Can Violent Militants Change?
Daily we read of Islamic militants (Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, ISIS, etc.), The Lord’s Resistance Army, and suicide bombers using violence to press home their demands. They attack and kill innocent people as they force their decisions and beliefs on them.
School pupils explode in anger and shoot their colleague pupils and teachers.
Islamic militants abduct girls from schools in rural African communities, claiming their religion does not allow females to have education. They rape some of them, impregnating them in the process, and eventually sell them or compel them to marry men the girls do not love.
A loving God does not use hate to make people love Him
“Conquering Without Being Violent” discusses how persuasion convinces people rather than force.
Abraham Lincoln said, we conquer our enemies when we make them our friends.
Jesus told His followers never to use force to make people accept their views. He told His followers to love their enemies; not to hate them.
Topics to discuss on this platform include:
- Engaging people in peaceful dialog
- Disagreeing without being offensive
- Defending without being polemical
You can conquer by persuasion without being violent
Do you get angry easily?
Are you violent in your reactions?
Do you want to form a new loving and patient habit?
Do you want to turn enemies into friends?
Discussions will include:
- Using gentle ways in presenting views.
- Training our angry emotions to calm down in angry situations.
- Helping the brutish husband to learn to listen.
- Helping a disrespectful child to learn to listen and obey.
- Helping the cantankerous wife to learn to listen.
- Helping the opinionated boss to learn listen to other views.
Truth should be able to persuade and draw people to one’s cause
A person who is persuaded to abandon his or her position voluntarily, will see it as his or her own decision; he or she does not feel coerced.
Is there hope for the chronically angry person?
Why do some people get angry easily?
Can the violent person change?
Can the hot-tempered person change?
Can we control our emotions?