First, there is an overall attitude about violence in the Bible, that it is bad, it is not of God, and it brings about condemnation and judgment from God.

Gen 6:13 Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth." NASU

Prov 3:31 Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways. NASU

Ezek 28:16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence,

and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. NIV

Malachi 2:16 "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith." NIV

This overall attitude is reflected even in the way God contrasted David with Christ.

1 Chronicles 28:3 But God said to me, `You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.' NIV

Isa 53:9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. NIV

Coupled with this Biblical perspective that violence is a bad thing, and inconsistent with the character of a godly person (note 1 Tim 3:3, Titus 1:7 for example), there is also the way the Bible itself handles violence in its records of wicked behavior.

The Bible deals with many violent acts, and yet it is almost never graphic or explicit even in its descriptions of violence. Alena asked specifically about the Lord's Supper and the crucifixion, and I wanted to reread the accounts in all four gospels and Paul's account of the origin of the Supper before commenting. None of the gospels nor Paul's account talk about dwelling on the crucifixion or details of it during the supper. In fact, none of the gospels offer more than matter-of-fact descriptions of the events surrounding the crucifixion. I've heard and read graphic descriptions of crucifixion, but they aren't from the Biblical accounts at all. We could read lurid detail about the blood and gore, but we won't read it in the Bible. The account there is very bald indeed. I've heard graphic descriptions of flogging, but the Bible just says Jesus was flogged. I've read graphic descriptions of the nails being driven into the victims limbs, but the Bible doesn't describe that at all (the only references to nails are very succint in John 20:25, Acts 2:23, Col. 2:14). There was every opportunity for vivid descriptions of the violence inflicted on Jesus, and plenty of examples of ancient authors delivering graphic descriptions of violence and brutality, but such descriptions are absent from the text of the Bible, and we may do a disservice to the intent of the memorial when we dwell on the brutality that is presented so succinctly and nongratuitously in the scripture.

What is true of the descriptions of the crucifixion is true of the references to violence all through the scriptures. We have records of rape occurring, but no graphic descriptions of rape. Records of murder and adultery without graphic or provocative depictions of the scenes and circumstances.

I suppose that the most vicious description of a crime in the Bible is that of the rape/murder/dismemberment of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19:25-30. It is a heinous event, but the description of it, while factual, is not prurient, does not highlight or dwell on the gore, and lacks any of the desensitizing elements of the graphic violence in our entertainment media. The rapes of Tamar and Dinah (2 Samuel 13:11-19, Genesis 34:1-2) are presented as repugnant, and yet the way they are presented could be filmed in a movie that would easily play uncut on into plowshares. Christians should not train for war anymore.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. NIV

James 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. NIV