What do you think Jesus thought about wars, self defense & the death penalty?
Hello.. :o)
Please show me scripture in the "New Testament" to support your answer.. :o)
What does Jesus say about self defense?
Example: If someone came up to you and threatened you with a gun etc.
What does the "New Testament" say about Wars?
What did Jesus say about killing?
In Jesus Most Precious Name.. With Love..In Christ.. :o)
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2011-04-07T19:28:22Z
((((((( Sarah ))))))) The rod is God Word.. :o)
Jesus said suffer not the little children come unto Me..For such is the Kingdom of Heaven.. :o)
2011-04-07T19:38:20Z
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2011-04-07T19:40:24Z
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Truthteller2011-04-07T19:36:19Z
Favorite Answer
1. wars: My kingdom is not of this world, if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight. 2. self defense: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 3. death penalty: Is it right to save life or to destroy it?
I'm not as well versed on the other topics, but I have done research on what The Bible says regarding the death penalty.
Like most topics, you can find Biblical support for either side if you look hard enough. As Shakespeare once wrote, “the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
There are indeed many passages in the Old Testament that support capital punishment, often for relatively mild offenses:
- Adultery (Leviticus 20:10) - Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16) - Working on Sunday (Exodus 31:14 & 15) - Disobedient children (Exodus 21:15 & 17; Leviticus 20:9) - Homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13) - Failing to control your livestock (Exodus 21:29) - Not being a virgin on your wedding night (but only if you're a woman - Deuteronomy 22:20-21)
The New Testament (starring Jesus) is primarily ANTI-death penalty. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus praises mercy (Matthew 5:7) and rejects “an eye for an eye” (Matthew 5:38-39). James 4:12 says that GOD is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. Romans 12:17-21 warns us against answering evil with evil, and assures us that God will see to justice in the afterlife. In John 8:7, Jesus points out that all humans are imperfect, and therefore unqualified to decide whether someone lives or dies. My personal favorite is James 1:20: “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
There are many, many practical problems with capital punishment (that I won't get into here), but purely from a moral standpoint, it is pretty clear that Jesus did not support it. True CHRISTians shouldn’t, either.
Jesus only came the first to to pay the penalty of sin. The second time he comes will be to end all evil forever. He hates it!! That is why he is going to end it.
Each situation is different and he will ask different things for different people. It's the matter of what the holy spirit tells the individual to do.
Self defense: Matthew 5:39 this isn't telling you to let someone hit you on the other cheek too. Actually hitting someone of the right cheek is an expression that your inferior, but to hit someone on the left cheek is where you hit someone who is your equal. It's just some kind of wise response to the situation
this explains it better
What does the lesson of turning the other cheek mean? First, Jesus didn't say 'lie down and get walked on' or 'run away' or 'lie your way into pleasing the guy that hit you' or 'lick the guy's boot'. He said to turn the other cheek. Now, why?
Let's add a little history. In Jesus' time, the left hand was unclean, used for things that toilet paper is used for today, it wasn't used for much of anything else, if it could be helped. Therefore, in order for someone to have gotten hit on the right cheek by someone facing them, the striker would have had to have used the back of the hand.
A back of the hand blow was a blow that signified the punishment of a child, a woman, or a slave, all of which, in that era and time, were second class citizens. Lower than the lowest man of that time. To be hit that way implied an insult, a degradation.
To turn the other cheek, then, was an implied demand for acknowlegement of equalness. To get hit on the left cheek with the right hand required, first, that the striker acknowledge the striken as something that wasn't of a lower class, wasn't dirt beneath his heels but a real man. Second, it does imply that one shouldn't return bad for bad, violence for violence.
In many ways, it's a lesson of assertiveness versus agressiveness. It is not a lesson that advocates passivity in the face of abuse. Protect your own rights and priviledges without destroying anothers. It's a good balance, too many people can be badly agressive, destroying other people's peace, property or rights in the pursuit of their own. That's wrong. Assertiveness is the protection of your own without hurting anyone else.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil. Luke 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not [to take thy] coat also. Luke 21:9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end [is] not by and by. God has always used war as means of fulfilling his plan even though it is wrong to take lives but it was necessary. Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Romans 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Romans 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Jesus is against taking a life in a meaningless way that has no purpose yet war is fought and lives are taken for a purpose either for freedom or a new government. That is what I read and understand what God is allowing man and not allowing other things that are sin in nature.
The Bible is very clear about self defense and defending one's family. It also speaks of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," so the death penalty is definitely appropriate when someone purposely takes a life.