War, escalation, the people, the leaders and the results of war are the subjects of the cartoon by Dr. Seuss and of almost every era of history. When asked, “What would you want most in the world”? and the answer is “World peace,” why is it that world peace is virtually unachievable? In the Butter Battle Book, Dr. Seuss makes a satirical statement about war and the mechanics of how the stage is set to allow an escalation from peace, which people want the most, to be sacrificed to enter into a war for their beliefs.
The question must be asked what is worth fighting for? What is worth going to war and risking the lives of the people of your own country? Beliefs seem to be the answer. Belief is a hard concept to define. What is involved in a belief, and why would it be worth sacrificing lives and prosperity? Webster’s dictionary says that a belief is a mental acceptance of the truth, actuality, or validity of something: a statement unworthy of belief; an idea steadily gaining credence; testimony meriting credit. An example given in the Butter Battle Book is the highly controversial belief that you must butter your bread from the top of the bread and not from the bottom instead! While this might sound absurd, there have been wars over religious differences that to an outsider may seem similarly absurd. Early Christians were martyred for their involvement in a peaceful movement that was simply different from the culture of the day. The nature of humans is to be suspicious of a culture that has different beliefs than the ones that they hold. This suspicion often escalates when the government is involved because of the challenge of power and authority that occurs when the beliefs of the leaders are challenged by the mere existence of the other group. Why do beliefs evoke such a passionate response? What role do beliefs play in society? They seem to be the foundation of a person, and since societies are built upon the people in society, then it would be safe to say that they are the underlying foundation of the society. Beliefs are what we teach our children. Beliefs are what judgments are made on between what is right or what is wrong. Belief seems to be the catalyst for advancements in our society as well. But the clash when one societity’s belief is different than the others is when a conflict occurs. The Zooks who buttered their bread from the top had taught their children the importance of this bread- buttering tradition; they had even condemned the Yooks for buttering their bread from the bottom. As a society builds up exclusive beliefs, they become so important that they are willing or even justified to fight for them if they are challenged. Of course, there have been no fights over bread buttering, but the conflict between the Muslim and Christian beliefs are similar from the prospective of the Muslims in that the belief of Jihad is called for against Christians because of their belief in a trinity of gods and several other discrepancies. Historically, religion has had a cycle of challenged beliefs surrounding the Jews, Christians, Muslims and factions within each of these groups as well as many other groups.
So then, the question must be asked, “Do we avoid beliefs”? Are they the cause of the escalations of war? If your answer is that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and all war should be avoided, some additional questions are raised. What if you believe that they are entitled to their belief, but they are not willing to let you have your beliefs? What if their beliefs victimize another person? Also, what if the two beliefs are in such sharp contradiction to each other that they cannot live together? All of these questions help to draw the conclusion that beliefs are necessary, but there seems to be no black and white answer for people to live together under the umbrella of everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. So what is the answer? In the Butter Battle Book, the answer was to stand on each side of the wall with their opposing beliefs and build bigger and bigger weapons until there were no options except to ultimately destroy life as the Zooks and the Yooks knew it. The message of the Butter Battle Book was addressing the nuclear arms race of the latter half of the nineteen hundreds, but today we are faced with a similar battle of beliefs, especially here in America today. Do we give up beliefs? Or do we stand on each side of a wall, building bigger and bigger weapons against each other? As Christian countries are faced with the challenges of the Muslim countries, do we give up our beliefs or do we stand on either side of the wall of the disagreement and build up weapons of hate and prejudice against each other? The outcomes of these are yet to be seen, but we can carefully draw from the history of the church to evaluate whether there are beliefs that are worth fighting for. There are beliefs that are absolute truths that God has penned through authors of the Bible, beliefs that are the passions of people of the society we live in, and so as Christians we must continue to speak The Truth in love in every corner of our society. We must carefully avoid standing on one side of a wall and building up prejudices or fighting over disputable matters. What we must be willing to do is to fight not for our beliefs but for the One True God we believe in. Since God already has the victory here on earth we must not be fighting to defend God, but fighting to share the knowledge and truths of God. We must fight to go and tell others, no matter which way they choose to butter their bread, that there is a God that is available for all to believe in, Who offers salvation and eternal reward for each person’s willingness to believe in Christ Jesus, who is a belief worth dying for.
