings, do we shake our fists and cry for revenge? If you do, you are in very good company, for nearly every pulpit in this great country is with you, and they hate, vote, and plead their “just” cause to kill those who would kill them. All right; it's their choice, just don't use the Bible or Jesus to support it, and don't say you walk as He walked. Why is this so? part of Scripture that commands us to "love our enemies", to "turn the other cheek" and of “overcoming evil with good” almost totally ignored by those we pay to preach “the whole counsel of God”? Christians today are little different than they were in the days of the Anabaptists in the 16th century. There were the Protestant Christians of that era, and then there were the radical Protestants, the Amish, the Hutterites, and the Mennonites who are the descendants of those radicals. These radicals did not accept the confessions of Calvin's Reformed Protestants or Lutheran Reformers, but held to a strict Sola Scriptura that did not allow infant baptism and active support of the government, but also held that a Christian needs to repent of sins and live a life of close communion with God and fellow believers. Popular Christianity of the Reformation era, as it is today, believed that a simple confession of one's faith was all that was needed to secure a place in Heaven. They also believed that there was a link between church and state and that Christians should be actively engaged in government and everything that government promoted, even the killing of their enemies, i.e. the “just war”. These ideas, infant baptism and “just war,” were byproducts or appendages brought from Rome. Just as Catholics ambushed and defeated the Roman Empire, so Protestants believed, through Augustine, that Christianity should rule the government. This is not the way of Jesus, and only demonstrates a serious lack of faith in God's providence in initiating and controlling the nations. When we consider these things in the light of history, is it any wonder that we hear so little about non-involvement in government and non-resistance to evil as a way of life? If we only looked at the New Testament, the life of Jesus, and the life of the Apostles, it wouldn't be obvious that there really is a conspiracy of silence surrounding these things. This conspiracy can be attributed to about six things: Ignorance of Jesus' teaching in the New Testament. The blind leading the blind. Ignorant shepherds who, in turn, followed ignorant shepherds and teachers. Fear! Fear of believing and following, by faith, the clear teaching of Jesus. It is easy to follow the warmongers and politicians, all you have to do is put your heart and mind in neutrality and let yourself be carried by the tide. Just go with the flow and you don't have to fear appearing stupid by asking serious and sincere questions. However, most pastors have become unapproachable, enjoy a status similar to that of a high priest or archbishop, and have put their ignorance out of reach. Laziness. That repentance stuff isn't for most people, it just requires too much religiosity and maintenance. I'll just tithe, give the talk, and then drown it all out with some family time watching football. Disobedience. Disobedience closes the door to God and therefore to a correct understanding of the Bible. We think it is enough for our shepherd to be obedient and feed his flock an adequate diet. Paul's admonition to the Corinthians that “in the following directions I have not..”