Issue: Back to the Old Testament
Published:Saturday | February 12, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I do appreciate the stance taken by letter writer Mr Glenn Tucker, in The Gleaner on Wednesday, February 8, 2011, encouraging pastors to take up arms in order to protect themselves and their property.
He suggested that I was too much in the New Testament in my stance against preachers taking up arms. Sad to say, Mr Tucker, but we seem to run to the New Testament when it comes to certain things such as the Decalogue - claiming that it was nailed to the cross. You want us to go to the Old Testament, let us. How about: being shot by your pastor because you chose to differ in view on a certain biblical topic (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)? Or shooting persons who have the gift of foretelling future events (the 'Mada' women and obeah men) (Leviticus 20:27)? Or killing on spot a child who hits back his/her parent(s) (Exodus 21:15 NAB)? Or how about killing instantly adulterers (Leviticus 20:10 NLT)? Or how about your pastor killing persons of a different faith (Exodus 22:19 NAB)?
Should we stick with the Old Testament and kill an entire population who worship a different god (Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)? Or should we switch to the New Testament, which says, "... other sheep I have which are not of this fold." Mr Tucker, some things that occurred in the Old Testament were indeed nailed to the cross, such as these laws which were made by men who misinterpreted the word of God, and new understanding was given by Jesus.
Many of these persons who break in, who come to "... kill and destroy ..." are misguided and should be reasoned with. Some needed just to be shown another way out of their situation, or are you saying that the vista would be clearer if a bullet were to be put between their eyes?
Yes, Jesus' disciples did bear arms. However, did Jesus bear any? When they tried to throw him over the precipice, did he retaliate?
A man who takes up the role of a pastor should be willing and ready to die, as the nature of his job exposes him to this, and he knows that man can kill the body, but not the soul.
I am, etc.,
G.T.