Better Than the Butter Battle Book
Book Review
Church History, From Christ to Pre-Reformation, by Everett Ferguson, gives a detailed view of the Early Church and is dedicated to understanding the world in which it was established. The book begins with the Roman, Greek and Jewish worlds in the early first century, the setting of history’s physical introduction of Christ. Ferguson makes an effort to not just give names and dates to events that surrounded the evolution of the church but gives the reader insight to the period’s cultural climate to helps the reader to grasp not only what was happening but how and why the events happened as they did.
The Preface states the author’s prospectus well, “The author writes from the perspective that church history is the story of the greatest community the world has known and the greatest movement in world history.” The people of this community are the focus upon which Ferguson builds the book to convey the events and their meanings, not only at the time but how they have impacted the church today.
The book gives a detailed account of the development of the church from the time of Jesus’ birth to the Reformation. The spread of the gospel and the area it covered is detailed with cultural explanations as well as information on the Apostles. The author moves forward to the Subapostolic age, laying the foundation for understanding the authorship of the Bible and literature that affected the canonization of the Bible. There is a shift to explain the attitudes of the church and the governments that formed the Roman Empire. During this time a counter culture of the Christians was opposing them by of introducing heretical doctrines and persecutions. The author devotes an entire chapter to explaining Biblical Canon and the conditions that surrounded the struggles to accomplish a true doctrine.
The Church Fathers were highlighted by not only relaying historical data, but also by weaving together the theology and the interactions that occurred to come to those conclusions. Several chapters are devoted to the development of the church in the second, third and fourth centuries. The organized church and the cast of characters that solidified the integrity of the church during the time of the fall of the Roman Empire are featured in the next chapters. Ferguson moves on to the transition of the Middle Ages, the spread of the Gospel to the Germanic tribes and the development of the Papacy. The churches of the East and West developed, and Ferguson contrasts the two by featuring the impact of Islam in the East from the seventh century to the eleventh. The Western Church as it spread throughout Europe, also produced key leaders and movements that Ferguson chronologically details and shows the impact one had on another.
The author leads the reader through the Papacy reforms and the First Crusades by telling of how the concept of a Holy War came about and the results of the unholy union between the church and the government. The social rise of Scholasticism is featured to promote understanding of cultural aspects during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This time period featured monastic literature and many other cultural advancements that documented the happenings of the Church. Throughout the book there are photographs and maps that help the reader to understanding to the writing by giving a visual reference to the text to include architecture, art and literary works.
Ferguson uses the last two chapters to describe the rise and decline of the church and the effect that it had on many Christian leaders as well as the church as a whole. Throughout the book the author is careful to explain the relation from one event to the other and acknowledge the interplay of culture, people, governments and religion. The chapters end with further study resources to learn of the event more thoroughly. The view the author gives enables one to evaluate the historical happenings of the church and apply the conclusions of the events to the contemporary problems and happenings of today.
If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.- C. S. Lewis
I waited to find the quote until the end of the class, (partially because I am always behind) mainly because I wanted the quote to represent what the class meant as a whole. When I came upon this quote, I realized the value of learning the history of the ancient world and Christianity in detail is that it is a tool that God can use for us to impact the world we presently live in. Now understanding the value of history better I can incorporate it as I seek to achieve my eyes being fixed on the next world of heaven, doing all things in light of eternity. History, from an eternal prospective is fascinating!
Theology from a Bunch of Dead Guys
From Charles Spurgon’s Web Site a Hall of Church History is provided to give very concise and informative recaps of historical movements in Church history and the groups theology. This may be a good study tool to put the successions of church history in perspective. I also appreciate Spurgeon’s light hearted reference to the Dead Guys!
Theology from a Bunch of Dead Guys-The Hall of Church History Map
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/hallmap.htm
Christian Jihad Book Review
Christians today are charged with going and telling the world about who God is. Winning a lost world over to a relationship with Jesus as their personal savior. This is a message to a world that often times views Christianity as the entire historical movement because they have been taught in secular schools the role of Christians in history. The book by Doctors Ergun and Emir Caner, Christian Jihad and subtitled Two Former Muslims Look at the Crusades and Killing in the Name of Christ gives a view of Christianity that acknowledges the dim view that the world perceives of Christians due to acts committed by Christians in the past.
