What do you think Jesus thought about wars, self defense & the death penalty?

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.

The Messiah agreed with those things.

D1

Jesus will come again as a warrior.

God " trained" David as a warrior.

Do your own reading and homework.

@@@sarah kegan

WHERE does the Bible say, " spare the rod, spoil the child"? It is NOT there. It was the author Mark Twain who paraprashed the writing............" withhold not the rod of correction".........

I issue you a friendly challenge! Show us!

The opposite that modern Christians would say about such things.

Jesus IS God in Flesh.......God never changed........the ENTIRE Bible tells you His Truths .

If someone is robbing me cause they are in need, I would let them have it, BUT if they were coming at me with a gun to harm my family or just because they can, that's a different aspect and I would defend myself and especially my family...BUT However I pray always that God Protects me and my family and I also Pray I never have to be put in a situation where I would have to decide to take a life to save my families, ...I will Trust the Lord and His protection, not my own .

And seeing again How Jesus IS God....He has used man and wars across this world to gain access to countries that were oppressed and was not allowed to have His word, He used wars to establish this Nation of the U.S. HE told Israel to go utterly destroy all their enemies and do not spare nor take anything of theirs...... again God has not changed...BUt we live in a society where at times War is the Only way to oust dictators who kill their people for no reason, and it takes destroying those with that mindset to end it......that's How it is....and I applaud our soldiers who give their life to keep our country free and to free others from that oppression.

WE see today in our society where people would rather close blind eyes to truth and freedom and teach tolerance of all when that's NOT what the Bible teaches nor Jesus who is that Living Word.......

its sad they will allow all sorts of sorted beliefs to come in and then take over and yet want to deny the Name of Jesus and demand it not be taught in our public square....and that is what WE should be fighting for that Freedom that our soldiers down through History fought for us to have and maintain.....yet now they are deemed evil because of what they stood for and what they did and are doing......It's sickening to be honest.....This Nation like it or not fought to have THAT FREEDOM....to worship the True God of the Bible....not every whim and or vain imagination of men....even our laws followed the Bible and its principles, it was our First law book, text book etc etc etc.....yet still people refuse to read real history and to hold to the Foundation that established us.....and as it all boiled down to one thing "IN GOD WE TRUST " ...but now they will trust anything or anyone rather then God !!!

Jesus had everything on His mind when He died on the cross for us.

He did not want one of us to have to go to hell which is clearly worse then any war, or terrorist plot, or gangland violence.

Jesus did it all for us now how many will give their All for Jesus?

Well, it supports hitting children with belts, because it says "spare the rod, spoil the child." Remember to beat your children today! -Focus on the Family.

Edit: Proverbs It is clearly in the bible