Do you think it is really possible to use Jesus's 'laws' in the real world?
	Jesus summarized the Law as 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.' (Matthew 22:37-40) In doing this, he is quoting the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18). Although he appears to be keeping to the Law, Jesus' instructions in the Sermon on the Mount are really very challenging. They would, if kept to the letter, destroy any secular legal system. If people forgave every offence against themselves, there would be no need for laws, courts or prisons! The Hutterites Is such an approach a real possibility? Few Christians have had the courage to try it out. The most successful are the Hutterites, who share all their possessions and are pacifists. Their only defence against violence, rape and theft is to move their communities; they will not resort to the secular legal system. . The Hutterites began in the 16th century and, after initially flourishing in Moravia, were savagely persecuted. In the 19th century they were reduced to a few dozen people. They have only recently flourished in the relatively benign tolerance of Canada. The Amish communities of America do not hold property in common but share a commitment to non-violence. They are most popularly known through Peter Wier's film Witness. The whole film contrasts the radical Christian values of the Amish community with the violence of the surrounding society. The incident towards the end, where a group of Amish are taunted and react pacifically (only to have Harrison Ford wreck it all with his fists!), provides a good starting point for a discussion of the practicality of strict adherence to Jesus' teachings. If you want to know more about the Hutterites, one of their groups has a website on       http://www.hutterites.org
	The informative Peace Pledge Union site has many resources for use with young people, including lots of biographical information about people, both in this country and abroad, whose commitment to non-violence has put them in conflict with law.       http://www.ppu.org.uk/indexa.html · Pupils could research some of these biographies and turn the court appearance of their subject into a piece of short drama, with roles for the defendant, prosecution, witnesses and judge. · Afterwards, the group could debate the particular case - and whether justice was done!