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Location: land of quail, bunnies, and red tail hawks
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Originally Posted by BudinAk
There are so many variables....(I bet NONE of you thought about grizzly bears!)
Tee hee hee . . . I did! (But maybe I don't count since I live in Alaska, too!) Actually, Bud, I'm more worried about black bears than browns/grizzlies. The grizzlies up here are more inclined to leave people alone, but the black bears are more likely to munch you. One thing to remember in the defense of life and property -- property (things) is often necessary to life.
In regards to self defense and being a Christian I must say that Christ did not eschew the sword. Rather he taught the sword in its proper place, and that those whose only resource was violence would inevitably perish by it.
In Luke 22:36-38 Christ admonishes us to be prepared to provide for our own security vis a vis the sword.
Luke 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Luke 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Luke 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
We can argue about the meaning of this Scripture, but the fact remains that Christ told His men to arm themselves. When they returned to him with two swords, he did not correct them as He did at other times when they mistook His teachings, but rather told them that two was enough.
The sword was meant for physical protection against evil men in a fallen world. It was not to be relied upon exclusively, but rather kept in its proper place and for its proper use.
Consider the context. Christ was being arrested and surrounded. It was His mission to give himself up and be sacrificed. If His men stood and fought at that moment they would have been killed. Those who took up the sword at that particular time would have certainly been killed by the swords of the enemy. Christ would not tell His men to arm themselves and later contradict His teachings.
I believe that the Gospel has never taught us to be pacifists, but rather that we are to, as much as we are able, to seek peace. But the context is clear. Not at any price. This is reality, and to ignore is both naive and irresponsible, and smacks of an excessively lofty and spiritual view of things. There is a point where we must pick up the sword, or at least support those that do, so that we can continue to live in peace. Clearly, to have peace, one must often be willing to fight, to kill, and to die for it. To have peace, we must often enforce such a peace with the readiness to do sudden battle anywhere, anytime, and with disregard for our own safety. Whether in an airplane facing terrorists or in a dark parking lot facing muggers, it is the holy duty (and the cross put in front of us) of any able-bodied Christian man of God to stand strong with courage and righteousness and execute wrath on those who would do us evil.
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I believe that the Gospel has never taught us to be pacifists, but rather that we are to, as much as we are able, to seek peace. But the context is clear. Not at any price. This is reality, and to ignore is both naive and irresponsible, and smacks of an excessively lofty and spiritual view of things.
In medieval times the general problem was that knights had a sword and because every knight had a sword nobody trusted each other enough to shake hands, because shaking hands means that you enter within striking distance of ‘the enemy’.
Now replace the sword with a gun and you will have a problem which is a 100x greater than those of the medieval knights, because the striking distance of a gun is considerably greater than that of sword on account that the gun is a ranged weapon. Another significant difference is that back then only the aristocracy could afford themselves a good sword and the education to use them effectively, but nowadays guns are so cheap that everyone can buy them and so simple to use that everyone (including children) can use them.
Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948 So a Christian who kills a murder or a rapist is not a murderer?
What about an atheist who kills a murderer or rapist?
its not about the bible its about people trying to do stuff to you in your home. good to go. don't remorse, reload.
its not about the bible its about people trying to do stuff to you in your home. good to go. don't remorse, reload.
The thing is that Christians, like any other people, often are unable to separate the murderer and rapists from the innocent. Especially when statistically is proven that the majority of the victims of murder and rape know their assailant.
Quote:
don't remorse, reload.
Sounds like: Let's kill 'm all and let God sort them out later.
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(But maybe I don't count since I live in Alaska, too!) Actually, Bud, I'm more worried about black bears than browns/grizzlies. The grizzlies up here are more inclined to leave people alone, but the black bears are more likely to munch you. 
In medieval times the general problem was that knights had a sword and because every knight had a sword nobody trusted each other enough to shake hands, because shaking hands means that you enter within striking distance of ‘the enemy’.
Another significant difference is that back then only the aristocracy could afford themselves a good sword and the education to use them effectively, but nowadays guns are so cheap that everyone can buy them and so simple to use that everyone (including children) can use them.
So a Christian who kills a murder or a rapist is not a murderer? 
Sounds like: Let's kill 'm all and let God sort them out later.
