Not Your Ordinary Hymn Sing

 

I love our church's new hymnal, and
it's increased use of hymns with we, us,
and our language for corporate worship;

It's hard to imagine a school's alma mater, its cheerleader chants, or a statement of purpose recited at any organization's gatherings that would use singular pronouns in the text. Yet many songs in our hymnals focus exclusively on our individual relationship with God, which might be appropriate for one's personal praise and worship time (as in the beloved "I Come to the Garden Alone" for example), but for public gatherings?

Here's a proposal for a novel kind of hymn sing I'd love to be an experimental part of, as follows: 

First, participants would be seated in the round. hopefully in a place with great acoustics, enabling them to be singing to and with each other, and using all plural rather than singular pronouns in the hymns selected. 

In going through our church's newest hymnal as a part of my morning meditation time, I have been trying out some pronoun substitutions. Many of the hymns, especially those coming from a pietistic tradition, are primarily personal testimony songs, which isn't a bad thing, but it seems reasonable to me that most of what we sing when we are together should use the pronouns we, us and our in the lyrics. This is already true of the first 41 gathering hymns in Voices Together, and in many of the familiar texts in all of our hymnals.

There is precedent for making certain changes in our hymns, as in avoiding or reducing the use of masculine pronouns, as in the exclusive use of he, his him, man, mankind, etc. So changing some wording in our hymns isn't unheard of. 

I'm not saying that beloved songs like Blessed Assurance, When Peace Like a River, and others shouldn't be retained as they are, but many hymns could be modified to help us think more in terms of an Anabaptist concept of "corporate discipleship" by the use of plural pronouns.

And for future hymnals, fewer thees, thous and thines might not hurt either, though I can also appreciate some such reminders of our ancient heritage. 

But how would these texts feel when sung together?

VT 605 My Life Flows On (Our Lives Flow On)

1 Our lives flow on in endless song,

above earth’s lamentation.

We catch the sweet, though far-off hymn

that hails a new creation.

Refrain:

No storm can shake our inmost calm

while to that Rock we're clinging.

Since Love is lord of heav’n and earth,

how can we keep from singing?

2 Through all the tumult and the strife,

We hear that music ringing.

It finds an echo in our souls.

How can we keep from singing? [Refrain]

3 What though our joys and comforts die,

We find new joy in living.

What though the darkness gather round?

We waken to thanksgiving. [Refrain]

4 The peace of Christ makes fresh our hearts,

a fountain ever springing!

All things are ours since we are his!

How can we keep from singing? [Refrain]

VT 557 Spirit of God! Descend:

1 Spirit of God, descend upon our hearts,
wean them from sin, through all their pulses move.
Stoop to our weakness, mighty as you are,
and make us love you as we ought to love.

2 We ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel visitant, no opening skies;
but take the dimness of our souls away.

3 Did you not bid us love you, God and King,
love you with all our heart and strength and mind?
We see the cross— there teach our hearts to cling.
O let us seek you and O let us find!

4 Teach us to feel that you are always near;
teach us the struggles of the soul to bear,
to check the rising doubt, the troubling fear;
teach us the patience of unceasing prayer.

5 Teach us to love you as your angels love,
one holy passion filling all my frame:
the baptism of the heaven-descended Dove;
our hearts an altar, and your love the flame.

I think in most cases this would not require reprinting all the texts for use in a hymn sing, but before each verse the modified text could be read with the changes of pronouns.

Here's a link to a post on a related theme https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-father-who-art-in-heaven-paying.html

Stone Soup And Some Serious Talk About $$$$

Sam Funkhouser, a Princeton Seminary
graduate, a farmer, and a member of the
Old German Baptist Brethren, New Con-
ference, gave the keynote address at a
workshop on "Anabaptist Rebirth:
Just, Joyful and Sustainable Living."

Eighty people showed up at the Harrisonburg Mennonite Church yesterday for some serious Bible study and reflection on the level of wealth and privilege we've come to feel entitled to, as in a quote by Funkhouser in the flier produced for the occasion: "We live like royalty, enjoy a level of prosperity that is unjust and unsustainable, and that is predicated on the poverty of others...  Nothing could be more clear in the teachings of Jesus and the prophets than a condemnation of this kind of wealth."

