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apostate
I will try and simplify this for you Josh by replacing the word "thief" with "adulterer" in the hope that it may trigger some memory you have of how Jesus dealt with a person viewed as committing a crime. (I hope you do not mind me taking such a liberty with your words)
I don't mind at all. You do make a good point with this. Something for me to consider.
What I keep coming back to is what I mentioned above about what a 98% Christian country would be like. Could a society really function in the real world always turning the other cheek? I grant you the point that to follows Jesus's example would be to always turn the other cheek, but do you think this would work on a large scale? The question's not rhetorical. It seems to lack faith in Christ to say that it wouldn't work for everyone to always turn the other cheek, but it seems go against common sense to say that it would.
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apostate
So Josh, please tell us what the "best way" is.
I don't know what would be the "best way". How do we define best? The way that most matches Jesus's example, or the way we think might best reform the theif? If we choose Jesus's example which example should we choose? The one where he let the adulteress go free or the one where he died on the cross as a substitute for our sins?
I have no idea the best way to reform a thief, I also am not really sold on the idea of Christians taking substitute punishment onto themselves (even though I defend the right of the JCs to believe differently), and if I'm 100% honest I seem to lack the faith to be sold out to letting people get away with their crimes.
I've always thought the idea of a shun seemed like a good one. I think the Amish use it. Whether it works or not who knows, whether it's the best way I have no idea. I just thought it sounded interesting so if I ever find myself in charge of some comunity maybe we'll try out shuns.
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apostate
Defend the use of the whip.
I've been defending the use of a whip. Not as the best way, not as the way I would choose, but as within everyones rights to offer up as a deal to avoid criminal charges and as an object lesson for a point the JCs wanted to get across.
So how do you think the best way to handle this situation would have been? Do you think your answer is something that could be applied to all situations? It'd be nice to say we'd always forgive and ask for nothing in return, if some of you really operate that way I'm impressed.