Posted by jonvon on June 12, 2002 at 11:31:06:
In Reply to: Re: In memory posted by k@ on June 11, 2002 at 21:27:49:
this is a question that i actually am not too sure about. on the one hand i know from personal experience what it is like to be the victim of a crime. something like this would create an anger inside a person that i think would be magnified many times over what i experienced. the anger that people feel when victimized is a real thing. it is built into us, when bad things happen to us that we didn't deserve to happen and that were intentionally caused by another person or persons there is a voice in us that speaks up. the entire experience has a quality about it. you have to listen to that voice because it is in you, more than just in your head. your whole body feels it.
on the other hand i know that "revenge is the lord's" and so forth. i think that a person who can transcend their pain, anger and loss through forgiveness and turn it over to God has come a very very long way, especially in a situation like this. so, yeah kat i think you have a valid point. i think on a personal level it is very difficult to achieve this but with grace, not impossible.
on a societal level i think that a group of armed kidnapping bandits ought to be dealt with in a manner that stops them from doing it any more, whatever it takes. these guys have machine guns and speedboats, they are fairly well funded. and they get their money from kidnapping and extortion. how do you deal with a group like that, hiding in the jungle and protecting themselves with automatic weapons? the only way that seems feasible is to send in the military. shoot them, haul the rest off to prison. i mean, what else can you do?
: Well, of course I want to see these wicked people tried and hung, but doesn't Jesus also tell us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
: In no way do I tolerate what these people did, I just point out that Jesus died for them also and we are instructed to pray for them. Hatred never solved anything. Easy for me to say, my Dad wasn't killed because of a bunch of greedy Muslim extremists, my mother wasn't kidnapped and starved. However, my hatred won't help their family one bit.
: That being said, let the bastards die!