Some months ago I got the following response from a church leader I had reached out to regarding the event: "The quote from Brother Funkhouser could come across as confrontational vs. conversational in tone which will appeal to the already convinced.... I don’t think this was your intention as planners but does indicate a bias of the desired impact/outcomes of the event. I am not suggesting these biases are wrong, but only that they may be perceived negatively and off putting by some thus keeping away those you most hope to attract."

I thought about that a lot as we went through the day together at Harrisonburg Mennonite. Maybe he's right. Maybe we are just preaching to the choir. But most in attendance welcomed the opportunity to address this question and to engage in conversation in their table groups and over the lunch hour, where we enjoyed a "stone soup" stew made with chopped vegetables participants brought with them. And in the spirit of renewed concern over our world neighbors in need, over $2000 was raised for the work of Mennonite Central Committee, a world relief and development organization. 

Here is a sample of input from yesterday, this by panelist Daryl Byler, an attorney working for a non-profit legal aid organization in Washington DC:

Giving like Zacchaeus

Attorney Daryl Byler works for the
District of Columbia Bar Foundation.

After graduating from EMU in 1979, I joined a five person intentional community in Meridian, Mississippi. Our

community purchased a two-story house on a large lot in an

economically declining neighborhood. We paid the grand sum of $15,000 for a large house that needed lots of work.

To the west of our property, many of the houses were nicer than ours. But to the east of our property most of the houses were in considerably worse shape than ours – and in a flood plain. This is my first memory of really thinking about my economic status and to whom I compare myself.

None of us considers ourselves to be wealthy when we compare ourselves to the uber-rich like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, or Elon Musk. Or even if we compare ourselves to persons who live in a more upscale neighborhood than our own. But the picture changes dramatically if our point of comparison is the average person in a least-developed country like Haiti, Sudan, or Bangladesh.

Years later, when I worked in the MCC Washington Office, a colleague, Dave Schrock-Shenk, wrote a 28-day devotional guide titled "Basic Trek: Venture into a World of Enough"; It uses the metaphor of a "trek" or journey to explore the concept of "enough" from a Christian perspective. Basic Trek challenges readers to simplify their lives and live more responsibly for the environment and the well-being of others. It addresses topics like consumerism, environmental responsibility, and living with enough for everyone.

Basic Trek reminded its readers that, while the United States has only about 5% of the global population, we consume around 25% of the world’s resources – or five times our fair share. The U.S. is also estimated to produce 30% of the world';s waste.

But even within this wealthy nation, there are huge disparities:

According to 2022 data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent available data), the typical white household has roughly six times the wealth of the typical Black household. This disparity has persisted and even widened over decades.

This wealth gap is a result of historic and current policies and institutional practices – for example, redlining and other forms of housing and lending discrimination – that have facilitated wealth accumulation by white families while creating barriers for Black families. Additionally, white households are significantly more likely to receive substantial inheritances that help perpetuate wealth across generations.

Soon after we were married, Cindy and I set a goal to increase our giving by one percent of income each year – as one way of countering the impulse to consume more than our fair share as our income grew.

We have not always achieved this goal. And I’m aware that our economic choices had an impact on our children as they were growing up. They didn’t suffer, but they may have, from time to time, expressed the view that their parents were tight.

We try to live simply, to recycle, reuse, and budget carefully. We don’t eat out that often, and we try to keep our driving and expenditures to a minimum. But I am well aware of inconsistencies and that I still consume far more than my fair share.

In recent years, we have increasingly shifted our giving to justice-minded organizations – particularly those led by people of color for the benefit of people of color – like the Equal Justice Initiative, led by Brian Stevenson.

I reflect often on the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector in Jericho. The city was a major hub on trade routes, especially for pilgrims traveling between Galilee and Jerusalem. This made it a perfect location for a chief tax collector like Zacchaeus to operate and accumulate vast wealth.

The Roman tax system often involved a “tax farming” model. Chief tax collectors like Zacchaeus would bid for the right to collect taxes in a given area. To recoup their investment and turn a profit, they would routinely overcharge citizens, earning them the reputation of traitors and thieves. 

The story of Zacchaeus is found in Luke 19. Some scholars think that Zacchaeus may have been the tax collector Jesus referred to in his parable in the previous chapter. In that parable, a tax collector and a Pharisee are praying in the temple. The tax collector, who beats his breast in humility, is justified, while the self-righteous Pharisee is not.

