But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. — Luke 19:27 1
Christians love to rail against hateful language in the Koran, saying that the extremist teachings there can be used to justify violence. Well, it’s in the Bible too—all over the place 2.
What’s to stop a new cult at some point in the near future from claiming there’s Biblical justification for killing non-Christians based on this language in the Bible? Nothing. It’s there in cold print for anyone to summon for their own purposes.
EDIT: A number of people are pointing out that this was a story he was telling, and not something he was commanding directly. I concede that I should have used a better title, as “quote” generally implies “direct” quote. I should have used “teaching” instead, as that’s more precise.
That being said, I don’t think, morally speaking, this distinction helps much, if at all. Why? Because the story was literally about what happens to people who don’t obey their master, something Jesus consistently talked about with respect to following his own teachings. In short, it was a warning.
And, directly related to this, here are some choice pieces of what Jesus is promising to do to unbelievers when HE gets back. (Revelations 19)
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war”, “His eyes were as a flame of fire”, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood“, and “out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.””
So it’s not some abstract “story” unrelated to Jesus’s teachings or morals; it’s a direct threat about suffering the consequences of not listening to him. Notice that he ended the parable with that quote. In short: obey or I will kill you. ::
Notes
- The Bible Gateway | Luke 19:27
- If you’re ever curious about all the other stuff in the Bible of every church and hotel room that most Christians don’t even know is there, spend some time at this link.
- You might argue that there are peaceful teachings from Jesus in the Bible as well, and that they are the opposite of this kind of speech, but that’s not a good argument. 1. The fact that there is such strikingly opposite teachings in the Bible is not an argument *for* the Bible; it’s a major strike against it. 2. Such beauty exists in the Koran as well, so if you discount the hate that Jesus taught you have to do the same with Islam’s prophet as well.
