Pottsville Religion

Pottsville, a small town of three thousand people in Arkansas has made the decision to print a bible verse on the side of their town police car. The mayor of Pottsville, Jerry Williams, says that there is a common theme in the community: religion. Williams believes that the faith of the community is seen in what they do, and adding a verse to the police car is another reflection of this. So far, the town has received good feedback for the action, but they are prepared for opposition. One community member says, “It shows respect to the people we let take care of us and protect our community.” The bible verse that was chosen for the car is from the book of Matthew. The book of Matthew has no clear genre. It is commonly thought that the …show more content…
Verses 38-48 discuss the topics of "Concerning Relation" and "Love for Enemies," basically elaborating on verse 5:9. This passage brings about the famous quote 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' (Matthew 5:38) and can be found in many other parts of the Bible. The Lord tells his people not to 'resist an evildoer' and to 'turn the other [cheek] also' (Matthew 5:39). He tells his disciples that 'if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well' (Matthew 5:40) and that 'if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile' (Matthew 5:41). The Lord also says that his disciples should 'not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you (Matthew 5:42). The Lord wants his disciples to do everything in their power to make peace with others. Concerning enemies, The Lord brings in another famous line, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy' (Matthew 5:43) but goes on to say that his disciples should 'love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Matthew 5:44), advice that was rare in this time. In conclusion of this particular topic of his sermon, The Lord advises his disciples to 'Be