If this parable was based on a real-life event that Jesus witnessed, it may explain why, when he passed through Jericho, Jesus looked up in the sycamore tree and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

I have often wondered what Jesus said to Zacchaeus when he went to his home. Likely, Jesus talked about kingdom economics and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Or perhaps, Jesus just listened to the confession of a man who had come to realize the error of his ways.

Whatever the case – at the press briefing after their meeting, while the crowds complain about the lack of judgment Jesus has demonstrated by eating with a sinner – Zacchaeus says to Jesus, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”

What would it look like if those of us who are solidly middle class gave half of our possessions to organizations serving those living in vulnerable situations?

The average American gives just under 2 percent of disposable income to charity. According to the group Nonprofit Source, Christians today give 2.5% of their income; during the Great Depression, it was 3.3%. Only 5% of Christians tithe.

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the average annual household giving by generation is as follows:

The Silent Generation (Born 1925-1945) with $1,367

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) with $1,212

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012) with $785

Generation X (Born 1965-1980) with $732 and

Millennials (Born 1981-1996) with $481

That’s not a lot of money. What difference would it make if American Christians, who consume more than our fair share of global resources, instead made the same choice that Zacchaeus did, to give half of our possessions to those living in vulnerable situations?

The story of Zacchaeus ends with Jesus saying to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.” In other words, this is what it looks like to be part of God’s family and to love neighbor as self.

Today, salvation has come to this house. I prefer the word liberation. Today, liberation has come to this house. That is to say, we seek this way of living not out of guilt but because it is how we are liberated and set free. Unlike the rich young ruler in the previous chapter of Luke’s gospel, Zacchaeus made the liberating choice. While the young ruler clung to his possessions, Zacchaeus joyfully embraced the cost of following Jesus.

There is liberation in not being bound to the idea that we must wear the latest fashions, or drive the best cars, or live in the biggest houses.

There is liberation in seeking to repair the harms done by an economic and political system that has benefited white people at the expense of our neighbors of color.

There is liberation in knowing that our neighbors are fed and have a warm place to sleep and share the same opportunities as we do.

What a difference it would make for us if we gave like Zacchaeus. What a difference it would make for those who do not currently receive their fair share due to no fault of their own.

Wouldn’t it be beautiful to hear Jesus speak these words to North American Christians: “Today, liberation has come to this house because they, too, are now acting like children of God.”

****************************************

On Jesus as a financial advisor: 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2011/05/imaginary-interview-with-galilean.html

To hear a previous recording of Sam Funkhouser's prophetic address: 

https://vimeo.com/872662179?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Table Conversations On What The Bible Teaches About Just Living

Here are the texts for 45-minute discussions at the November 15 workshop on "Rebirth of Anabaptism: Just, Joyful and Sustainable Living:

“(The prophet) Amos knew that…there is little value in placing our attention merely on a handful of bad actors. Culture and systems are what create large scale evils such as poverty, war, and ecological devastation. Religion must address collective evil.“      

- Richard Rohr, “The Tears of Things”

“From Genesis to Revelation, Citizens of God’s Empire Are Called To Practice Just Living”

Table Group 1 Just Living is Established and Embedded in the Torah (Genesis 1:20- 2:3, Exodus 20:8-11, Leviticus 23:15-22, Deuteronomy 15, Leviticus 25)

1. What part do God's creatures and the rest of creation play in the Torah vision of a world of shalom, in which “nothing is marred and nothing is missing"?

2. How might Torah Sabbath observances affect how we experience shalom justice? 

    a) the 7-day sabbath: weekly respite for workers, alien residents, animals, etc.

    b) the 7-week sabbath: first fruits/Pentecost offerings

    c) the 7-year sabbath: cancellation of debts incurred during times of hardship, rest for the land             

    d) the 7x7 Jubilee sabbath: redistribution of land to original inhabitants

3. How is just living portrayed in the Torah as a shared obligation of all of God’s people, and not simply the obligation of individuals or individual households?

Table Group 2 Just Living is Celebrated and Affirmed in Wisdom Literature (Psalm 12, Psalm 24:1-6, Psalm 37:14-26, Psalm 112, Proverbs 3:27-29, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 22:7-9, Proverbs 28:27, Proverbs 30:7-9)

1. What are some clear contrasts between the behaviors and lifestyles of the ungodly and those who wisely choose to honor a just God?

