• FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Turning the other cheek isn’t incompatible with eye-for-an-eye.

    The principle behind eye for an eye justice is that the sentence must fit the crime, instead of brutally excessive. Like cutting off people’s hand for stealing a loaf of bread.

    Turning the other cheek doesn’t negate the law, it forgives the consequences of that law. It says “hey, I see you’re starving, here’s a second loaf.”

    Incidentally, a man who is starving and the merchant not giving him bread was murder. But details.

    Another way of saying it, is that Jesus simplified the law. Because they were too dumb to follow the first ten, Christ gave a simpler set of two:

    Love god. Love your neighbor.

    This doesn’t negate the 10, but encompasses them.

    Edit: to the point about slavery, exodus 21… all sorts of beautiful laws. Like, Hebrew women who are slaves don’t get to go free in the sixth year… and clearly being okay with dudes selling their daughters into slavery.