Question about being a cop

[Guest ballgroundjessy]

I was just wondering............

My husband is going out for our local county police department. I too would like to be a cop but this question got me to thinking.

Question on the application was:

Would you have a problem shooting to kill? YES or NO

What would God think of me killing someone whom was in the act of breaking the law or trying to kill someone their self?

I know the Ten Comandments says we should not kill. And I am almost possitive the Bible also tells us to obey also the laws of man.

If thats true then is that how we justify the shooting?

Because this person would have or did break the law of man? Is this the justification? If so I am ok with that.

I really would enjoy being a cop and would not have a problem with shooting someone if need be but it would make it easier to deal with if I understood Gods view on this.

Thank you for your help.

[Mark777]

The commandment means, "...thou shall not MURDER." God's law incorporates capital punishment and the use of agents of Government. I believe policemen are a sanctioned arm of God's universal command to govern. Government has an aim to control evil in society.

Don't be eager to take a life but rest assured that you are doing a job that is right and needed in God's eyes.

My opinion.

Mark

Edited May 28, 2006 by Mark777

[tah]

Mark has it right...

in my opinion also...

I had a couple of guys in law enforcement and the problem is not in answering the question on paper the place it is a problem is where the rubber meets the road..

If a policeman is faced with having to shoot someone and fails out of his instinct to not hurt someone then he gets killed....very tragic

If a policeman is faced with having to shoot and shoots hastily he gets fired because the police dept does not want a bunch of hot shots out there with no regard for life...very tragic also...

They have to keep the balance with the folks they hire for the public's sake and for their employees safety too...

It is not easy and it takes a lot of training to come up with a "good cop"...

One who knows the when and the when not to's....

If your husband has those qualities and likes law enforcement then Lord bless him and may he learn all that he needs to be one of the "good guys"!!

[AvgJoe]

Mark777 is right on the money.

Exodus 20:13(KJV)

Thou shalt not kill.

In many other translations this verse says "Thou shalt not murder," or some variation of that. The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence. None of these situations apply to the duties of a police officer.

Romans 13:1-7(ESV)

1) Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3) For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4) For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5) Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6) For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7) Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

The government and all arms of law enforcement, both civil & military, are ministers of God who execute wrath upon the evildoer. If that task has the unfortunate, yet justified, result of ending the life of the evildoer, then it does not break God's Law.

tah is right on the money, as well.

[dakota190]

"they do not bear the sword in vain".

[shepherdsgrace]

Mark presented it well. God gave us the law for our protection. Also there is indication in the scripture that God actually calls some people to go into law enforcement just as he calls people into the ministry. That of course does not mean that all in law enforcement are called but some are.

[kewler then ^]

If it was thou shall not kill, every soilder would go to Hell, which is not true. David killed many and was one of Gods most cherished men. I'm not sure what version of the Bible you have, but I would suggest getting a different one, because that is a big mistranslation.

In Christ,

DJ

[AvgJoe]

I, among other things, am a swat team commander.

Thank you for doing the difficult job God has called you to do!

[Guest ballgroundjessy]

Thank you all for you answers.

Becoming a cop is not an easy decision to make. However we feel God has lead us here. In high school I was in jrotc and loved it.I tryed to go into the Army when I was 18 but was not excepted because of a knee injury and female troubles. Such things are in the past now. My husband now 30 has always wanted to be a cop. His was excepted by the police dept in our old home town but I felt God very clearly saying to me "no, not here not now wait".So my husband waited. When we moved to Ga he again felt the need/desire to be a officer. He has passed both the written and physical test. He has his interview in two days. I continue to pary that God will lead me as to his will in this. I find no trace of anxiety over this decision it almost seams natural, logical as if its a no brainer. I f God does not want this for me why would he allow me to feel this way? We have no kids and no plans for kids. My parents all four of them are not thrilled about Frankis decision nither is his mom but she knows this is what he wants. My father is the only one besides my husband in our family that knows I want to be a cop too. My father came just short of telling me that a woman had no place as a cop. I know its fear talking. My mom is having dreams about me being a cop. I believe that this is Gods way of prepareing her because she will be the one to rise up against me. She is very protective of me to this day. I believe that our move to Ga was part of Gods plan to stop our families from interfering.

I was farly sure that thou shall not kill did not apply to anyone in service or law inforcement. I just wanted to be reassured. I have always felt that murder is very unnatural and wrong. But killing someone because they where out to kill an innocent or family was just and that God would sort them out in. But I do think that my wonderings on this is good because I shows that I do value life and understand the need for wisdom and caution in all things.

[buckthesystem]

My Bible says "thou shalt not kill", but then it is a really old copy of the King James version that my mother had since the year dot.

I have to be honest here, though I guess it is not what you want to hear, and say that the Bible says "thou shalt not kill", it does not say "thou shalt not kill except, of course, if you are an agent of man's government". I believe (my opinion I do realise) that the ten commandments are plain, simple and obvious. They are not flexible or subject to interpretation or spin. We cannot go around putting a spin on scripture so it sounds like it was meant to cater for situations that we want it to cater for.

It is probably acceptable to kill if your life or the life of someone else is in imminent danger, and no soldier would go to Hell for fighting in a battle or a war situation. However, as a policeman you would be called upon to "deal" with your own countrymen and you have not declared war on your own countrymen, so you are not the same as a soldier in wartime at all.

Why do you, or your husband, want to join the police force? Is it because both of you believe strongly in the laws of your country? Or is there another reason?

Do you know a lot about the "laws of the land"? And do you realise that you'd be called upon to "enforce" everything that is "the law" simply because a politician says so? I do not believe that God in any way whatsoever would back the laws of man because they are subject to change "every other day" at the whim of a politician. There is nowhere in the Bible where it says that we should obey the laws of man.

As well, of course, with new "anti-terrorist" (not) legislation coming out regularly now, this is going to get more and more relevant.

I wouldn't have said anything against the police department 10 years ago, but the world has changed so much since then, and now police (worldwide this is, I am not just talking about NZ) are expected to

be "the tools of politicians".

I was talking, about two weeks ago, with the father of a friend of my daughter's. He was a cop and left at the end of 1998 to start his own business. He said to me "I don't know how anyone can be a cop, with a clear conscience, today, knowing what they have to do".

I'm going to be even more "cat among the pidgeons" and say: Have a little humility, try to get away from the "them and us" or "he is a criminal and if I killed him I would be doing a public service" mentality and realise that a "suspect" is not a "criminal" until they have been found guilty before a court of law, and "there, but for the grace of God, go I".