“Precisely the language of the Catechism: “Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one’s own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow.” Catechism 2264…..”
“I’d first like to explain why I identify the Palestinian people of Gaza with Jesus Christ. Fundamental to the gospel is God’s love and predilection for the weak and abused of human history. This is not based on their moral purity or piety, but because of who God is. In the Beatitudes, the word for “poor” is ptochoi, meaning the “stooped”, the “dismayed”. Note that it says nothing about whether they are Christian, righteous, or members of approved social groups, but only that they are the needy, the helpless. Likewise, the word “hungering”, peinontes in Greek, means to suffer deprivation resulting from evil acts of violence perpetrated over an extended period. The use of the verb klaiein, “weep”, in the Beatitudes, means profound suffering as a result of permanent marginalization. So it is that those without social status, the inconsequential, those whose lives are of no value to society, who will inherit the Kingdom.
What people can be more justly spoken of in these terms than the Palestinians living in Gaza? For the past two years, Gaza has been under a blockade that includes food, medicine, and gasoline. Their only means of survival were the tunnels to Egypt that have now been blasted. Their major sources of electricity were destroyed nearly a year ago, meaning no incubators for premature babies or pumps for water and sewage. And that was just to soften them up for what they’re getting now.”
From Non-violent Jesus
Comment:
Enough with the “fair and balanced” humbuggery. There is no fair and balanced when a burglar breaks into your house at night, grabs your family and bludgeons them to death in front of you for no reason except his greed and malice. If you are a human being of any kind, man, woman or child, you’re going to fight back.
Man, woman or child – those who feel they should avenge their family’s deaths are not evil.
They are noble, first, in their innocent suffering. And then in their innocent fight in the name of justice and retribution.