Retaliation does not equal Justice

by Lah-May

 The photo showed a child lying on a hospital table. Two Iraqi women were tending to him. His tear-stained face showed anguish, fear, and pain. One very thin leg; he had only one leg. He was thickly bandaged at the hip where the other leg was supposed to be. Was the image supposed to pull at my heart, make me question what does war serve? Or, who does war serve?...It did.
        Not long ago I looked into what the mainstream media was reporting for number of casualties as a result of this war in Iraq. One source cited a study which stated that an “estimated 100,000 Iraqis have died in Iraq as a direct or indirect consequence of the March 2003 United States-led invasion.” Additionally, “many of those deaths to attacks by American-led forces, mostly air-strikes,…most of those killed were women and children.”1 U.S. casualties as of January 31, 2005 were 1,415 (1,089 from hostile actions, 326 from non-hostile actions).2
        I can't help but wonder if those who have instigated and support this war and claim to follow “Christian” teachings ever noticed that Jesus never taught, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?” This war has not only claimed an eye for an eye, but limbs, lives, homes, and entire families for an eye.
        When I started to spiritually search in my early twenties, I was introduced to The URANTIA Book. (When the student is ready…) It is a very large, and for me at the time, somewhat intimating book. Rather than try to tackle its most complex concepts presented in the Foreword, I jumped to the section entitled “The Life and Teachings of Jesus.” I quickly came to the realization that this book presented His teachings in a supernal manner that built on the best teachings in the Bible, which I had been educated in as a child. Now in times like these, where slogans such as “Fighting for Peace” are infiltrating the mass consciousness, I will turn to particular sections in The URANTIA Book to remind me of Jesus’ teachings on non-divine attitudes and on the futility of evil: “A wrong is not righted by vengeance. Do not make the mistake of fighting evil with its own weapons.” (The URANTIA Book, p. 1580)
        Jesus' apostle Nathaniel once asked Him, “'Master…I observe that you teach us only a portion of the sacred writings—the best as I view it—and I infer that you reject the teachings of the rabbis to the effect that the words of the law are the very words of God, having been with God in heaven even before the times of Abraham and Moses. What is the truth about the scriptures?'” (Ibid., p. 1767)
        Within His lengthy answer, Jesus stated, “'Nathaniel, never permit yourself for one moment to believe the Scripture records which tell you that the God of love directed your forefathers to go forth in battle to slay all their enemies—men, women, and children. Such records are the words of men, not very holy men, and they are not the word of God.'” (ibid., p. 1768)

Justice versus Retaliation

        Retaliation is not a synonym for justice. Yet it seems to me planetary decision-makers have chosen retaliation, calling it justice. The innocents are bombed; the land mines are laid to plant fear and continual death and maiming upon a community.
        As a minister and student of epochal revelation, I often ponder the role and responsibility of leadership on this planet. Leadership does have a responsibility to protect people from those who commit crimes—especially horrendous crimes that kill thousands. Where was justice when Saddam Hussein chemically assaulted hundreds of Kurdish villages, killing thousands in the 1980s? Does “justice” only apply when economics are involved? Is this country sacrificing its young men and women and decimating the Iraqi people in order to secure its oil futures and make the world safe for companies like Monsanto?3
        In seeking justice, true leadership also has a responsibility to adhere to the highest spiritual teachings on the planet which seek to have all of humankind rethink its relationships with one another. To follow the true teachings of Christ, “…forever places all relations between God and man upon the family basis. God is the Father; man is his son. Love, the love of a father for his son, becomes the central truth in the universe relations of Creator and creature—not the justice of a king which seeks satisfaction in the sufferings and punishment of the evil-doing subject.” (Ibid. p. 2018)
        Those who truly know God especially know divine justice does not mean substituting the innocent to suffer for the crimes of the guilty. That little boy in the photo will never again enjoy the childhood pleasure of running, kicking a ball, or walking to school on his own two legs. “Discipline must be maintained, justice must be administered, but in all these matters the wisdom of the brotherhood should prevail…Jesus sought always to minimize the elements of unfairness, retaliation, and vengeance.” (Ibid. p. 1764)
        Evolution is a reality. At the mindal and spiritual level, evolution occurs through choices—higher choices. Evolving justice will incorporate and apply the highest teachings on the planet. Jesus would often talk about the duty of His followers to “be wise and alert in the quick and positive reaction of good to evil to the end that they might effectively overcome evil with good. Forget not, the truly good is invariably more powerful than the most malignant evil.” (Ibid p. 1770)

Restructuring of Mindsets Needed

        Maybe we should start with simple questions for our “enemies.” Are you hungry? Can we get you something to eat? Can we help you plant your fields with the pure seeds created by God? Can we help satiate your thirst? Do you need shelter? Can we help you build schools for your children?...sacred places where together we can worship the Creator of All? Building bridges to unite people on the three levels of reality—the material, the mindal, and the spiritual—will dissolve the barriers of hatred that keep us separate.
        God has given us the highest teachings which we are capable of receiving. I believe that today these teachings are in written form and published in The URANTIA Book and The Cosmic Family volumes. The subsequent application and outworking of these teachings is now in our hands. We have been told by the celestial revelators that we are a global family with God the head of the family. So, let's start behaving in a caring manner towards one another—let's make our Father proud of us.


1The New York Times, October 29, 2004
2 CNN.com, January 31, 2005
3 For further consideration see: Foreign Policy in Focus, “A Think Tank Without Walls” www.fpif.org