Christian Author & Ben and Jerry’s Founder Team Up Against…Military Spending?
- Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:54am by
Billy Hallowell
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Jesus. Bombs. And ice cream. Now that’s an unlikely trio.
Shane Claiborne, a Christian activist and author based in Philadelphia has come together with Ben Cohen, the well-known co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, to raise awareness about what the two see as renegade U.S. federal military spending:
The duo collaborated to launch their “Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream Tour” this past year. After Cohen read Claiborne’s book, “Jesus for President,” he was so enamored with the author that he set out to work with him.
Over the weekend, the two men hosted a Philadelphia speaking event in which they addressed their leftist views on U.S. military spending. During the 90-minute show, they railed against violence, war and imbalanced federal spending. CNN has more:
The evening started off on a somber note with Cohen pouring 10,000 BB gun pellets into a metal container to illustrate the power of the United States’ nuclear arsenal in front of a stunned audience.
“It’s that kind of overkill mentality that drives an out-of-control Pentagon budget,” he said.
Later in the presentation, Cohen used Oreos to represent the scope of federal spending, using one cookie to represent $10 billion of federal spending. In the end, he was attempting to show the audience how money on war and military stacks against the funds allocated for social programs.
During the talk, Claiborne encouraged the audience to “Imagine a world with fewer bombs and more ice cream.” Such a sentiment is certainly attractive, regardless of one’s political leanings. He continued:
“We’re here (tonight) because it’s time to re-think our world and our federal budget.
There’s no better way we can imagine honoring the [9/11] anniversary than by having hope that another world is possible.”
“If we’re going to have fewer bombs and more ice cream,” Cohen said, echoing his call for a utopian world predicated upon sweetness, “we need to shift our budget to what helps people live instead of killing people.”
The event also included Logan Laituri, who has become an outspoken anti-war voice, despite the fact that he’s an Iraq veteran and Terry Rockefeller who lost her sister during the September 11 terror attacks.
CNN dubbed Claiborne and Cohen “an unlikely pairing,” but in reality both individuals have a history of working toward peace (or, as some would contend, working toward more left-leaning ideals when it comes to international engagement and U.S. military policy).
In fact, Cohen once paid a communications firm to assist anti-war protestor Cindy Sheehan with nabbing press attention. Additionally, he founded the left-leaning organization TrueMajority.
Claiborne, too, has a long history of railing against U.S. military operations, especially those being undertaken in Iraq. Back in 2003, he went to the Middle Eastern nation for a “peacekeeping trip” that was rooted in his stance against U.S. military intervention. Claiborne is also a blogger on Jim Wallis’ leftist “God’s Politics” web site. Below, hear him speak about his Iraqi experiences:
Needless to say, Claiborne and Cohen aren’t exactly surprise partners in “crime.” Unlikely friends? Not so much. But a left-leaning, influential powerhouse comprised of a faith leader and a prominent businessman? Certainly.
(h/t CNN)
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Comments (143)
conservative_teacher
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:27amIf we get out of our three unconstitutional wars, there won’t be a need to cut defense spending. This isn’t rocket science. America must maintain a vastly superior military in size, scope, and technology. What we cannot do is continue to be the world’s police. It simply isn’t constitutional to continue to travel down this path.
Report Post »WhatsYerProblem
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:29amWord
Report Post »euragone
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:37amBring the Troops home and Use them to kick Islam out of the United States and Canada…I’ll Agree to that..And your right We need to Stop being a World Police Force…
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:41amIndeed get them home now.
Report Post »Seasoldier
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:52amThe problem is that there are evil people in the world who want to kill us, each and every one of us. The United States is the primary target. Every time we try to forget this fact, history repeats itself and we find ourselves in the middle of a much larger war. In modern times, we have tried to isolate ourselves from the growth of International Communism, from National Socialism, and from Japanese Military Imperialism. In the end, our weakness led to Pearl Harbor, WWII, the Korean War, and the long Cold War. Now, through no fault of our own, we are engaged in a war declared upon us by International Jihadism. We have no choice but to fight. The guns or butter argument offers a false choice. We must defend ourselves in order to remain free. Not guns OR butter, but defense in order to be free to produce butter.
