Great Lines

From time to time I hear quotes that I find interesting. I thought I'd include a few of them here... I didn't do much research or checking, so I can't tell you that these quotes are extremely accurate. Please, correct any errors or comment about any quotes that pique your interest.

"Only the dead have seen the end of war" - Plato. This line is quoted at the beginning of the movie Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis. I love Bruce Willis, and I love war movies (except Hart's War). I won't go into the details of the movie except to say that the internal battle between Bruce Willis' conscience and his instinct to follow orders is as thrilling as the battle between the Navy Seals he commands and the Nigerian rebel soldiers intent on genocide.
The quote itself is pretty self explanatory (which is what makes it a good quote). I don't want to get into an argument about heaven and hell, but this quote seems to indicate that death - and subsequent existence in the heaven of your own god - is the only escape from war. Living in this plane inherently begets war; whether that war is between the north and the south, the Sunni's and the Shiites, the Indians and Pakistanis, the religious right and the ACLU, Dave and HAL, or man and nature.

"He died to make men holy; let us die to make men free." - The Battle Hymn of the Republic. I've always loved this line from The Battle Hymn. It recognizes two distinct and important roles in the world. It's obvious reference to Jesus alludes to his role as God incarnate and his death on the cross - which was the ultimate atonement of a sinless man for a guilty man-kind. He allowed all of us to be free from the law, and free for the law. The second part of the line refers to man's duty - specifically American patriots - to fight and die for the flag, the republic, and the freedom that we hold so dear. I love the contrast. We can't atone for our sins in death - only Jesus can do that - but a soldier's death can be in service of other men; and that's all Jesus asked us to do anyway (see Matthew 25:40).

I hope to have more quotes for you in the future. I try to carry a journal, so any quotes I hear I'll begin to write down and reflect on them here. Again, please, don't hesitate to comment with agreement, rebuttal, or your own reflections about quotes that make you think (though, don't be angry if it takes a day or two for me to moderate the comments so other's can read them).