Principles are what people have instead of God.To be a Christian means among other things to be willing if necessary to sacrifice even your highest principles for God’s or your neighbour’s sake the way a Christian pacifist must be willing to pick up a baseball bat if there’s no other way to stop a man from savagely beating a child.Jesus didn’t forgive his executioners on principle but because in some unimaginable way he was able to love them.’Principle’ is an even duller word than ‘Religion’.

Principles are what people have instead of God.To be a Christian means among other things to be willing if necessary to sacrifice even your highest principles for God’s or your neighbour’s sake the way a Christian pacifist must be willing to pick up a baseball bat if there’s no other way to stop a man from savagely beating a child.Jesus didn’t forgive his executioners on principle but because in some unimaginable way he was able to love them.’Principle’ is an even duller word than ‘Religion’.

– Frederick Buechner –

Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC

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