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:54amA wise man prays for peace but prepares for war. America doesn’t need to cut defense we need to quit policing the world and the savings will come automaticly. We need a strong defense not offense.
Report Post »5grandkids
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:22amSo what Ben & Jerry is say if the terrorist were eating Ben & Jerry they would not have attacked the USS, Cole, Colbart Towers, first Twin Tower attack or the second Twin Tower attack, etc. Let’s see what happens if B & J take their ice cream over to the middle east Libya, Iraq, Iran, etc and see how peaceful the middle east becomes. No more B & J for me or family.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:29amMany years a go when I learned B&J ice cream was made by liberals, I refused to buy it…Now when I go shopping I want to turn all their Ice Cream UPSIDE DOWN!!!
Report Post »en2deep
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:12pmCONSERVATIVE_TEACHER, although I may agree that we need to bring the troops home, what’s unconstitutional about the Iraq war? Bush got the votes from congress. Obama did not seek congressional approval, which makes his war unconstitutional.
Report Post »thechristianrepublic.com
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:44pmI agree and disagree with your comment; I certainly don‘t agree with this guy Shane or Ben who promote a liberal agenda and Shane misuses Biblical principles in that cause so he doesn’t deserve a second thought in my mind.
Report Post »I do agree with you that we do need to draw down our forces in all three wars but I’m perplexed why you consider all three unconstitutional. Afghanistan…unconstitutional? I can see why people think Iraq might be although I would disagree with that statement. The only unconstitutional war I see for certain is Lybia which had NO Congressional approval. You say you’re a teacher please educate us.
Disnylv
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:10pmI’m disgusted as usual with bennie and Jerry do not even buy their ice cream
Report Post »boxy
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:20pmThese wars are unconstitutional because this administration is criminalizing anything they don’t agree with, to fuel the fire that is the left. One of the failed examples is Fast and Furious, now we see this stupid and useless wars that are driving military spending up so they can say its ok to cut it now.
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:42pmO.K. make “Chubby Hubby, Not War” is cute, but……….
Report Post »Drives Like Jehu
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:06pmWell, like the old saying, “It is better to fight the islamwackos in Baghdad than in Brooklyn”, but maybe that doesn’t matter to you. (saddam hussein attacked our ally Israel and offered bounties to all terrorists who killed Jews, but that probably doesn’t matter to you either.)
Report Post »godhead
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:27amEven the Jesus Freaks are seeing the light.
Report Post »joe1234
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:24amhe’s a liberal wacko, kind of like you.
Report Post »marjorie faye
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:25amAs opposed to you.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:25amLike any large organization, I am sure that there are plenty of places where there is waste in the Department of Defense. One of the largest, if not the largest problem, are the politicians who get involved in the process. They try to control everything from the purchase of weapons systems to boots. If they have someone in their district or state who produces anything that could be sold to the DOD they try to ram it down the military’s throat, weather they want it or not. There have been numerous occasions where the DOD does not want a weapons systems because of the cost or because they have no use for it but Congress forces them to buy it. This happens for all types of equipment. The end result is that when it comes to cost savings it often takes place by cutting military members and retirees pay and benefits. They are already talking of not only freezing but cutting the pay for active duty and retired military personnel. I think that if I was somewhere getting shot at I might be a bit upset if a politician told me that my pay was going to be cut.
Report Post »Full disclosure, I am retired from the U.S. Army.
godhead
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:34amSo, cutting federal pensions and benefits is a good thing, unless it’s a you thing, then it’s a bad thing. Why don’t you move, become RickFrinWisconsin, I’m sure Gov Walker will take good care of you.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:24amHe will be President. On Judgement Day. Coming soon to a country near you. Are you ready?
