Am I on the right track?

[ROBIN]

From those of you who are more knowledgeable than I am, please explain:

1.  Matt. 5:38..."an eye for an eye"  This can not mean retaliation, right?  Is seems to me that it means to compensate, to pay back something that was lost or damaged.

2.  The tongue...Matt. 5:13-21 and the book of James.  Regarding evil speaking, such as character assassination, this seems to equate with murder; physical assassination.

[caseykarger]

Robin,
  I think that the verses about character assassination just go to show that no one sin is worse than any one other.  Therefore, it's a sin to speak evil against someone, just as much of a sin as murdering that person.  Not in Society's (crappy) eyes, but in God's eyes.  God bless.