Do you believe in "an eye for an eye" ? If so, how is this compatible with "love your enemy," "forgive those who hurt you," "turn the other cheek," and so on?
by 
rodschmidt
ANSWERS: 7
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The "eye for eye" comes from the Law of Custom of the Old Testament -- the civil law that ruled the lives of the Jews and not the religious law. (See Leviticus 21:22-35, Leviticus 24:19-21, Deuteronomy 19:11-21) Is this then compatable with "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you..."? Absolutely. Especially since as Christians in this modern time we are not bound by the civil and religious Law of the Jews. A key point to remember -- Jesus taught Compassion and Charity to all people, even those who should be punished by the law for the things they do to others (and yourself).
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Eye for a tooth, that's me! +3
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no, i do not...that was the OT Testament, Moses civilizing the ISRAELITES.....as in the New Testament, you live by the LAWS of the LAND, do the crime you pay the penalty and what the law demands....if your crime is the death penalty , as the theives on the cross, then so be it...Jesus did not rebuke the theif that said 'we deserve what to die, but HE doesn't'..:) but we are supposed to forgive all, not just enemies,never seek revenge, and never keep REMEMBERING (GOD DOESN'T, only satan wants us to keep REMEMBERING, it will eat you up, it makes you want to avenge and doninate)....only a MAN can control himself and walk away, FOOLS can't.....
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Vengeance is Mine says the Lord. Temper vengeance with love. Remember, love your enemies and pray for them. If everyone did that, think of how many would be loving you and praying for you!
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This is a very smart question. An eye for an eye can only support love and forgiveness when you realize that eye for an eye represents how God's universe reacts to our actions, rather than giving us a guide for our own actions. Eye for an eye is NOT a guide for our actions... but is a warning of what will happen to us if we are not loving and forgiving. In other words: If we do not forgive, God will not forgive us... eye for an eye. Can you see how the saying has been turned upside-down? It is not a guide for our actions, but a warning to us if we do not act lovingly.
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An eye for an eye is a form of justice - limited retribution on a similar scale to the offense. It's somewhat like the rule of thumb - an ancient law that permitted a man to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb (which is not, as many believe, biblical). The problem is that the logical conclusion of this kind of justice is the vendetta - when no one can remember who gouged the first eye. The new testament teaching supersedes this paradigm. Revenge may be natural, but it is not a good way to run a society. The wild west has died out (mostly) for a reason. It's a first step on the road to the society we may one day see where the well being of mankind and the individuals comprising it will both be valued. but no, it's a dream. Neither party really values the little people.
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+4 An eye for an eye concerns the consequence of an action or the punishment for it being equal to the action itself. It's a physical thing. . Loving and forgiving your enemy etc are to do with the way that you feel about the person that wronged you. . The fact that you are required to forgive people in your heart does not mean that they should not be punished for the wrongs that they do or the crimes that they commit. If you are attacked in your home and your attacker is eventually caught and by the police, he should still face punishment but you would be required to bear him no hate or ill will in your heart.
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