Re: Dignity
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Matt R, I think you might be reading into my post to find a hidden agenda. There's nothing more than what meets the eye.
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? I simply responded to your statements.
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That's fine, but I'm not questioning the validity of this behavior. I just want to get idea of the value of dignity in Christianity. It is my opinion that it holds little value. And you say it has nothing to do with self-respect, but it has everything to do with displaying self-respect.
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I'm not sure I follow you. The value of dignity for a Christian is the same as it is for a non-Christian. Not including obvious person-to-person differences which occur regardless of religious beliefs. You claim you used to be a Christian. How was your self-respect different then than it is now? If you have more self-respect now, are you sure it's not just because you grew as a person, and not because you're "non-Christian" now?
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Really? I did when I was a Christian. How do you interpret Matthew 5:38-45?
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This passage should not be taken literally, and context is extremely important. There are other passages from the Bible where Jesus clearly states you should stand up for yourself. I believe an accepted interpratation is that Jesus is essentially saying "Don't let evil overcome you." As in, don't let your hatred for this person who is mis-treating you guide your actions. If he's mistreating you because of your religion due to his ignorance, he can't help this, and you should not hold it against him. etc., etc. I'm sure you get the idea. But, if he has legitimate malicious intent, you should fight back.
I'm sure that there are many many people who view the passage literally, but when you start to do that the Bible starts to make zero sense in general. I'm no theologian though, but this is what I've been taught in the past and is my interpretation.
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