Some ancients said that you could kill someone if they killed one of yours. If someone pokes out your eye; you can poke out their's. This was spoken into a culture where if you killed one family member, we'll kill your whole village.
Jesus said that instead, you can turn the other cheek. He must have known what Gandhi knew: in a world of eye for an eye, you have a world of blind people.
What else was there to do? Saddam was on his way to becoming the next Adolf Hitler, killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens using chemicals, and imprisoning and torturing others without reason. Journalists were tortured, and POWs were interrogated, tortured, even killed on TV under his rule. Is that not "disturbing, grotesque"? The former dictator was obviously acquainted with "premediated conspiracy."
Hussein had escaped from prison before, so obviously that couldn't be counted on to keep him from committing more gross crimes. In his trial he constantly showed defiance and made threats, showing that he hadn't changed any so he could be shown grace. God never extends grace to the unrepentant (like Saddam), and when Jesus said to turn the other cheek, he was talking about personal, day-to-day affairs, not about international political affairs.
One person's disturbing and grotesque behavior hardly diminishes the grotesqueness and disturbing nature of another. Choosing between the lesser of evils might be an argument of note.
Didn't raise the dead.
The whole deal about grace is that it is not earned. It is only extended to those who do not and cannot earn it. Grace that is earned is not grace.
Not sure why Jesus' comments about about turning the other cheek and going the extra mile spoken into a historical and cultural context of a Roman empire occupying Palestine would apply to personal day-to-day affairs and well beyond into the political and international situation there. When you are there, it is always personal and political.
What is it about the Saddam thing that is international? It was an Iraqi court, Iraqi defendant, and Iraqi execution.
Good thoughts, all. From my perspective, I was more commenting on the very basic idea that his execution had become such a spectacle, that so many people anticipated with such joy, and some with disgust for the man to be hanged on television. Setting politics and the murky details that shape the story of Saddam's reign as dictator aside, I found myself moved by it, that's all.
It's not a popular position to defend, but I strongly disagree with the death penalty to begin with, despite that around two thirds or more of our country, depending upon whom you ask, believe the death penalty is just.
I get demoralized by the lack of sensitivity to violence that Saddam's execution undoubtably bolsters.
It is a huge leap to compare Saddam Hussein as any sort of global threat the way Adolf Hitler was. People forget that there were unvalidated claims about Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. Not only were there no chemical weapons (according to Hans Blix, Richard Clark, Joseph Wilson, and others who risked political blacklisting) but his government was one of the most secular (a very important trait of our own government) of all in the Middle East, not a popular one for terrorism.
What I meant was that Jesus wasn't talking to rulers about how they deal with other countries, or with criminals, but to the people--rulers wouldn't have to carry a Roman soldier's bag a mile very often.
According to this the deed is done. Hopefully, this will not prove the adage that violence begets more violence.
ReplyDeleteSome ancients said that you could kill someone if they killed one of yours. If someone pokes out your eye; you can poke out their's. This was spoken into a culture where if you killed one family member, we'll kill your whole village.
ReplyDeleteJesus said that instead, you can turn the other cheek. He must have known what Gandhi knew: in a world of eye for an eye, you have a world of blind people.
What else was there to do? Saddam was on his way to becoming the next Adolf Hitler, killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens using chemicals, and imprisoning and torturing others without reason. Journalists were tortured, and POWs were interrogated, tortured, even killed on TV under his rule. Is that not "disturbing, grotesque"? The former dictator was obviously acquainted with "premediated conspiracy."
ReplyDeleteHussein had escaped from prison before, so obviously that couldn't be counted on to keep him from committing more gross crimes. In his trial he constantly showed defiance and made threats, showing that he hadn't changed any so he could be shown grace. God never extends grace to the unrepentant (like Saddam), and when Jesus said to turn the other cheek, he was talking about personal, day-to-day affairs, not about international political affairs.
Interesting ideas, Daniel.
ReplyDeleteOne person's disturbing and grotesque behavior hardly diminishes the grotesqueness and disturbing nature of another. Choosing between the lesser of evils might be an argument of note.
Didn't raise the dead.
The whole deal about grace is that it is not earned. It is only extended to those who do not and cannot earn it. Grace that is earned is not grace.
Not sure why Jesus' comments about about turning the other cheek and going the extra mile spoken into a historical and cultural context of a Roman empire occupying Palestine would apply to personal day-to-day affairs and well beyond into the political and international situation there. When you are there, it is always personal and political.
What is it about the Saddam thing that is international? It was an Iraqi court, Iraqi defendant, and Iraqi execution.
Good thoughts, all. From my perspective, I was more commenting on the very basic idea that his execution had become such a spectacle, that so many people anticipated with such joy, and some with disgust for the man to be hanged on television. Setting politics and the murky details that shape the story of Saddam's reign as dictator aside, I found myself moved by it, that's all.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a popular position to defend, but I strongly disagree with the death penalty to begin with, despite that around two thirds or more of our country, depending upon whom you ask, believe the death penalty is just.
I get demoralized by the lack of sensitivity to violence that Saddam's execution undoubtably bolsters.
It is a huge leap to compare Saddam Hussein as any sort of global threat the way Adolf Hitler was. People forget that there were unvalidated claims about Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. Not only were there no chemical weapons (according to Hans Blix, Richard Clark, Joseph Wilson, and others who risked political blacklisting) but his government was one of the most secular (a very important trait of our own government) of all in the Middle East, not a popular one for terrorism.
What I meant was that Jesus wasn't talking to rulers about how they deal with other countries, or with criminals, but to the people--rulers wouldn't have to carry a Roman soldier's bag a mile very often.
ReplyDelete