Non violence is a philosophy that has been used as a strategy to bring change. It follows a line which rejects the path of violence. This method of using an alternate to aggression and armed struggle against oppression has been preached and practiced from time immemorial. In recent times, non violence has been used as a means for getting India independence from British rule.
This movement was preached and led by Mahatma Gandhi, who immortalized himself to the whole world with the way he went about it. Another fine example is recent history is that of Martin Luther King, who adopted Gandhi’s non-violent ways , in the struggle to help win civil rights for African Americans. Jesus and Non Violence History shows many examples of non-violence struggles, but if we look into our ancients texts we will be able to understand that even Jesus Christ was an advocate of non violence. Until the very end Jesus never renounced his privilege of being the anointed one. Nevertheless, he destroyed the wall that separated non-Jews from the God of Israel. He became the new and living way by which all people had access to the kingdom of God.
By acting in this way he removed every pretext for the use of violence. He advocated that gods grace was offered to all and with it the hand of fellowship and the offer of reconciliation. (Walter Wink. Ch. 1. p119) Nonviolence in Theory & Practice Nonviolence has always been understood as the absence of violence, but the leading proponents of nonviolence have always defined in positive terms. Thus Mahatma Gandhi spoke of nonviolence as Satyagraha , meaning literally holding onto truth. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of it as a commitment to resisting injustice without regarding one’s success as a triumph over those 2 who stand for injustice. (Robert. H & Barry . L. G. Nonviolence in Theory and Practice)
The Essay on Helpless Situation Jesus God Disciples
Sermon Hold on, Help is on the way! Text: Mark 6: 45-52 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. ...
Nonviolence can be understood from many viewpoints and has many aspects to it. To some it may seem as if it is the study of any psychological, social, or political technique to bring about social change, which does not involve the use of the military force, yet again to others it is the study of the spiritual pursuit of a nonviolence as interpreted by particular religions. Discussion There is a belief among many, that nonviolence is actually nothing more than a form of cowardice. Nothing can be further from the truth.
In the case of Jesus Christ it took tremendous mental strength and will power to stand up for what he believed. Similarly, in the case Mahatma Gandhi, though violence was used brutally against his followers who were both women and men, by their belief in what they were doing they could bear physical beating and brutalities inflicted upon them by the British without ever losing sight of what they were expected to follow – the path of nonviolence. Man has within him an inbuilt mechanism of self preservation and this manifests itself when he is attacked and being bodily harmed.
This instinct takes over and counters the attacker by fighting back. The ability to resist this natural instinct and to stay on the path of nonviolence is a sure show of courage and strength. In the case of both Gandhi and Jesus Christ, they were dealing against oppressive rule. They could have chosen an easier way, but that they chose the courageous path of nonviolence . REFERENCES: Walter Wink. Jesus and Nonviolence. Ch. 1. p. 119 . [online} Available at http://www. plough. com/ebooks/pdfs/Jesus. pdf Robert L. Holmes & Barry . L. Gan (Part one: origins) Nonviolence in Theory and Practice
