Many in government-intermeddled faiths today are implying that to be a good Christian, you must bow to Laden, killers, rapists, and terrorists, and so must your government.

Jesus' own words on war are sparse, yet astoundingly non-prohibitive: "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 men to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace." (Luke 14:31) In another passage, He exhorts his disciples "if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." (Luke 22:36)

As a matter of Christian faith, I believe that Jesus Christ never intended ANY faith to be a political threat to any government on earth; that He does not want us taking law or justice into our hands, rather leaving that to government, unless on very legal and rational and otherwise unavoidable attack on one's self in private life we use only force necessary up to most so needed...but no person of any of the earth's faiths, including His own, should EVER resist a soul or harm them in any way(s) while preaching the faith or seeking to extend it. Why? Because Jesus' kingdom is not of this earth, and His only admonition is that one had be extremely sure about WHY they did or didn't do something if they would seek entry into Heaven; that is, did you defend in your WORLDLY portion of life as was customary, and no matter how that's done, did you do everything with a sense of working to betterment of yourselves, enemies, and world, or just lip service thereof? Worse, were YOU the would-be killer, thief, rapist, and so on?

Two great men of observation upon Christian doctrine appear to be in agreement with my faith:

1. Pope John Paul II, ENCYCLICAL LETTER EVANGELIUM VITAE (The Gospel of Life), 1995:

"There are in fact situations in which values proposed by God's Law seem to involve a genuine paradox. This happens for example in the case of legitimate defense, in which the right to protect one's own life and the duty not to harm someone else's life are difficult to reconcile in practice. Certainly, the intrinsic value of life and the duty to love oneself no less than others are the basis of a true right to self-defense. The demanding commandment of love of neighbor, set forth in the Old Testament and confirmed by Jesus, itself presupposes love of oneself as the basis of comparison: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mk 12:31). Consequently, no one can renounce the right to self-defense out of lack of love for life or for self. This can only be done in virtue of a heroic love which deepens and transfigures the love of self into a radical self-offering, according to the spirit of the Gospel Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:38-40). The sublime example of this self-offering is the Lord Jesus himself. Moreover, "legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another's life, the common good of the family or of the State." Unfortunately, it happens that the need to render the aggressor incapable of causing harm sometimes involves taking his life. In this case, the fatal outcome is attributable to the aggressor whose action brought it about, even though he may not be morally responsible because of a lack of the use of reason."

2.  Martin Luther (Plass, p. 243, WT-4, 4342, WT-2, 1815).

"Yes, indeed! In that event [ being attacked by robbers-ed. ] I should be the authority and wield the sword, because no one else would be near to protect me. I should strike as many dead as I could and thereupon receive the Sacrament and should consider myself to have done a good work. But if I were attacked as a preacher for the sake of the Gospel, I should fold my hands and say, .Well, my Christ, here I am. I have preached thee. If my time has come, I commit myself into your hands.. And thus I should die."  

The within foregoing are but a few of my reasons for belief and faith that one is not de facto evil, damned, or naughty where they act in sane and unavoidable defense...I know of no reason on earth why Christians, Jews, peaceful Muslims, atheists, or anyone else would need to bend knees to Osama bin Laden or any killer/extortionist, even on some malarkey he claims violence and totalitarian power are just his kind's peculiar strand of Islamic faith.