Christian Jihad through the title introduces the idea of a holy war waged by Christians. Jihad is typically applied to Islamic actions of war. The Caners apply this idea to the historical wars of the church. To give insight to the idea of a Christian holy war there is a retelling of an overwrought defender of unborn babies armed with a gun with an abortion doctor in his sights claiming to be doing God’s will. This may be what initially comes to the mind of modern Christians when Christians take justice into their own hands in the name of defending God. One misguided individual striking out to right the wrongs of the world.
The Caner’s explore the historical ideas of Christians, after the death of Christ, in regard to war. Initially a push for pacifism was the prevailing thought that evolved into being able to take part in the affairs of war but not fighting. By the third century church leaders had included military involvement as an acceptable profession, still not condoning war. The haunting retelling of the persecution of Christians throughout this time period reminds the reader of the choice for pacifism was horribly tested through torturing innocent believers by the Roman governments.
The majority of the book, in great detail, tells of how the Christian people were first a target of distrust and persecution. Then the reign of believing leaders gave Christians safety but introduced the struggle of control of the state in religious affairs. An unholy marriage is what is used to refer the union of the church and governing body. The book gives a very clear view of the role played by the Muslim nations, the Catholic Church and the differing leaders of the Roman Empire on into the European leaders in the wars that were fought for centuries. Similarly to modern day vigilantes claiming that “God wills it”.
The Caners carefully discuss the establishment of a just war and relate it to today’s war in the Middle East. The cycles of power that took the lives of God-fearing people because of doctrinal differences are explored. As well as highlighting the injustices against unenlightened persons by theological giants and the role religion played in the genocide of thousands.
Christian Jihad is a revealing look into the past to shed light on a dark subject that has plagued our world and still does today, helping us understand the conflicts of the present and future. Wars are still being fought oversees and domestically in courts over the issues of power of church and state. Christians need to be aware of the past so that they can interpret current happenings to not repeat the mistakes. Hopefully, the information given in this book will empower Christians to continue with the spreading of the Gospel message keeping in mind the effects of a Holy War.
Bio. Leslee Toon
I am approaching a crossroads of sorts at the age of 39. My high school sweetheart, Ron and I have been married since I was 18 and one week old. We have lived in Hawaii and Texas. In a little mission church in Kahaluu, HI we started going to a Baptist Church. I had grown up as a Christian. My mom was a devout Christian that studied the Bible and raised her children in a Christian home despite my dad not being a Christian. I learned alot about a difference between the view of the world from a believers perspective and a non believers perspective on almost everything through my parents.
I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was 8 and loved my church family. My Mom was so dilligent to bring us to church even though it was not what my dad wanted and made things harder for her, she sacrificed because she thought church training was so important.
At the age of 13 I was diagnosed with a form of Scoliosis that required that I wear a back brace until 16, or whenever I had stopped growing. Anyone seen 16 Candles-80′s movie where the girl that was wearing a back brace was trying to get a drink out of the water fountain at high school? That was me for 2 years. I will just say it was life changing. I did my best to keep a good attitude but my relationship with Christ is what keep me from feeling totally alone. Kids can be mean and I look kinda funny! God provided a few good friends and He reassured me daily to trust in Him and He would pull me through this.
Sure enough, I had been out of the back brace for about a year and I met a cute guy, which has been my husband for 21 years. That really wasn’t my plan but God also directed and guided us through being married at 18 and 19 years old. I am so thankful for the Godly man I am married to.
We had Katie when I was 20 and Riley at the age of 24. Another life changing event was a lovely woman that was our pastor’s wife in Hawaii took time to mentor me and send me down a path of being a submissive wife and mother that trained up her children in Christ. For that I am truely thankful for as well. I enjoyed being a stay -at- home mom until now and I have been called to Southwestern to go back to college after 20 years.
We live in Granbury in a farm house that is 100 years old. We love it, at least most of the time, it can be a little drafty. 
It keeps us constantly reminded of when life was simpler and harder all at the same time. It keeps us striving to not be too indulgent of the what the world has to offer and reminding us that the hard work God allows for us is good.
Our daughter is at Texas Tech working on her masters in Occupational Therapy. Riley is in the highschool band and plays JV Baseball so we have a tight schedule. Which leaves me at the crossroads, I will be 42 and no kids at home.
We serve at our church as 3&4th grade Sunday School leaders and Youth Workers. As well as my husband leads the men’s ministry. We both feel strongly lead to encourage young families to focus on what God has for them insted of what the world is offering there families. I have no idea what God will do with the training I am receiving so I am just walking down the path He has for me trying to trust and look for the straight path and trying to enjoy the bumps too.