2. How does the affirmation that “the (whole) earth is the Lord’s” affect how we use our time, gifts and money?

3. In what way is investing in those in need a form of “lending to the Lord” or investing in the Treasury of Heaven by giving to the poor (Luke 12:33)?

4. How is God portrayed as responding to people experiencing hardship, oppression and other forms of suffering, and what would it mean to have God’s people respond in the same way?

Table Group 3 Just Living is Reaffirmed Through the Voice of the Prophets

(Isaiah 1:15-20, Isaiah 35, Isaiah 58:6-14, Jeremiah 22:13-17, Ezekiel 16:48-54, Amos 4:1-3, 8:4-11, Micah 6:6–8, Zechariah 7:9-12(

1. Are the prophets’ words addressed primarily to individuals or to a whole people, and how does that matter? 

2. How might some hear the prophets’ words of judgment as good news and some as dreaded news?

3. How do we see our circumstances as similar to, or different from, those addressed by the Biblical prophets?

Table Groups 4&5 Just Living is Commanded and Demonstrated By Messiah Jesus 

(Group 4: Matthew 4:12-17, Matthew 6:19-34, Matthew 7:24-29, Matthew 16:24-28, Matthew 19:13-30, Mark 8:1-9)

1. In what ways does Jesus’s focus on a heaven-ruled empire in which God’s will is being done on earth as in heaven make us different from people governed by earth-bound, nationalistic economies and cultures?

2. How does our being free from worry and having a strong sense of worth radically change the way we spend money?

3. What is the significance of the gospel accounts of a rich young ruler always coming right after the story of Jesus blessing children? How should we become like children in willingly working and learning but not laying claim to personal wealth?

(Group 5: Luke 1:46-55, Luke 6:20-25, Luke 10:25-37, Luke 12:13-34, Luke 16:10-31, Luke 19:15-30.

1. Who are the rich and well fed on whom Jesus pronounces woes? 

2. As God’s children around one worldwide table, where do we find ourselves in the story of the rich man and Lazarus?

3. According to Jesus, is investing in ever more consumer wealth primarily an evil or is it simply foolish?

4. Is the main point of the Zacchaeus story that giving to the poor is an act of charity or is it about practicing justice? 

Table Group 6 Just Living is Exemplified and Taught by the Apostles

(Acts 2:37-47, Acts 4:32-37, II Corinthians 8:1-15, II Corinthians 9:6-15, Hebrews 13:1-6, James 5:1-6)

1. What Spirit-driven lifestyle changes resulted from Peter’s sermon on repentance (an about-face change of mind, heart and direction) on the day of Pentecost?

2. What are some of the reasons Paul gives for Christians giving generous help to people in need nearly 1000 miles away?

3. How are workers around the world affected by our feeling entitled to exotic food, clothing and technology from all over the globe?

Table Group 7 Just Living is Restored Forever In New Testament Prophecy

(Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 2:8-11, 3:14-22, 17:1-6 [with 18:1-20 and 19:1-3], 21-22:1-5)

1. What is the significance of whole nations of people, and not just individuals. being brought before God in the Final Judgement?

2. Do our churches today exhibit more of the wealth of Smyrna or of Laodicea?

3. When Babylon falls, a symbol of global economic exploitation, who celebrates and who weeps and mourns?

4. In what way does the description of God’s new heavens and earth, a restoration of the shalom of Eden, provide a vision for how we are to demonstrate just living today?

HARDTIME VIRGINIA Fall 2025 Vol. 10, No. 3

An occasional newsletter by and for the incarcerated, Thanksgiving edition.

Voting Rights Restored by Virginia's Last Four Governors

Bob McDonnell (R) 2010–2014  10,000 Made rights restoration automatic for nonviolent felons who completed their sentence and any probation or parole.

Terry McAuliffe (D) 2014–2018  173,000  The Virginia Supreme Court blocked his attempt to issue a blanket order, so he began a streamlined, individualized review process for people who had completed their sentences.

Ralph Northam (D) 2018–2022  126,000  Removed the requirement for felons to complete parole or probation before having their rights restored.

Glenn Youngkin (R) 2022–2026  fewer that 4,000  Ended the automatic restoration process and returned to a case-by-case review, which has significantly slowed the pace of restorations.

