Photo: Young Girls sign bombs used in 2006 bombing of Lebanon: “To Jazrala Whit love, from Israel and Daniele.” with drawing of israel’s flag for good measure. Luke 23:34: “…Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…” –Jesus Christ

The following are the words of Jesus Christ from Mt. v. 43:

“In the former law it was said: “Do good to men of your own nation, and do evil to strangers.” But I tell you, love not only your own countrymen, but people of other nations. Let strangers hate you, let them fall upon you, wrong you; but you speak well of them, and do them good. If you are only attached to your countrymen, why, all men are thus attached to their own countrymen, and hence wars arise. Behave equally towards men of all nations, and you will be sons of the Father. All men are his children and therefore all brothers to you.”
-Jesus Christ

These are the words of Christ in Lk. vi. 45:

“…if teachers teach you to do to others that which is bad for yourselves, -teach violence, execution, wars- know that they are false teachers.” -Jesus Christ

These are the words of Jesus Christ in Lk. vi. 40:

“Those who judge, and condemn others to violent treatment, wounds, mutilation, or death, wish to correct them, but what can come of their teaching except that the pupils will learn to become just like their teacher? What then will they do when they have learnt the lesson? Only what their teacher does: violence and murder.”-Jesus Christ

“There are many causes I am prepared to die for but no causes I am prepared to kill for.” –Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi“The Truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction.” –Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” –Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi(Click here for a link to Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of Heaven is Within You, a very interesting book concerning Christian Pacifism and the teachings of Christ,Also, “The Gospel in Brief“ by Tolstoy as well, is a very good introduction into the moral teachings of Christ and is one of the best ways for one to clearly and easily understand the key teachings of Jesus Christ as laid out in the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John; it also contains cross references to multiple gospels for each event and key lesson taught by Christ to Christians.

(see Mathew 5:44 -” But I say to you, ^(A)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”)

On Luke 23:34: According to the gospel this request for his persecutors’ forgiveness (and some would say for the forgiveness of the sins of all of mankind) was Jesus Christ’s first saying as he hung nailed to a crucifixion cross at Calvary. We can only hope that Christ’s request for forgiveness was granted that day and similarly forgive our fellow man each day of our lives.

Military Families Speak Out in response to new Army report claiming soldier suicide rate is highest in last 26 years.

‘New American’ reported this week concerning the newly released 2006 Army Suicide Event Report which acknowledged that Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in twenty-six years. According to the report: “There was a significant relationship between suicide attempts and the number of days deployed.”

Rod Powers, About.com’s guide to the U.S. military, shared the following details of the report:

“The 165-page 2006 Army Suicide Event Report lists 99 deaths by suicide, with 27 of the deaths occurring in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. There were also 948 of what the report terms “serious attempts at suicide.” While the vast majority of the “completed suicides” in 2006 involved males, 10 of the victims were females, the report said. Seventy percent of the Soldiers were under 25, 98 percent were enlisted and 91 percent were from the regular Army. And while the suicide methods included drug overdoses, strangulation and poisoning, the vast majority – 71 percent – involved firearms.”

Military Families Speak Out Co-founder, Nancy Lessin, had this to say in response to the Army’s suicide report:

“It’s no coincidence that troops who are repeatedly deployed to a combat zone in a war that cannot be won and never should have started, are traumatized by the experience.” She added, “This report only shows the tip of the iceberg, as it does not cover those who took their own lives after leaving active duty service. Until the war in Iraq is brought to an end, we think this tragic reality will only become worse.”

Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) is a national organization of 3,600 families who are opposed to the war in Iraq and have loved ones in the military.