My parents told me that the biblical text wasn’t about all kinds of judgment; it meant not to judge whether someone else was saved. I don’t know where they got their answer. Most likely, it was something they had heard from a pastor. But it strikes me now as not only obviously wrong, but the kind of interpretation that lets us off the hook with regard to the teaching in question.

When Jesus says to turn the other cheek or go the second mile or let someone have what he is trying to take from you, he is describing unexpected behaviors that can potentially change the situation. His examples are not rules to be applied rigidly, but specific examples of alternatives to responding aggressively that may startle someone who expects a different response. In elaborating on the teaching of Jesus Paul suggests that returning good for evil can appeal to the conscience of someone who is doing wrong.

Many churches today do not recognize a tension between being a good Christian and being a patriotic citizen. In fact, many churches have no problem in singing patriotic hymns and pledging allegiance to the country in worship services. These attitudes are in sharp contrast with the declaration of the early church that Christ is Lord, which was understood to mean that Caesar was not. They thought of Christ as the real ruler who would ultimately prevail over earthly rulers who controlled by means of coercive violence.

In the last couple of years, I rewatched the Star Wars films. I had remembered enjoying these films for their humor and exciting action. But as I watched them again, I found myself uncomfortable with portrayals of violence that I had previously been cheering on. My earlier viewing was framed by the presumption that there were “bad guys” who needed to be resisted and “good guys” who needed to fight back against them. So, I was in favor of violence when it was done by the right people for good reasons.

Some Christians recognize the problem when another religion is using coercive power to promote its goals, but find it less objectionable when their own religion is in charge. But, as the saying goes, power corrupts. When Christians have had such power, they have sometimes used threats and torture against anyone who disagreed about religious dogmas.