Philosophy Now Forum

Christian Church
The established churches have always been mindful of their own assumed authority. It colours the way they portray the ‘Christian’ ethic as being based on outright obedience to an emporer ‘God’. An ethic that plays into the hands of bigots and well known extremists, past and present.
Jesus of Nazareth was belatedly reported, and what is recorded must be incomplete, inadequate, and often out of context. But the overall impression is of an ethic that is not based on the rule book, but on understanding and values. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and called on them to serve each other. If Jesus had not been living in an extreme authoritarian Roman and Jewish society, he might have tried to reform the institutions of society. As it is all he could appeal to was the individual. He may have mistakenly supposed the world was coming to an end, and also taken altruism beyond its limits, but then he praised the dutiful soldier which tells against his believing in extreme pacifism.

"vengeance is mine"...

-Imp

RWStanding wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 7:13 am If Jesus had not been living in an extreme authoritarian Roman and Jewish society, he might have tried to reform the institutions of society.

Not likely.

Actually, He was repeatedly offered this option (Luke 9:20-22, Acts 1:6) -- and some even tried to compel Him by force (John 6:15) to do it -- and he declined it (John 18:36) every time. His concern was not social justice but the hearts of individuals. He was a thoroughly apolitical figure.

he praised the dutiful soldier

Did not happen. But even if we start to imagine that it had, it would not have been bad to do it, had He done it.

In ancient society, soldiers were security officers, lawmakers and peacekeepers in certain situations (for police forces had not been invented), not merely aggressors or conquerors. A dutiful peacekeeper or justice officer would be an excellent thing.

You'd have to show that he praised soldiers for beating up or hurting people...which, of course, He never did. But I don't think you even have a reference for your claim, so that's a moot point either way.

What is the question here?

PeteJ wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:36 am What is the question here?

I think you just asked it.