Report Post »facts
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:51amJudgement day? It’s coming for these two hocus pocus superstitious killers:
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2011/09/another_faith-healing_case_puts_oregon_city_parents_on_trial.html
Report Post »neverending
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:23amHave spent very little on ben and jerry and guaranteed that amount will go to ZERO from here on out and will make sure every relative and friend do the same.
Report Post »DLG123
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:51amBlue Bell Ice Cream is better tasting evening
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:23amI wish people would stop besmirching the name of Morons. We have a measurable IQ. The Idiots are the real problem as they have no measurable IQ. Most of them are Liberal/Progressive/Communist in their fellings. They aren’t capable of thought.
Report Post »marjorie faye
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:25amActually, Bob, they are capable of thought, but only if it is piped into their brain by their masters.
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:58pm@MARJORIE FAYE
Report Post »Which in your case would be Glenn Beck.
drago
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:22amDisarm American citizens first, then the military, one more way the commie left is trying to distroy this country. Arm yourselves folks, stand together to rid this nation of the caners that are communism, and islam, the time to act is now, or forever lose this nation…
Report Post »NuffSaid
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:20amPoison the ice cream, give it away free to the Muslim countries and picture world peace.
Oh sorry. They can’t get ice cream to hell. Benny and Jerry can get in though.
Report Post »swimmer1940
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:19amI have never spent one cent on any Ben and Jerry’s product, and never will. Personal boycott is the best way to individually protest. That’s why so many newspapers are going belly up. A little boycott her, a little there, and if kept up by enough people, we can rid ourselves of these people’s money supply. Read clothing labels. Made in China? Don’t buy.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:19amDuring the talk, Claiborne encouraged the audience to “Imagine a world with fewer bombs and more ice cream.”
Report Post »—————————————————–
Imagine. Even Lennon turned out to have more sense than this. It‘s too bad he didn’t live long enough to denounce these idiots. Remember when people, who looked like this, were called beatniks?
B&J, can you “imagine” saying this to a group of islamic extremists?
fred
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:18am“Christian activist” … once again, ANYONE can call themselves a Christian.
Report Post »facts
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:14amGlenn can’t Fred. lolol
Report Post »Centralsville
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:17amI really don’t think the left would want Jesus as president. All the moral values we used to have as a nation came from the Bible. Our very form of conservatism came from the Bible. I know they want to take the money from defense spending and use it on failed liberal social programs that trap people in lives of poverty, corruption and self-destruction. Liberals are led by Satan and don’t even know it.
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:03pmHave another hit on that bong and tell me some more stories that you made up.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:17amGood grief. How lame and unrealistic. Grow up!
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:17amWait just a minute…..
Report Post »Michelle said we can’t eat ice cream….
JohnGaltWasRight
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:09amWonder how many Oreos it would take to represent all of the waste and corruption inherent in Big Government spending on progressive’s nanny programs?
Report Post »Rorchach
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:09amThese are the people who do not realize that their freedom to make these ignorant statements, directly relies on the milatary to keep us free from others who would take away those freedoms.
Report Post »Charles
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:09am“Hey mahn. . I have way kewl idea” These old dope heads didn’t do what they needed to do a decade or more back. Stop smoking pot. There are many people who have been smoking weed regularly for decades. It stops the personality from developing. You know the saying “if you‘re not liberal when 18 you have no heart and if you’re not conservative when you’re 30 you have no brain”? You‘re still going to be a liberal when you’re 50 if you’re a dope head. It keeps you from growing up emotionally. Weird stuff pot.
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:05pmYou sounds as if you speak from experience.
Report Post »Patrick Henry
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:06amJesus as President is great! America as a whole could not handle it
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:16am“Christian” author my big hairy…Jesus is not a President…He is THE King! Jackazz…
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:32amThe Word of God says that there should be no course language. No condemnation. No judging of anothers heart.
