I do not care their remorse or any of this. If they were Khmer Rouge killers, they should be tried and executed. Never free, never rehabilitated. Christianity cannot be a path for such murderers to walk free. Heck, anyone can kill anyone, claim forgiveness, and move on. Seriously?
Christians constantly confuse the behavior they need to personally engage in vs. the behavior the society should engage in.
On a personal level - I must suffer for the gospel and I must suffer if it is only myself at stake, i.e., I need to turn the other cheek. However, on a personal level I have a moral responsibility to defend the innocent from an aggressor - including using deadly force. I don’t get to hide behind pacifism when it comes to others.
On a societal level - governments are supposed to be a ‘terror unto good works’. Governments need to dissuade evil behavior. Turning the other cheek does NOT apply.
We need to stop mixing our Christian responsibilities in regards to turning the other cheek with what God wants for justice systems.
And on a side note: Thou shalt not kill actually reads thou shalt not murder in Aramaic. Huge difference.
Bear in mind the difference—which appears subtle but is in fact radical—between counterfeit change of heart and real change of heart.
If a miracle of heart was worked that turns the murderers into the exact opposite — life savers — would you STILL disdain the gift of the Lord?
Sure glad they killed that evil man Saul after he converted. He had killed so many Christians it's not even funny.
Glad Rome cut his head off....albeit 30 years too late...
And just in case I need this..../sarcasm
Just curious, were you born in a shack, raised on fish and rice and watched every morning as your parents walked out to the rice fields to spend the day wading in water just to harvest rice?
Did you grow up in a land that had been fighting communists since your parents were young adults?
Did you ever have to watch as some of your relatives were systematically shot in the head or taken away to "re-education camps" because they were suspected of being not loyal to the communist regime
Did you ever experience living under a regime where you, as a 14 or 15 year old child was taken away from your parents and trained to kill the very people who were your friends and neighbors?
South Vietnam was at war against the Communist N. Vietnam for over 20 years, have you yourself ever lived under such conditions?
Paul is glad you weren't around in his day.