Agape Love, Righteous Indignation, and Christianity
I wrote a letter to my professor an thought you might like to comment on the question that I had. It deals with the love your enemy aspect of Christianity and the seemingly conflicting righteous indignation aspect.
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Dear Professor Atwood,
I am a student in your Humanities Forum on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30. A question arose in my head, but it had nothing to do with the topic at hand. Thus, I kept my mouth shut (the fact that I have a cold contributed also).
My question concerns Joseph Campbell’s view on Christianity in that, as the textbook says on page 10, “the main teachings of Christianity, [he] believes, is love your enemy, a love that is characterized by suffering and sorrow.” This is repeated in the actually video of the interview.
As I hear Campell’s view of Christianity, I think of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple:
John Chapter 2
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Where does the concept of righteous indignation fit in to the “love your enemies” concept? Take a look at what the Bible says.
Mathew Chapter 5
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
44 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;
When I read the preceding text, I think of the trinity.
John Chapter 10
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
There are other themes that suggest that God the Father, Son, and Holly Spirit are one in Christianity, but I won’t go into them. If Jesus advocates loving one’s enemy, why did he not turn heaven over to Satan as God the Father? “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.”
One also thinks of the murder (Genesis 38:7 for example “And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him”) and genocide (“And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses” – 2 Kings 19:35 ) of the Old Testament committed by God.
How can one make sense of the teachings of agape love and righteous indignation in Christianity? What are your thoughts?
Thank you for your time,
~[Randerolf]
PS I had an intersted conversation with a Jehovah's Witness the next day on this topic. Good timing for him to be hitting the streets.
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