Parole Board Grants Zero Releases in September

Of nearly 200 cases reviewed members of the Board were unable to find a single person they felt the VDOC had actually “corrected,” not even among those eligible for geriatric release. They did revoke the parole of four persons, however. Meanwhile, some men at Lawrenceville have come up with a 14-point rating scale that would give the Board a more objective way of making their decisions. Our Valley Justice Coalition has submitted these criteria to our local delegate, who is considering drafting it into a bill to be presented in the General Assembly in January. We’re praying for a positive result, and will keep you posted.

From the Mailbag

Regardless of the circumstances and conflicting emotions of our lives, God wants us to practice gratitude, knowing it will remind us of His love and power and enhance the quality of our lives. To Kingsway Prison and Family Outreach, I express my gratitude: Not only are they supplying me with spiritual guidance in the absence of our prison chaplain, they are assisting me in typing my first publication. Thanks! - Minor Junior Smith (legally blind), Deerfield Correctional Center

I proudly told my interviewer I had been in self-imposed sobriety on 3/3/01. I was floored when he told me my record showed I tested positive for opiates in 2019. It took me two years to finally got it cleared from my file. I had received Narco from Medical for radiation burns from throat cancer treatment.” - Daniel Leneave, Lawrenceville Correctional Center

I know good and respectful men here with over 50 years in prison. A friend of mine, Charles Zellers, had Covid and will have to be on oxygen all his life. Another friend, Minor Smith, is blind. Medical costs are going up, with prisons filled with old people. What could they do to hurt anyone?                            - Kenneth Pack Buckingham Correctional Center

Milestones by Friends on my Mail List

Steve Colosi and Thomas Reed-Bey, earned degrees, Greg Widener was granted parole earlier this year, and sadly, Henry Gorham, Jr., 69, died of cancer at the Greensville Correctional Center on July 10, one day after being denied release for health reasons. He had served 30 years.

A Much Appreciated Get Well Card From Friends at LCC

I was humbled and deeply grateful for a card signed by some good men at Lawrenceville Correctional Center. It arrived on the day before my surgery at UVA, where I had a small malignant tumor and a couple of lymph nodes removed from my neck. Nothing appears to have spread, so thanks for your prayers! 

Dear Harvey Yoder, May God's grace and mercy strengthen you every day. You are in our prayers on behalf of the men here. - David Carmichael

My friend, My prayer for you is that God has already healed you!   -Brother A. Parker

Our thoughts and prayers go out to you in hope of a blessed healing. God bless you! -R. Robinson

Dear Harvey Yoder, May Allah continue to bless you in your struggle, and overcome it. I would like to thank you for your help!  - Muwakki S. B. Shabazzz

ou are in our prayers, Mr. Yoder. Hope you are doing okay and God looks obver you and your family and all of us. Take care, and God bless.  - Tim Rankin

Thanks for your love and work for us! God bless.  -Randy Clark

"When Jesus heard that, he said, 'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of Man might be glorified through it.'" My dear brother and friend, You are always a shining light on my path and a sweet blessing in this journey of life. I pray daily for your healing. Thank you for being that special person in my life. Amen!  - Jonathan White

Mr. Yoder, May God bless you in all all you do on our behalf.  - Darrell Willis

The LORD is with you, mighty man of God. Be encouraged and know he is by your side. - Brother Lopez

You are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for all your labor. By Jesus's stripes you are healed. Be blessed. Carl 😋

"For I will restore health to you, and will heal you of your wounds, says the Lord."

 JEREMIAH 30:17

Praying that the light

of God's presence

will chase away

every shadow of illness.

Wishing You

Health and Happiness!

****************************************

Editor Harvey Yoder co-chairs the Valley Justice Coalition, P.O. Box 434, Harrisonburg, VA 22803. He welcomes letters, and may sometimes quote from them unless you say otherwise.

Untimely Deaths To Mourn On All Souls Day

1  Abel, killed by his brother Cain 

untold numbers perish in Noah's Flood

unknown numbers die in Israelite invasions of Canaan

1000 Philistines killed singlehandedly by Samson 

960 resistance fighters at Masada 73 CE, die by suicide rather than surrender

1 million+ Crusader lives lost over two centuries

2000+ victims of the Spanish Inquisition

2-5000 Anabaptist martyrs in the 16th and 17th century

4 million native North American deaths due to European colonization

15-22 million deaths in World War I

18-50 million victims of flu epidemic of 1918-20

6 million lives lost in the Holocaust

50 million+ casualties of World War II

150-246 thousand deaths from Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings

3 million estimated casualties of the Korean War

1.5 million+ lives lost in Vietnam War

millions are needlessly dying today due to war, famine and disease

O number of people killed by Christians in the first three centuries 

The Lord will mediate between nations

    and will settle international disputes.

