Hope Exploding

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, about three in four Americans identify with a specific religious faith; twenty-two percent say they have no religious preference. When asked if they believe in their religious teachings, forty-seven percent say yes, and thirty-three percent say they are spiritual.

From people’s actions, not their speech, I question their religion’s impact on daily life. Americans continue to elect officials to high offices who have predatory sexual pasts, who don’t pay their taxes, underpay employees, lie under oath, spread false information, support ruthless dictators, and seek revenge and retribution at the slightest snub. It’s easy to talk about being a good, upright person, but following through is difficult. It’s their behavior that counts.

The way people act is hypocritical to the beliefs they espouse. Why do religious people hold the Bible and Ten Commandments in high esteem yet commit adultery, kill, steal, support the death penalty, and ignore their parents? Are their circumstances pacifists will fight in a war? Why do good people seek revenge when they are wronged? Australian social psychologist researcher Ian McKee says people motivated by power, authority, and the desire for status tend to be more vengeful. They will lie and cheat for fear of losing face.

In a society with a weak rule of law, revenge is a way to keep order. Power-seekers use revenge to remind others not to trifle with them. Some people use revenge as a cathartic measure, though studies show it doesn’t make them feel better. Rather than helping the person move on with life, it causes them to dwell on the situation and keeps them unhappy.

University of Maryland psychology professor Dr. Michele Gelfand studied 150 students, finding that those who showed a deference to authority and a respect for traditions and social dominance were more favorable toward revenge and retribution. The more students focused on universal connectedness values, the less likely they were to seek revenge.

Cultural differences also play a role. Americans become offended when their rights are violated. They might seek revenge if someone infringes on their right to voice opinions. Koreans are offended if their sense of duty and obligation is threatened. Public criticism that’s embarrassing can trigger a desire for revenge.

The Old Testament leaves revenge to God to dole out. Judaism forbids revenge and the harboring of grudges. The Torah teaches that God is the arbitrator of justice and that true faith in God eliminates the need for revenge.

• Yet in Exodus 21:23, the Bible instructs us to punish an offender by “Giving life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
• Leviticus 19:18 says: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
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The New Testament also considers God the arbitrator of justice.

• Romans 12:19-21: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
• Matthew 5:38-39: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
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The Hindu Bhagavad Gita advises against revenge, promoting forgiveness and understanding. It teaches that actions should be based on duty and righteousness, not a personal vendetta. It emphasizes the importance of self-control and the harmful effects of anger and hatred.

The Quran says that revenge is not a solution. It only increases the problem.

• Quran 2:178: “If you choose to forgive, you will be rewarded by Allah, and if you go beyond the limits, you will be punished by Allah.”
• As in the Old Testament, there is an out. Quaran 16:126:”If you want to retaliate, retaliate to the same degree as the injury done to you. But if you are patient, it is better to be so.
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A Pacifist’s thought about revenge.

“With regard to provocation situations, pacifists may pursue goals that run counter to revenge-seeking and, thereby, inhibit vengeful actions. This could include, for example, the goal of maintaining positive relationships and the goal of regulating emotional reactions when angry.”

Buddhism teaches that revenge is wrong.

“Buddha said that those who harm others are not trainees in virtue. Revenge is giving in to anger and self-cherishing and is incompatible with practicing compassion.”

Martin Luther King Jr. says, “The old law of ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.’

Building Bridges is a song sung by protesters in 1981

Building bridges between our divisions,

I reach out to you, won’t you reach out to me?

With all our voices and all our visions,

Friends, we can make such sweet harmony.

From Greenham Common Peace Occupation1: 1981 protest to challenge the decision to site 96 Cruise nuclear missiles in Berkshire, England.

If my family or nation’s safety were threatened, I would fight, but I doubt I would seek revenge when the event ended. I hope for peaceful solutions that come from understanding and communicating.

Though most philosophers and religious teachers warn against revenge and retribution, there are conflicts in their teachings. Where do you stand on the spectrum? Please comment below.

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Resources:

Buckles, S. (2025) What does the Bhagavad Gita say about revenge? Wisdom Short. Retrieved from https://wisdomshort.com/books/bhagavad-gita/revenge

Website. What is Islam’s view on Revenge? CPSInternational center for peace and spirituality. Retrieved from https://cpsglobal.org/books/the-seekers-guide/9-what-is-islams-view-on-revenge

Adolesc, J (2018). (2025) Pacifists and Revenge-Seekers in Response to Unambiguous Peer Provocation. National Library of Medicine.Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6053336/#:~:text

Zakilkowski, D. (2025)What Does Judaism Say About Taking Revenge?” Chabad, org. Retrieved from https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1842551/jewish/What-Does-Judaism-Say-About-Taking-Revenge.htm

Luke. (2015) Is Revenge ever allowed in Buddhism?Dharma Wheel. retrieved from https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=21450

Price, M. (20090) Revenge and the People Who Seek It. American Psychological Association/. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/06/revenge

Website (2024). How Are Religious Americans? Gallup. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx

Though it might be surprising, a loyalty code of conduct exists among those without a home. This is especially true in youth who fled unsavory homes. They become friends, united in adversity.