I agree with Frank Hamilton about the Sermon on the Mount. I believe that this—and one other section—are the real core of genuine Christianity. The other section I'm referring to is found in Matthew 25. It goes

        "I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: I was naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me."
        And they asked him, saying, "Lord, when did you hunger and we fed you? Or thirst, and we gave you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in? Or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?"
        And he answered them, saying, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."

Unfortunately, one does not find very many of the more highly vocal self-proclaimed "Christians" (including, some of the "born again" dudes currently in government) talking about these passages. In fact, they keep legislating against the principles espoused.

And brucie, regarding the statement, "I come not to bring peace, but the sword." That one sentence is taken out of context, and it is often quoted by those who wish to convince others that Jesus would approve of their particular war or act of violence. The statement certainly doesn't negate any of Jesus' "peace talk" that went before and came after. This does not contradict "Blessed are the peacemakers." If you read the entire passage, what Jesus is doing is warning those who chose to follow him that it is not going to be all beer and skittles, fun and games. The "sword" that Jesus is talking about is metaphorical. It is a "sword of cleavage" (No, not that kind of cleavage!). Part of the cleavage is that some are ready for the consequences of choosing to follow him, while others may not be. Another part of the cleavage is that bitter divisions may arise between those who followed him and those who rejected him. And sometimes the division will be between father and son, or mother and daughter. Be prepared to be disowned by your friends, family, and even by society. If you chose to do this, be prepared to be an outcast.

Was Jesus in any way warlike? There is considerable speculation about the actual motivation of Judas and why he betrayed Jesus. Was he just unmitigated evil? A tool of the devil? Or did his betrayal spring from more human emotions? Consider that Judas was a Zealot, one of those dedicated to driving the Romans out and freeing the Hebrews. The messiah that the the Zealots were hoping for was another David, a "Warrior King," who would lead them into battle and drive out the Romans as he did with the Philistines. Judas wasn't the only one of Jesus' disciples who felt this way. But when it finally sank in to Judas what Jesus was really all about—that he was not a "Warrior King," but the "Prince of Peace"—he was bitterly disillusioned and disappointed. Jesus, it seems, was not talking about actual physical swords. "This man," Judas decided, "is not the messiah!" Hence, the betrayal.

Don Firth