They will hammer their swords into plowshares

    and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will no longer fight against nation,

    nor train for war anymore.

Isaiah 2:4 (New Living translation)

Increased Use Of "K-words" Poisons Our Discourse And Threatens Our Future

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill."
Matthew 5:21-22 The Message

Our President:

"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" 

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie (Kirk). I hate my opponent(s) and I don’t want the best for them.”

“I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”

"Restoring the name 'Department of War' will sharpen the focus of this department on our national interests and signal to adversaries America's readiness to wage war to secure its interests."

“I’m not going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war, I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We’re going to kill them, you know, they’re going to be like, dead.”

Our Secretary of Defense:

"We changed the name after World War II from the Department of War to the Department of Defense and … we haven't won a major war since...You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct and don’t necessarily belong always in polite society.”

Note: Some believe renaming the Pentagon as a Department of War is at least calling it what it is, but  author Tim O'Brien goes further, urging that "war" be eliminated from our vocabulary, and replaced with "killing people, including children."

Our Democratic candidate for Attorney General (expressing his hatred for former House Speaker Todd Gilbert in a private 2022 email):

“Three people, two bullets, Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head....  put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time." In a later phone call he added, “It would take Gilbert’s wife holding their dying children in her arms for him to act on gun safety legislation."

Note: The candidate did recently made the following public statement: “I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family. Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”

Examples of recent headlines:

"Gaza ceasefire (?) resumes after airstrikes kill 104"

"U.S. has killed nearly 60 people in strikes on boats."

A counter statement by a Republican senator from Kentucky:

"The Constitution says that when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it... we’ve got no information. I’ve been invited to no briefing...In war there are often lower rules for engagement, and people do sometimes get killed without due process... But the drug war, or the crime war has typically been something we do through law enforcement. And so far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers. No one said their name. No one said what evidence. No one said whether they’re armed. And we’ve had no evidence presented... So, at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings. And this is akin to what China does, to what Iran does with drug dealers. They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public. So, it’s wrong.”

Some other counter statements:

"When Jesus said 'Love your enemies,' I think he meant 'Don’t kill them.'" 

- bumper sticker

“A modest proposal for peace: let the Christians of the world resolve not to kill one another.” 

- Mennonite Central Committee slogan

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”  

- Proverbs 25:21-22, Romans 12: 20 New Living Bible

I Did My Own Research: Here's What I Learned (Satire Alert)

"Don’t be fooled by the 'fake news' in the mainstream media. 

Do your own research if you really want to know the truth.” 

-Abraham Lincoln, as quoted by Pope Leo XIV       

With tongue firmly in cheek, here is the information I've gained from doing my own online research:

1. The earth is flat after all, not a round ball floating in space like I was taught in school. 

https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/home/index.php/blog/einsteins-relativity-proves-earth-flat

2. The Democratic party is mainly catering to "Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals." This comes straight from the President's press secretary, a high-level source.

3. Childhood vaccinations have caused an untold number of deaths, and pregnant women using Tylenol are to blame for a dramatic increase in children with autism. I got this vital information from our nation's Health and Human Services Secretary.

4. Slavery was as much of a blessing as it was an injustice for African Americans, and slavery had little to do with the American Civil War. The Confederacy was only formed to preserve states' rights and to defend the Constitution.

5. Donald Trump clearly got the most votes in the 2020 election, and Biden became president only because of massive voter fraud.

6. The January 6 uprising was largely a peaceful event except for some Antifa and other bad actors who infiltrated the crowd. 

7. Large numbers of those involved in the most recent No Kings Day demonstrations were agitators paid to take part by wealthy people like George Soros and by others who hate America.

8. Most of the political violence in the US in the past decade has been by people on the fringe left who are out to destroy our country.

9. President Biden supported the most massive surge in human sex trafficking in history, and the Clintons operated a child sex ring in a pizza establishment in the District of Columbia for decades. 

10. Climate scientists from all over the world, unlike researchers in other scientific fields, are being bought off by solar and wind power industries to persuade us that global warming is dangerous and is caused by our increased reliance on fossil fuel.

But don't just take my word for any of the above. If you research hard enough you can find all these alternative facts verified on line.