Ask Dr. Jack

Contacte Dr. Jack at: drjackslantern@gmail.com

Questions For Dr. Jack

From Robert, Orlando, FL, 3/15/24 - "Dr. Jack, you are trying to teach young adults to become more Christ-like. What is the most important way you get them to a more Christian life?

  Thank you Robert. Great question. There are many ways to obtain youth interest, everything from prayer groups to after-school activities. But, there is one major way you can begin to attract youth to God's message, and that is through example. If you lead a Christian life and  young adults can see how you conduct yourself, there is no better way to get them on the right path. Youth follow by example. If you provide that example, they will follow.

From Boris, Provo Utah, 4/17/24 - "Dr.Jack, I am being bullied in high school. What should a Christian do?

Thank you Boris, sorry to hear that.

Generally, there are two situations in which a Christian may need to respond to bullying: when he is the victim of bullying and when he is a witness to bullying. When being bullied, a right response might be turning the other cheek, or it might be self-defense. When Jesus spoke of "turning the other cheek" in Matthew 5:38–42, He taught us to refrain from retaliating to personal slights. The idea is not to return an insult with an insult. When someone verbally abuses us, we do not return his affront with insults of our own. When someone tries to assert his position of power to intimidate us or force us into a certain behavior, we can resist his manipulation without being manipulative in return. In short, bullying a bully is not biblical and, quite frankly, not useful. It is, however, advisable to report the bully to proper authorities. It is not wrong for a child in school to alert his teacher about bullies. It is not wrong for a person to report a con artist to the police. Such actions may help prevent the bully from harming others. Even when we do not retaliate on a personal level, we can still utilize social systems of justice.

In other cases, particularly if the bullying is physical, self-defense may be appropriate. The Bible does not advocate total pacifism. God’s instructions to Israel in Exodus 22 and Jesus’ instruction to His disciples to get a sword in Luke 22 are informative. Christians are to be loving and forgiving, but not permissive of evil. 

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