If you got some soap,apply it to your reply.Yo
Report Post »facts
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:19amTroll Trainer is back from “time out” lololol. You shouldn’t have trolled the Blaze by impersonating other people old man. We hope you learned your lesson, liar.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:31pmWhat time out Beckisnuts under another name? You think they are going to do something about something that happened 4 months ago? Lol, get a life loser.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:35pmYo, truth4all dude,
Give me Scripture! I did not take the Lord’s name in vain and “coarse language” is a subjective thing. In any case, I am just a poor, saved sinner anyway… :-)
Report Post »facts
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:47pmTroll trainer, are still stealing Sweet and Low at those early bird specials or did you give that up?
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:08pm@ 4truth2all:
By bringing JESUS into this, they open themselves up to His commands, and to scriptural standards and expectations.
“It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:32pmYo trolltrainer;
Sorry you took offence….You are NOT a POOR SINNER. If you indeed are a follower of Christ you are a saint ( you WERE a sinner). Do not make excuses, You are a child of the living God, living with His Spirit. You and I are royalty and to act accordingly. Do I sometimes fail….yes, but I do not make excuses for my failure…no. YOU SELL YOURSELF SHORT. Realize who you are in Christ. I did NOT reply in condemnation of you. Course language is not subjective, You want the verse… find it… I give you another one.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness,and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinnful nature…. read to 26 Galatians 5:22-26
I can post bible verses all day, and I could give many on this alone. I choose not to do this.
I apologize if I offended you… it was not given in that spirit.
Yo TH30PH1lUS:
Report Post »I agree with keeping standards. I was not addressing the standards of those in the article. Actually God will judge ALL of us. I wasn’t judging ANYBODY. I was “correcting” as God’s word says we are to do. We are to love our enemies ( difficult as it is) not judge them !
AquaBuddha
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:06amI guess they feel we can defend ourselves with ice cream cones and fairy dust.
Report Post »I don’t buy this overpriced and fat filled crap as it is but certainly never will from this point.
FedUpWithLeft
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:05amThey will never learn because they are what is left of make Peace not war hippys. Don’t you just love these brainless zombies?
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:07pmYou mean the GBTV subscribers? Nah, I could do without them.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:03amThese idiots need to stick to what they know. Smokin weed and being asses. If they would stop for a minute and remember what brought down the Roman empire and then compare it wo what is going on in America today they might have a different opinion. I have never puchased any of their products an nor will I.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:11amImagine a world without MORONS !
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:19am@Detroit Paperboy Please do not speak ill of morons. We have a measurable IQ. Its the idiots that are the problem
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:02amSo I guess they will continue to neglect human nature and the darker side of it for all eternity, eh? Forgetting to take into account that hugs don’t work on militant islamists is typical of the lib mentality (right, Matthew Modine?). I swear, these people shock me with the new levels of stupidity they manage to attain each day.
And it also looks like B&J will no longer be making its (very brief) appearance in my freezer……
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:01amThese are the guys who want you to liken to their Schweddy Balls.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:01amFewer bombs, more ice cream!!!
Fewer bombs, more ice cream!!!
This is what we want….
So then, they seek to gut the military, dispose of the nuclear arsenal (by implication of their BB use in comparison example), and provide more ice cream to the nation instead of a viable defense…
So then, the question to ask is what will they be saying when the next terrorists strike the nation or we fall to the socialist-progressives within due to not having a deterence to keep the enemy at bay; and they have to make their stand…
A. “Ice cream cone Comrad?”
Report Post »B. “Get ya Mao-Red Banner flav’ad a ice-cream Comrads…”
C. “(wheezing, 800 lb overweight) Their instructions in boot camp said nothing about having to run for our lives while they use us to train the dogs…”
Jenny Lind
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:57amOh my gosh, the la-la land inhabitants, just makes me want to scream and pull some hair. When will they ever learn?
Report Post »rockstone
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:17amWhen their heads are rolling around on the ground, victims of the jihad.
While Mohamad samples the Cherry Garcia.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:27amPersonally, I think he would prefer the Half-Baked……
Report Post »