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"Vengeance is mine, sayith the LORD".
You forgive them unless you have some *direct* mandate that God has given you special dispensation.
Failing that ... it's always better to beg forgiveness (confession) than to ask for permission.
2. impale your enemy
3. pray again
You literally can't, though.
> Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
> Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
-Romans
Given the context this is being written in, Paul is being very explicit. You may *refuse to comply* with the government *if* they are ordering you to sin, but under *no* circumstances are you to actually defend yourself from them, under threat of damnation. No matter how they oppress you. If someone quotes these verses as evidence that your views are "unchristian," they aren't spinning some sneaky interpretation. They're just right.
If I were a jew, I'd be rubbing my hands pretty giddily at the thought of White people irreversibly internalizing these teachings as morally binding.
I'm just pointing out, that stance does deviate from Christian orthodoxy, and it does functionally make you something that is of your own design.
Prayer. Lots of prayer. Constant prayer. Self reflection and a willingness to repent.
Epiphany is its reward.
If you love yourself, you must want the best for yourself, which means surrendering to God.
Remember that you, as a child of Eve, are capable of Good and evil. Submitting to God's will is not to become a puppet, but to let go of everything about yourself except what is Good. It is still your will, but it is the absolute best of what you could be.
# *PENITENTIAL ACT*
"You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord have mercy."
*Lord have Mercy*
"You came to call sinners. Christ have mercy."
*Christ have Mercy*
"You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Lord have Mercy."
*Lord have Mercy*
"May our Lord have Mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life."
*Amen*
Yes ... deny narcissism, vanity, pride ... all that ... those are forms of self-love that have replaced God, much like the idols that Solomon fell to. Study Samuel, Chronicles and Kings in the OT and pay attention to Saul. He's the classic narcissist. There's even a verse that points it out about him caring more of what others thought of him and it becoming his driving force.
But again, going back to the weakness of our humanity, it is on display on how the Roman soldiers treated Jesus during the mocking and crowning of thorns. They would give Him a reed (or it could be interpreted as a staff) to signify His rulership and then take it away and beat Him with it while spitting on Him.
This is symbolic of what we do to Jesus in our daily lives with the constant battle of : "I will do Your will"/"I want what I want and I will take it."
Each one of us has our own personal battles and must come to Christ on his own. Just remember that the Love of the Father is a perfect Love, as all things from the Father are and Jesus was sent to provide the pathway to that Love. A big part of that pathway is confession as seen in the conversation between Nathan and David after David basically rapes Bathsheba and has Uriah murdered. David confesses with a contrite heart and is forgiven ("The LORD has put away your sin, you shall not die.") ... but forgiveness doesn't mean he will escape the justice that follows disobedience.
But ... self-love is OK. Just don't let it replace God.
https://app.podcastguru.io/podcast/daily-tv-mass-1503989676
https://app.podcastguru.io/podcast/the-bible-in-a-year-with-fr-mike-schmitz-1539568321 <--- I recommend. I'm on my second playthrough.
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/catechism-of-st-pius-x-1286
It's not your place to take vengeance. You are fallible while God knows everything. He knows how to punish sin, even if it doesn't look that way to you. You may see sinners escaping justice, but all you see is their public face, not their inner heart, but God sees and knows what they truly fear.
Your duty to God is to remain faithful in the face of evil and trust in God. We are not in the state we're in because Good men have done nothing, but because men have despaired and turned from Good in the face of evil.
lol wow
This is Christianity's biggest problem imo, and it's why it cannot be "The Answer" to our current issues. This teaching is spiritually cucked, plain and simple. According to this dogma, if your state run institutions get captured, GG. Revolt is a sin unless you're a prince or politician who orders it from on high. You've gotta voot your way back into power before it becomes not sinful to try and create radical change again.
White men, the common folk, taking matters into their own hands when power becomes corrupt is something they've historically treated as a textbook moral duty (the foundation of America, hello?) I spit on the notion that doing so is "sinful."