Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek Round Two

Some "Pascalian" Wisdom

"Why do you kill me"?  He lives on the other side of the water.  "Why do you kill me?  What!  do you not live on the other side of the water?  If you lived on this side, my friend, I should be an assassin, and it would be unjust to slay you in this manner.  But since you live on the other side, I am a hero, and it is just."


(Section V, Justice and the Reason of Effects, 291-293) Pascal's Pensées (Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662)

"Christian" Soldiers?

There was a prophet (John, the baptizer) of whom God (Jesus Christ) said “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11).” Apparently, the Lord, Jesus Christ had a very high regard for John.

One day some soldiers came to John and asked him, “what shall we do? (Luke 13:14).”

John’s answer is instructive. He answers them, “do violence to no man.”

Since violence is the soldier’s business, what he (John) is really saying to them is “find another job.”

In syllogistic form,

Major Premise:     Christians should not be violent
Minor Premise:     The ultimate job of a soldier is to do violence
Conclusion:             A Christian should not be a soldier.

This was the consensus of the Church fathers, and the practice of Christians until the Constantinian creation of “Christendom” (for more on this, read The Reformers and their Stepchildren, by Leonard Verduin).

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).”