The Legitimacy Of Violence: The Sermon On The Mount '

In the eyes of those who commit mass violence, the New Testament serves as a justification for committing these crimes. The New Testament is filled with peace-loving messages by Jesus and his disciples, which is what the majority of people who read and follow His word believe, but the New Testament also has some violence in it and it is this violence that can be twisted and interpreted into meaning something completely different than what the authors of each books had originally wanted. Those who interpret the violence found in the New Testament in a literal and negative way, use it as an excuse to start wars, which in turn take the lives of innocent people. Therefore, it is important to study and read the New Testament with an open mind in

The central message of the Sermon on the Mount is one of peace and love. Jesus wants his followers to live a life that’s worthy of God’s approval while also having their lives be filled with peace while doing no harm to others. In his article titled, “On the Relevance of Jesus Christ for Christian Judgments about the Legitimacy of Violence: A Modest Proposal,” David Clough focuses on the Sermon on the Mount in order to assess what Jesus’ thoughts were concerning violence. Clough proposes that, “… the Church will decide best about the ethics of violence when it recognizes that the teaching and example of Jesus Christ are relevant to the question” (p. 199). This bold proposal allows Clough to explore the ways religious leaders and other Christians have dealt with violence and the ways they have consulted the scriptures in the Bible that deal with the topic, in order for them to decide the best course of action needed to address the issue. By looking into each religious leaders and other Christian’s decisions when it comes to violence, the judgments each have made sets an example in the ways future violence should be