Bonus: Ethics

[Pastor Ralph]

Bonus question: Jesus commanded his disciples, " Love your enemies" as a rule by which to conduct their lives. Can it (should it) be extended to affairs of the courts or of government?

[Lillie Ammann]

In a Christian nation, that should apply. But loving enemies doesn't mean there are no consequences for their wrongs. God forgives our sins if we repent, but that doesn't take away the consequences. If someone commits murder, the murderer can be loved and his sin forgiven. But that doesn't bring back the dead person, and it doesn't mean that he should not receive appropriate punishment. However, it should be geared to rehabilitation, not retribution. Unfortunately, nations are no longer Christian, so it's not likely God's commands will apply. 

[Krissi]

No.

Jesus' command to love enemies applies only to people.

Enemies are people we know or know of, not institutions or forms of governance. The current government has been purposely depersonalized -- we do not know the names or faces of those who work for it, and if we do, we cannot know what they do. This information is hidden from us. Bureaucrats are purposely shielded from the gaze of ordinary Americans and long ago ceased to "re-present" our desires and points of view. 

I understand what it is to love non-human things. I love my dog. Passionately, in fact. I love modern art, sculpture, great architecture, sunsets, beautiful sentences and phrases, well-formed ideas, etc. I have a friend who loves food so much so that he drools and gets tongue-tied when he talks about grilled meat. This passion is real! It's a form of love. But it's NOT the sort of love that Jesus had in mind when He told us to love our enemies. Again, enemies are people who have harmed us. Actual people. 

I've often wondered what it would be like to be in a war and kill someone I do not know. I can understand why the surviving relatives of that person would hate me, even though I had no idea of the identity of the person I killed. Is anonymous hatred real? I think Jesus' command to love would extend to a war situation, though tentatively.

There used to be an expression that went something like this: love the sinner and hate the sin.  This doesn't make sense to me because sin isn't a little Platonic cloud hovering over us, but is in us. It's constitutive. Sin is part of who we are -- we are forgiven sinners. I can't extract and set aside a sin from a man's character anymore than I can extract the good things. 

Back to war. Most soldiers, historically, have been conscripted or drafted. They did not go to war voluntarily but under extreme duress. There are videos online, now, of Ukrainian soldiers grabbed off the streets, arms hogtied behind their backs, to be forcibly sent to their certain deaths on the frontlines. These unfortunate men and anyone who is coerced to harm/kill others should be placed in a different moral category than those who eagerly sign up to kill, or those who take salaries from governmental agencies instead of finding moral employment in the private sector.

Those who choose to harm others by working for the government are individuals -- actual people with names -- who must be prayed for and, if they confess and repent, forgiven. But the system for which they work ... the government ... the bureaucracy ... is evil, in it's current permutation, and merits our total disdain and hatred. We are morally obligated -- reform or revolt -- to protect others from predation and unfair coercion, and keep them from the clutches of bureaucratic evil. We should be motivated by a hatred of injustice and unbridled power to upend or try to change a system that is raw evil to it's core.

[David H Lyabaya]

The government is an institution but we have individual using principle, wisdom and knowledge to govern. I believe the principle can be applied in the performance of duty in government and judiciary. 

When delivering service to the public you must put the interest of the less fortunate at heart and show compassion to them. While making a ruling in the judiciary must be fair to all parties and show no favoritism  

[hanks]

Jesus commanded His disciples, "Love your enemies" as a rule by which to conduct their lives. Can it (should it) be extended to affairs of the courts or of government? 
I know Jesus expects us to love our enemies, it is actually a command spoken by Jesus Himself in for example Mat 5:44; Luke 6:37; 6:35. This means that we are to do good to those who hate us, who disgrace us, and who want to destroy us. It involves not only loving them but doing good to those who hate us; to speak well of them; to pray for them. This includes those in government or judicial positions. All of this is of course impossible for us to do without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is also only possible for those who give themselves fully to God. It shows that Jesus is Lord of our life. 
 

[Katy]

I think that when the government are dealing with people of different political backgrounds there should be tolerance, respect and some love. But there must also be a firmness that is needed when debating issues. 
When it comes to dealing with criminals tough love needs to be shown, they will have to be punished but it can be done in a firm, loving way rather than a running a harsh, brutal regime. Maybe I am being idealistic when it comes to hardened criminals, but I believe God’s love can break through hardness if given a chance. 

[Clelie]

The judges in the affairs of the courts or of government who deal in the affairs of the world do not use the law of God to render judgements according to Jesus teachings. Believers in Christ show their obedience to Jesus teaching by not prosecuting the offenders but by forgiving them.