"Conservative" "Christians" Are Much More "At Home" In "The Old Testament" Than "The New"

Alan: Ever since I was a '60s student at the University of Toronto, I have studied comparative religion.

As I mature, it becomes ever clearer that conservative Christians are more "at home" in The Old Testament -- with its core moral principle of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" -- than they are "at home" with the moral code of The New Testament whose central teaching is love, forgiveness and "doing good, even to those who persecute us."

The Gospel Of Matthew:

Eye for Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h]39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children 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. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Gospel Of Luke weighs in with another view of Love's centrality: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A+24-38&version=MSG I have used a recent translation of Luke called "The Message." Translator Eugene H. Peterson made it his goal to be "true to the spirit" of the original Greek text in order to avoid the pitfall of being lulled into "sleepy misunderstanding" by words we've heard a thousand times in the grandiloquent rendering of King James. 

The Gospel Of Luke 6:24-38 

The Message 

Give Away Your Life

24 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
    What you have is all you’ll ever get.

25 And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.
    Your self will not satisfy you for long.
And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
    There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

27-30 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

31-34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

37-38 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

***

Finally, the evangelist John puts it like this: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 

Clearly, we are free to choose our course in life.

In making that choice, it is good and wise to know where our moral principles come from.

***

So, we have two core value systems. 

And at least in theory, we are able to choose between them - although few of us can transcend childhood conditioning to make real choice possible. 

(Alan: This blog post is excerpted from "Strict Father" And "Nurturant Parent": The Two World Views That Determine Our Political Values http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2018/06/strict-father-and-nurturant-parent-two.html)