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Jesus, bombs and ice cream
Christian activist Shane Claiborne teamed up with Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, for a presentation on militarism and ice cream.
September 11th, 2011
01:26 PM ET

Jesus, bombs and ice cream

By Sarah Hoye, CNN

Philadelphia (CNN) - An unlikely pairing took to the stage Saturday in front of a sold out audience at World Café Live to promote peace and ice cream.
 
Philadelphia-based Christian author and activist Shane Claiborne partnered with Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, to raise public awareness about federal military spending.
 
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.
 
Cohen later used Oreos - with each one representing $10 billion of federal spending – to show how the money stacks up compared to social programs.
 
Cohen had read Claiborne’s book, “Jesus for President,” and thought the author was “on to something.”

The two were later introduced and planed the "Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream Tour" over the past year.

“Imagine a world with fewer bombs and more ice cream,” Claiborne said. “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 anniversary than by having hope that another world is possible,” he said.
 
The duo hosted the 90-minute variety show critiquing military spending, violence and war. It included Iraq veteran-turned-activist Logan Laituri, and Terry Rockefeller, who lost her sister during the September 11 attacks.

“There can be no war on terror. War is terror,” said Rockefeller who has traveled to the Middle East as part of the anti-war group September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. 

Artist and welder Josh Seitzer transformed a non-firing AK-47 into a potato pitchfork during Saturday

The event was peppered with musical performances by Philadelphia-based Christian rockers the Psalters and Nashville singer-songwriter John Francis. 
 
Things grew lighter by the end of the evening, when the hosts asked audience members to fight for a more peaceful world before the comical anti-violence juggling act by world champion juggler Josh Horton left them laughing.

Cohen lay on the stage while Horton juggled large knives above him.
 
And of course, there was ice cream, courtesy of Ben and Jerry’s.
 
“If we’re going to have fewer bombs and more ice cream, we need to shift our budget to what helps people live instead of killing people,” Cohen said.

 - CNN Belief Blog

Filed under: 9/11 • Christianity
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soundoff (279 Responses)
  1. The Obama Christian Church Worldwide Campaign

    This is the reason why we worship and praise our good christian president Obama and that Obama will be Lord of the world on October 21st of this year. We need to use Obama to restore the traditional dictates of our good Word Of God or the Bible. The Obama Administration will help us christians restore the good morals of christianity which is good. We need to learn the gospels of Obama and Christ to restore the good morals of the world.

    April 18, 2012 at 3:09 pm |
  2. Michael Teston

    Yes, as a follower of Jesus, in the crucible of life and living as well as death and dying, there only appears to be a couple ways to make one's way through this life. One is the Jesus way the other, those who have the "biggest guns" win, but we know, only for a season. Because has history has shown us, those with the "biggest guns" always changes. I'll go for some of that ice cream in a cup, thanks.

    September 16, 2011 at 4:34 pm |
  3. Chuck

    I'm always proud to be Athiest when I see people like this. People that don't know how battles are fought and wars are won. If icecream could stop terrorism, I'd be the first one sending it to them. But wishes and faith can't stop violent people from carrying out violent acts. These are the same people that when Sadam was boiling people alive cried out for justice. Then when we went and enable the Iraqi people to enact justice, cried that we shouldn't have been there.

    September 14, 2011 at 1:16 pm |
    • Richard S Kaiser

      @ Chuck,,,,"I'm always proud to be Athiest"

      Being "proud to be an atheist" and showing all your moral compass regarding atheism is where one should be at. What Chuck is your moral compass and why?

      My "moral compass" lays firmly upon New Testament writings regarding what the Lord Christ Jesus is reportedly to have spoken of.

      What grounds regarding your atheistic moral compass are you laying upon? Could such moral grounds be of ancient times before and during that of Biblical grounding? Shall we as a so-called modernistic society bring upon ourselves paganistic and hedonistic and barbaric s.e.x.ual.isms that were once long ago practiced before the Bible was even born?

      Yes, let's bring back such hedonisms and lay waste to the sanctifications of modern day marriage practices set forth since the birthing of the Gospel teachings. Let's destroy altogether that which the U.S.A. has made manifest since before its' inception! Yea right!

      September 14, 2011 at 1:35 pm |
    • johnborg

      The idea of "ice cream" is symbolic. That's my problem with modern atheism, most of you are so damn literal. Also, our "war" approach to solving terrorism and humanitarian problems isn't working. If anything it is encouraging terrorism. The capitalist world-economy is destroying places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Can we blame them for becoming radicalized? Hell, even if I played the "literal" game, ice cream would probably work better than bombs.

      September 22, 2011 at 10:03 pm |
  4. Leslie

    I used to think about "proof" for faith. Now I know you either have it or you don't. I woke up one night and relized I've had it all my life.
    Some people that don't get very bitter and resentful. They can't stand the thought that someone can accept faith and not need proof. They are always trying to belittle and hurt believers. I think they should do deep self searching and see why. There is nothing more personal.

    September 14, 2011 at 12:16 pm |
    • Richard S Kaiser

      @ Leslie,,,,, The depths of meditation regarding atheists are so shallow, they need to imbibe that which others tell them to digest and regurgitate. Their flowing waters is likened to a stream that just trickles and is dried up only feet from its' source. One who feeds from such streams will not venture far from it fearing they may lose their bearings and become lost in the wastelands around such shallowed streamings cannot feed and bring life to such baren wastelands.

      September 14, 2011 at 1:51 pm |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.
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