During the most terrible years of World War II, when inhumanity and political insanity held most of the world in their grip and the Nazi domination of Europe seemed irrevocable and unchallenged, a miraculous event took place in a small Protestant town in southern France called Le Chambon. There, quietly, peacefully, and in full view of the Vichy government and a nearby division of the Nazi SS, Le Chambon's villagers and their clergy organized to save thousands of Jewish children and adults from certain death.
The Catholic Church has in recent decades been associated with political efforts to eliminate the death penalty. It was not always so. This timely work reviews and explains the Catholic Tradition regarding the death penalty, demonstrating that it is not inherently evil and that it can be reserved as a just form of punishment in certain cases. Drawing upon a wealth of philosophical, scriptural, theological, and social scientific arguments, the authors explain the perennial teaching of the Church that capital punishment can in principle be legitimate—not only to protect society from immediate physical danger, but also to administer retributive justice and to deter capital crimes. The authors also show how some recent statements of Church leaders in opposition to the death penalty are prudential judgments rather than dogma. They reaffirm that Catholics may, in good conscience, disagree about the application of the death penalty. Some arguments against the death penalty falsely suggest that there has been a rupture in the Church's traditional teaching and thereby inadvertently cast doubt on the reliability of the Magisterium. Yet, as the authors demonstrate, the Church's traditional teaching is a safeguard to society, because the just use of the death penalty can be used to protect the lives of the innocent, inculcate a horror of murder, and affirm the dignity of human beings as free and rational creatures who must be held responsible for their actions. By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed challenges contemporary Catholics to engage with Scripture, Tradition, natural law, and the actual social scientific evidence in order to undertake a thoughtful analysis of the current debate about the death penalty.
Discover the full revelation of what Jesus accomplished for you through His death and resurrection! Every page of this revolutionary book by Pastor Larry Huch will take you on a remarkable journey through the last days of Jesus’ life and ministry. You’ll receive a fresh perspective on how He shed His blood not just once but seven times Pastor Huch’s fresh insights and deep revelations will show you the power to save, deliver, and heal through each place Jesus shed His blood. Go step-by-step with Huch as he takes you to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus sweat drops of blood, to the whipping post where His back was laid bare by the thirty-nine lashes, and finally to Calvary, where Christ endured the agony of having spikes driven through his hands and feet and a soldier’s spear thrust into His side. Every place Jesus’ blood was shed will become a life-changing connection for you to receive the redemptive blessings of God. Experience them now in The 7 Places Jesus Shed His Blood.
King Manasseh of Judah is one of the most intriguing characters in the Bible. 2 Kings presents him as the wickedest of monarchs. In 2Kgs 24:3–4, he is accused of having provoked God to destroy Judah on account of the innocent blood he had shed in Jerusalem (cf. 2Kgs 21:16). In his study Krzysztof Kinowski investigates this accusation, viewing it against the biblical and ancient Near East backgrounds, and casts a new light upon Manasseh's role in the fall of Jerusalem. The mention of bloodshed in this affair appears to be the outcome of a process of scapegoating of Manasseh, ongoing in 2 Kings and reflecting both the legal and the cultic paradigms governing the biblical historiography. The link between Manasseh's bloodshed and the destruction of Judah on account of the cultic land's blood-defilement points towards a group of priestly scribes involved in the production of the 2Kgs 21 and 24 narratives. This assumption lies behind the scholarly discussion about the Priestly-like strata and priestly touches in the Books of Kings.
This collection of articles is the result of an interdisciplinary Medieval Studies conference held at the University of Sheffield in 2009. Brutality and aggression were a stark reality of everyday life in the Middle Ages; from individual rebellions through family feuds to epic wars, a history of medieval warfare could easily be read as a history of medieval violence. This volume goes beyond such an analysis by illustrating just how pervasive the nature of war could be, influencing not only medieval historiography and chronicle tradition, but also other disciplines such as art, architecture, literature and law. The overarching and multi-faceted themes bring together both iconic aspects of medieval warfare such as armour and the Crusades, as well as taking in the richness of textual traditions and matters of crucial importance at the time—the justification for war and the means by which peace can be re-established.
