turning the other cheek

My opinion about the way nations are supposed to treat each other is an extrapolation of the way individual people are supposed to treat each other, but I suppose that is no longer fashionable either.

A lot of variables in that sentence,  Note that nations are supposed to treat each other the way people are supposed to treat each other, as opposed to the way they actually do treat each other, which as we know is not so hot.  Well generally within a family or a neighborhood, or some other small group we are pretty good to each other, with people we don't know as well, not so much.  I assume Beagles is speaking of the golden rule when he speaks of how people are supposed to treat each other.  The tale of the good Samaritan comes to mind, and this is not so commonly emulated,  I guess that's why it is a parable instead of just another story, it illustrates that this sort of thing was rather rare.  I assume the audience was not Samaritans and looked upon them as some white people do on those of duskier hues, and found it a little shocking that such a person would do something for them, and that such behavior was expected of them.

That Jesus, what a wag, how about that turn the other cheek thing?  No really how about that.  Even me, a big peacenik and love your brothers kumbaya kind of guy, think that this is just going too far.  Isn't the other guy going to just slap you silly then, and take your wallet as long as he is at it? 

But maybe it sort of worked for the early Christians.  They were often up against burly Roman soldiers and what choice do you have?  It's not likely that you are going to get away with slapping him back.  After awhile this sort of thing, singing on the way down to meet the tigers, rather impressed some Romans and they converted, and eventually the Christians took over the fading Roman Empire.  Of course once they did, that turn the other cheek thing went out of fashion with them.

Ghandi's nonviolence is said to have helped India gain independence, but I suspect that there were other bigger factors in that.  But then Dr King used nonviolence to good effect in the civil rights movement.  Jackie Robinson by keeping his head down and not replying to taunts integrated the major leagues.

Of course the situation has to be right.  Ghandi instructed the Jews to fight the Nazis with nonviolence, but nobody expected that that would work.