April 8

People think that if they call the crime of murder “war,” then murder ceases being murder and a crime.

1

There are many ways in which Christ may be denied: one is that of the bold blasphemer, who, out of a base and haughty heart mocks, scoffing at that manly man, and spits upon the nobleness of Christ! There are few such deniers: my heart mourns for them. But they do little harm. Religion is so dear to men, no scoffing word can silence that, and the brave soul of this young Nazarene has made itself so deeply felt that scorn and mockery of him are but an icicle held up against the summer’s sun. There is another way to deny him, and that is: to call him Lord, and never do his bidding; to stifle free minds with his words; and with the authority of his name to cloak, to mantle, screen and consecrate the follies, errors, sins of men! From this we have much to fear.

— Theodore Parker

2

It is not true that war against foreigners was sacred; it is not true that the earth thirsted for blood. The earth asks the heavens for the water of its rivers and the pure dew of its clouds, not blood. War is cursed by God and even by the people who take part in it.

— Alfred de Vigny

3

But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies. Your tongue mutters wickedness. No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and give birth to iniquity. They hatch adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web. He who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper. Their webs won’t become garments. They won’t cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and acts of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Desolation and destruction are in their paths. They don’t know the way of peace; and there is no justice in their ways. They have made crooked paths for themselves; whoever goes in them doesn’t know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn’t overtake us. We look for light, but see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity. We grope for the wall like the blind. Yes, we grope as those who have no eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were twilight. Among those who are strong, we are like dead men.

— Isaiah 59:2–10

4

An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?

— Jeremiah 5:30–31

5

Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

— Matthew 24:12

6

But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

— Luke 22:53

7

War is a curtain, under the cover of which people and nations indulge in sins which the world would not otherwise tolerate.

— Springfield

8

They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more. But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and no one will make them afraid: For the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.

— Micah 4:3–4

The crime of murder is always a crime, no matter who authorizes it or what the justification for it may be. And therefore murderers who commit murders or prepare for them are criminals, who should not be respected, approved and admired, but pitied, corrected and admonished.