It’s the difference between “We must be on God’s side” and “God is on our side”.
When the Iraq war kicked off, there was a priest at my parents’ church that spoke out against it (as he explained it, “love your enemy” is one of the most challenging things Jesus asked of his followers. It doesn’t mean “forgive someone that cuts you off in traffic” it means literally whoever your enemy is, you must love, care for, and protect them, even if it means self sacrifice or dying to do so). Attendance at his sermons dropped by 60 or 70% for years. Eventually I think people started to come around, but he died before there was widespread sentiment against the war. I’m no longer religious, but I miss that priest.
It’s the difference between “We must be on God’s side” and “God is on our side”.
When the Iraq war kicked off, there was a priest at my parents’ church that spoke out against it (as he explained it, “love your enemy” is one of the most challenging things Jesus asked of his followers. It doesn’t mean “forgive someone that cuts you off in traffic” it means literally whoever your enemy is, you must love, care for, and protect them, even if it means self sacrifice or dying to do so). Attendance at his sermons dropped by 60 or 70% for years. Eventually I think people started to come around, but he died before there was widespread sentiment against the war. I’m no longer religious, but I miss that priest.