“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Sage note to self, especially when commuting by bike!
Bingo!
Did I just get lumped in with tax collectors and evil people? Being pagan frees me up to worship things like bicycling and the inherent good it brings out of people.
Otherwise, that’s some admirable philosophy.
Evil pure and simple by way of the Eighth Dimension!
Sorry for the archaic language; I was going to redact that part, but I think most of us get the point that ‘pagans’ can be translated as “people who aren’t like me.”
No worries, Fritz. I know you’re a Sermon on the Mount kind of guy. That automatically earns you the benefit of any doubt. If only Pat Robertson could find such enlightenment.