I am a Christian. Jesus is my savior. I was raised orthodox, and find my closest ties to the anabaptists.
You raise several points -- more than I wish to address. My posting was a response to an individual choosing to call me an idiot. I find such a response to be less than ideally "Christian". Finding such a response in a thread dedicated to "Christian behavior" adds yet another layer of irony. I randomly picked the scriptural reference from the original posting to illustrate the poster's own un-Christ-like behavior as well as to illustrate an aspect of Christ's personality -- an aspect dedicated to turning the other cheek rather than lashing out in violence when one is attacked. That the original author of the posting would use the same reference to justify violence against others... well, it seems that the world has gone mad. (or perhaps madder?)
When you said it was a bad translation, I reverted to the King James, and reading on a few verses in Romans 12, I came to this...
14 Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with those that rejoice, weep with those that weep. 16 Have the same respect one for another, not minding high things, but going along with the lowly: be not wise in your own eyes: 17 recompensing to no one evil for evil: providing things honest before all men: 18 if possible, as far as depends on you, living in peace with all men; 19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance [belongs] to me, *I* will recompense, saith the Lord. 20 If therefore thine enemy should hunger, feed him; if he should thirst, give him drink; for, so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. 21 Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I'd be interested in your comments on the passage.
You'd probably be more interested in my apology for misreading your post. I misunderstood you to be suggesting that we should not fight back against the terrorists. You were very likely correct to "redirect" the passions of a person calling you an idot.
As for the passage, "be at peace with all men" is better. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the restoration of G-d's order. That's why I always sign "Shalom" rather than "Peace." Peace is a pansy word for the real thing. Sometimes shalom will only be established by brute force. Sometimes it is established by forgiveness. Sometimes it is estabished by turning the other cheek. It is always established by G-d.
Please forgive me, brother.
Shalom.