In this clip Tucker Carlson, a conservative commentator, expounds on Michael Vick and his dog-fighting past. In one breath he states that he is a Christian and believes in second chances. In the next he says that Vick should have been executed.
As it is Christmas season, I have been reflecting a bit lately on what it is to be Christian. I am reminded of the Bible verse in which Jesus is approached by the authorities regarding a woman who had commited adultery. His response: let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Why professed Christians continue to confuse “eye for an eye” justice with Christ’s message of forgiveness is beyond me. Unfortunately this confusion has given a bad name to Christians throughout the world. It has been used to support large scale retribution and discrimination, neither of which Christ would have actually condoned.
Whether you are a Christian or not, studying Jesus’ words reveals his message: peace. He spoke for the sinners: the adulterers, tax collectors, the criminals. He illuminated the hypocrisy of the authorities, that none of them were without fault, and that God was the final judge.
George Bernard Shaw once said that, “Christianity might be a good thing if anyone ever tried it.” I think this is true.
