Dr. Michael Brown Asks

[Hank77]

Regardless of what happened generations ago, Christians of today know that doing certain things in certain places equals a death wish. They definitely are picking a fight.

Can you give an example of Christians living in their home country, who were picking a fight when they were put to death?

 

[Nihilist Virus]

Can you give an example of Christians living in their home country, who were picking a fight when they were put to death?

Shouldn't be hard to find. Christians love to share persecution stories.

But if your point is that Islam is by far a worse religion, you needn't bother. We're already in agreement on that one, like I said.

 

[brinny]

Generally, we are not to be passive in the face of evil. The only time Christ submitted to abuse was when it served a higher purpose to do so. The best example of that is the Cross. But you can see in His ministry plenty of times when He really gave it to the Pharisees and obstinate Jews, such as Mt. 23 and John 6, or when He forcibly drove out the merchants in the Temple.

It's the same with us. We are not punching bags, at least not normally. The question is really whether the Sermon on the Mount should be taken as law written in stone, or whether it is meant to be applied in spirit. I think if you turn the other cheek every time, you quickly end up pretty badly. I see neither Jesus or Paul doing that. There's a line somewhere where being nice to an evildoer becomes a denial of truth, and that is definitely not what God wants.

Indeed.

Amen, Paul.

 

[Chriliman]

Generally, we are not to be passive in the face of evil. The only time Christ submitted to abuse was when it served a higher purpose to do so. The best example of that is the Cross. But you can see in His ministry plenty of times when He really gave it to the Pharisees and obstinate Jews, such as Mt. 23 and John 6, or when He forcibly drove out the merchants in the Temple.

It's the same with us. We are not punching bags, at least not normally. The question is really whether the Sermon on the Mount should be taken as law written in stone, or whether it is meant to be applied in spirit. I think if you turn the other cheek every time, you quickly end up pretty badly. I see neither Jesus or Paul doing that. There's a line somewhere where being nice to an evildoer becomes a denial of truth, and that is definitely not what God wants.

It really comes down to how we go about overcoming evil with good. I think it’s hard to know the right thing to do in any life threatening situation until you’re actually experiencing it, it then may become clear. Sometimes the answer is to fight, sometimes it’s to accept death because you know God will raise you up again.