In 1994, while nations everywhere stood idly by, 800,000 people were slaughtered in eight weeks in Rwanda. Arriving as U.S. Ambassador to neighboring Burundi a few weeks later, Bob Krueger began drawing international attention to the genocide also proceeding in Burundi, where he sought to minimize the killing and to preserve its fledgling democratic government from destruction by its own army. From Bloodshed to Hope in Burundi is a compelling eyewitness account of both a horrific and persistent genocide and of the ongoing efforts of many courageous individuals to build a more just society. Krueger and his wife Kathleen graphically document the slaughter occurring all around them, as well as their repeated efforts to get the U.S. government and the international community to take notice and take action. Bob Krueger reconstructs the events of the military coup that precipitated the Burundi genocide and describes his efforts to uncover the truth by digging up graves and interviewing survivors. In straightforward and powerful language, Kathleen Krueger recounts her family's experience living amid civil war, including when she faced down a dozen AK-47-wielding African soldiers to save the life of a household worker. From Bloodshed to Hope in Burundi shines a piercing light on a genocide that has gone largely unreported, and identifies those responsible for it. It also offers hope that as the truth emerges and the perpetrators are brought to account, the people of Burundi will at last achieve peace and reconciliation.
In his deeply penetrating and educational book,Bloodshed Before Birth—America's ChoiceMallard E. Guy, Jr., sets out to prove to the world that a fetus is a life, and taking that life through abortion is murder. Though abortion has always been a controversial topic, Mallard's extensive research brings a new viewpoint to the table. With faith-based reasoning, biblical references, an examination of the infamous Roe v. Wade case, and hard science, Mallard's writing will truly make even the most hard and fast pro-choice advocate think about the injustice involved in this issue. By persuading the misinformed and uninformed with his logical reasoning, millions of Americans can soon call themselves pro-life. And once all the evidence has been presented, Mallard calls those who haven't spoken on this issue to come to action. Without a voice against abortion, it can never be stopped.'Unless those who are silent join with those already actively opposing abortion, we will be outnumbered. Further, our acceptance of legalized abortion has placed us on a downward path toward more legalized murders. Now is the time to take a stand for the sanctity of all human life, especially the lives of unborn children. Are you going to stand up?'
Only the strongest survive ... most of the timeRaven may be a shifter, but she's always felt separate from her wolf. She never knew it should be different. Then, a stranger shows up in her hometown, turning her world upside down and recruiting her for the elite Bloodshed Academy. Everything she's ever known gets challenged, and Raven finds herself in impossible situations. Making matters worse is the fact that one of the strongest alphas at school catches her eye. And he makes her feel things she doesn't understand. The school may only recruit the best of the best, the strongest in their world, but there's something more about Raven. When push comes to shove, she has to decide if she's willing to fight for what she's come to love ... or run from a life she can't quite accept.
Enough Blood Shed confronts the reality of a world awash in weapons and the belief that war is inevitable, with people powerless to change the system. It provides an alternative perspective based on solutions known to be successful because they have been used already. The first part of the book describes the culture of violence that has led the world to this precipice of hopelessness, and then points to signs of hope that a different future is possible. It outlines the steps being made to build a culture of peace, including the phenomenal power of civil society: the second superpower - or the conscience of society. Part Two then focuses on the solutions that are possible for all sectors of society: For individuals, including women, children and youth For schools, educators, activist groups and religious organizations For the media, professionals, business and labor For cities, nations and the global community Focusing on the power of ordinary people to make a difference and packed with effective nonviolent success stories - often in a setting of hate and provocation - the book provides guidance, inspiration, hope and empowerment that peace is not only possible, but can be fun along the way.
