magisticus wrote:VDZ wrote:
Christians aren't necessarily right-wing (though particularly in the US those are the most vocal). In fact, Jesus's teachings go directly against things like colonial exploitation and proactively going out and murdering those you disagree with.
I'm gonna go with this being wrong:
34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
37 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:34
I guess the way threads flower and develop in this forum is another good argument to announce the new world later...
None of that tells you to kill people or mistreat them. (Note that He tells you to take up your cross; that means
you suffer, He's not telling you to attack others.) Only that adherence to Jesus's teachings will make you many enemies, and the situation there described does frequently happen for converts from other religions (e.g. Christians from Muslim families getting excommunicated and shunned by their own families) and was especially relevant to early Christians in the time Christianity was only a Jewish sect; they were persecuted and often killed, and Jesus himself was executed for blasphemy. But He never told His followers to harm their enemies, and in fact told us to pray for our enemies:
Matthew 5:44-46 wrote:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Even as He was being executed, He prayed for forgiveness for his enemies:
Luke 23:34a wrote:Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Instead, Jesus commands you to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31) and even if someone attempts to harm you, do not retaliate in kind:
Luke 6:27-36 wrote:27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Regarding colonialism and racism, God already gave this commandment back in Exodus, at a time where it was normal among other nations to treat foreigners as slaves:
Exodus 22:21 wrote:Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
Furthermore, even
if someone were truly wicked and if they absolutely deserved to die (something we humans cannot be the judge of in individual situations, let alone for whole groups), even then God does not want them to die if at all possible:
Ezekiel 18:32 wrote:For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
by Zampfeo » Tue Mar 30, 2021 8:26 pm 
