Matthew 5:39. Jesus rejects revenge/retaliation. The Donald gets off on it. Do you reject or embrace revenge/retaliation? Why?
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1- The image most people have of the main subject of your question, Donald Trump, is not very flattering. The fact that Americans have elected a person with such an image as their supreme leader is not flattering of them.
2- Revenge/retaliation are very natural and extremely strong impulses, especially at the time and soon after the event that arouses the feelings of revenge/retaliation. It is understandable if someone gives in to them in the heat of the moment.
3- However, it is wrong, inexcusable and an act of aggression if the revenge/retaliation is disproportionately large or inappropriate in any way. Prime examples here are Israel, a high tech military power, bombing "in retaliation" Gaza, a densely populated strip of land which has neither a single rusty tank, leaky boat or shaky propeller plane to defend itself with, or the bombings of Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of 9/11 especially when neither country had a hand in the attack on the twin towers.
4- If I am honest I must say that there may be situations where I might fall into the trap of revenge/retaliation, for example, I am shouted at and I immediately and instinctively shout back. I would later always wish I hadn't though, because of several reasons. It's a failure in a way, you have participated in what you regard to be wrong [shouting, for example] and it goes against a good behaviour codes you subscribe to. I like Matthew 5:39 as a behavioural code, but I think it goes too far and is a little unrealistic to expect people to "not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." I prefer HQ 3:134 which describes the God conscious as those "who spend [on good causes] in times of plenty as well as in times of hardship, hold in check their anger, and pardon their fellow-men because God loves those who [strive to] achieve excellence [in behaviour]"
