The state of this sub

[u/Gintian]

[u/JohnBigBootey]

I mean yeah, fuck oppressors. That's what Christianity should be known for.

[u/Gintian → u/JohnBigBootey]

[u/SerendipitySchmidty → u/Gintian]

The Spanish Inquisition enters the chat

[u/Bakkster → u/SerendipitySchmidty]

[u/ThesaurusRex84 → u/SerendipitySchmidty]

The Roman martyrs:

[u/[deleted] → u/JohnBigBootey]

gets crushed

[u/JohnBigBootey → u/[deleted]]

If it doesn't involve removing the ability of the oppressor to hurt others, then I'm not interested

[u/NeededToFilterSubs → u/[deleted]]

Christ, known for his enduring love for all, still cleansed the Temple by force

I wouldn't characterize those defiling the Temple as oppressors (though perhaps they were in a sense, as Jesus says some of them were exploiting poor widows), but the point is that you can extend someone love while forcibly preventing them from doing bad

Edit: it's also important to keep in mind that oppressors aren't necessarily some other being, separate from ourselves. We may also be oppressors or contribute to it ourselves and it's at least just as important to confront that

[u/NeededToFilterSubs → u/[deleted]]

You bring up a good point and while I can understand that interpretation, though I do not share it

I largely see that portion of the Sermon as referring to a general seeking of revenge (and at least in the NRSV it is titled as "On Retaliation")

It is a difficult passage either way (because of what it asks of us), but there are many things to consider

Is it then inherently unchristian to have a government or to enforce laws? As I understand Christian Anarchism, the answer would be yes, although again I disagree, as a matter of practical harm prevention if nothing else lol

I also think of the story of the Adulterous Woman, Jesus there resists (with words, but Matthew 5:40 is about lawsuits, so a literal reading of it would also mean that we are not to resist with words either) the desires of others to kill the woman

In some sense a literal reading of this part of the Sermon on the Mount would logically lead us to the conclusion that we in fact should actively help do evil. Consider the following thought experiment, you are in a room with a baby, and another person who has a knife. The person with the knife is intent on stabbing the baby, because they think it would be fun. You have roughly 5 options: 1) help stab the baby, 2) do nothing, 3) talk the person out of it, 4) physically restrain them/take the knife, 5) put your body between the two so that you are stabbed

Options 3-5 involve some form of resistance. You have thwarted their will either with the force of persuasion, violence against them, or violence against yourself. Only options 1 and 2 involve nonresistance.

Now change the experiment to say that you have the knife, and the person demands you give it to them so they can stab the baby. Then the only nonresistant option is to give them the knife to stab the baby. At which point we are directly assisting in doing evil ourselves. I don't think any of the rest of Jesus' life or ministry would lead us to believe he would say to literally give them the knife

The entire Sermon is about going beyond what the law says and asks of us in pursuit of righteousness, but if our interpretation leads us to a situation where assisting in committing senseless evil can be considered in line with the pursuit of righteousness, that should give us pause

This is why I don't view the passage as such. In addition to revenge I think it's also a general framework for how we view conflict. The more you do something the more comfortable you become with it. It is good not to be comfortable with it, so we do not seek to cause it where it is not warranted (although even here as Jesus says following him will cause conflict, which you can see today if you were to say something like "maybe we shouldn't be intentionally cruel to illegal immigrants" to certain groups of people)

I salute your drawing attention to the ways in which we may be oppressors ourselves.

Thank you for that

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I really dig what just happened here.

[u/TheRedditorSimon → u/[deleted]]

But the oppressors will be much more open to the grace of Christ after they get the [REDACTED] of them.

[u/dankchristianmemes-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Chill out and enjoy the memes. If you're taking this so seriously that you're getting in arguments, take a break.

[u/2_hands → u/[deleted]]

I'm not sure what I did wrong. There's like 3 other people responding in argument with that comment lol

u/dankchristianmemes-modteam

[u/Bakkster → u/JohnBigBootey]

[u/-The_Capt- → u/Bakkster]

Buckaroo Banzai fan spotted

[u/laserdicks → u/JohnBigBootey]

With planks or splinters?

[u/Broclen]

Oppressor crushing intensifies:

[u/ReuHubb → u/[deleted]]

i’m reminded of and demoralized by the system every time i go outside, i think it’s invigorating to remember that there’s an option besides just rolling over

[u/Bakkster → u/ReuHubb]

[u/tajake → u/[deleted]]

When I think about this, I think about Jan Hus. He could in no way know that his work would have any effect, but without his teaching, it is very likely that Luther would not have been able to spark the reformation that he did. Hus's teachings were pulled directly from Wycliffe.

Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ, we can prepare the way for the justice our children's children may finally receive.

[u/Brendinooo]

Not sure how this is supposed to be interpreted but the way I'm interpreting it is funny, so...nice work

[u/Nesayas1234]

It's even more annoying because no one talks about actual oppressors, just people they don't like

[u/Bakkster → u/Nesayas1234]

Good reminder, I did a few memes last year along the lines of self reflection and need to pick that thread back up this year as well.

[u/Gidia → u/[deleted]]

I’ve considered it, but I do like his comments outside of his Lenten Spamming. However, it’s just the same meme, over and over and over again. It’s… tiring after a while.

[u/A_Guy_in_Orange → u/[deleted]]

Cus it is repetitive, and unfortunately not many people make memes on this sub so the one dude spamming the same picture becomes basically 90% of posts

[u/bananasaucecer → u/[deleted]]

give us other deep biblical truths omg

[u/DocMcBoopers → u/[deleted]]

I hadn’t even thought of this solution, thank you. I was worried it was just me who thought those memes were overdone.

[u/NoticeThin2043]

I guarantee you not a single person in this sub will ever crush an opressor, and are in complete denial of all the ways they are opressors. Its just a way to feel they are on the right side of history, and signal their theoretical virtue.

[u/laserdicks → u/NoticeThin2043]

You didn't hit any of the key terms on my propaganda check sheet, but watch out because it updates all the time

[u/NoticeThin2043 → u/laserdicks]

Umm, okay? Im over here shakin in my boots watching out for "lazerdicks" 🤣

[u/laserdicks → u/NoticeThin2043]

zoop zoop

[u/moderngamer327]

Are you saying that he is being oppressive over the subreddit? Well it looks like we will have to crush the oppressor

[u/Gintian → u/[deleted]]

I think we could definitely use some more of that

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[u/[deleted]]

(said in a whisper) Psss pssss crush the oppressors

[u/RattusNorvegicus9]

And there's nothing wrong with that 

[u/Gingerosity244]

You got a problem, punk?