Self Defense and Defense of Family

[sweetycakes]

we are told that we are to turn the other cheek, i do not really feel this means we need to be walked on like a doormat... I do not feel, also, that it means we wait until the second hit to start swinging....

a story i heard once about Chuck Norris ( dont know if true or not, unverified )

he walked into a bar/bar and grill (as the story goes) and he found a seat and sat down..

a big burrly fellow walked over and told him that he was in his seat, Chuck appoligized and got up and moved as the guy was saying this in a threatening mood and when Chuck moved this guy was laughing that he had gotten over on someone.... as he was gloating over this with his buddies, and had not sat down where Chuck had just moved from, some one in the group had made a comment that the guy he just messed with was Chuck Norris..... he went over to appoligize for what he had done, and asked Chuck why he just got up and did not choose to fight for the seat.... Chuck replyed .....What good would it have done, other then make another enemy? as it is, you are not an enemy and neither of us are hurting....

a bit of common sense at times works wonders, that is why God gave it to us....

now, Christ did tell the deciples as they were going out what to take with them, and one thing was that they were to have a sword.....

another story, that is true.....

a boy was being picked on, for quite some time in school by several other boys... (something not unheard of recently) and as happens, the boy, not wanting to be a SISSY, tends to take it for quite a while, not wanting anyone to get in trouble, even asks to have his seat changed (assigned seating) and the instructor denying the request....

one day just prior to class starting, the boy takes his books and goes to ask to be moved to a different seat again (his grades are not well at all because of the lack of attentivness due to being picked on in class)

the other students in the class knew what was going on, the teacher chose to turn a blind eye....another student even warned the boys, that they were digging for trouble.....

as the one boy waited for the teacher to acknowledge him there, one of the other boys, came up behind him and punched him in the back, the boy turn and with three hits, sent him to the back wall of the room, knocking out two rows of desk, bloodying his nose, blacking his eye, busting a tooth and splitting the bullies lip... then turns to the teacher and says " NOW CAN I MOVE"!!!!!

needless to say, the boy was suspended, and the teacher was repremanded.. this was in 1974....

after this incident, those two boys became friends..... the others in the group were shunned by the one that had been plowed... but they never again messed with the first boy....

as for defending a family member or another person, i have defended a person outside the family from some one in the family....why???? cause i do not know their standing with Christ....

so is it wrong to stand in and possibly save anothers life that may or maynot be a follower???? or even from bodily harm???

i dont think so.... for what greater love is shown or given then by one giving his life for another.....

again, i believe we need to use some common sense here.....

it is wise, sometimes to pick the battle ground, sometimes the fight will be there no matter what, so at least pick the battle ground and even the time.....

maybe, just maybe, if some would stand up and be counted, instead of just being bystanders not wanting to get involved, or cause trouble or get some one in trouble, maybe they would stand up and stand beside a person being bullied.... there just might not be as many problems in the schools.....

i have personally watched, as a bully would walk by and punch a kid, and keep on walking, and then turn around and walk by again and do it again, as teachers were walking into the school, this was taking place on school grounds, the teachers would literally turn their head so they did not have to see it.... THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE BOTHERED BY IT.......

but

if the kid getting punched retalliated, then he would get hauled into the school office.....the teachers would see that.....

one child, being bullied, reported it to his teachers, and then also to the counslor and also the principle, the boys father even went to the principle (with an appointment) and the principle ignored him, until he said he was taking the matter to the state board of education... then the principle pretended to start listening....

the matter was still not resolved, and the boy even went to the Police Department and filed a complaint against the bully.... nothing happened.. nothing was done..... this was then reported to the state, and the reply was that it sounds like a simple case of bullying, and that if it did not fall under religious, race, gender, national origin ..... then it would have to be handled at the local level...... THIS WAS THE FALL AFTER COLUMBINE.....

this sort of thing is still going on.....

no one wants to get involved.....

should i stand up and defend some one other then my self from threat of bodily harm or death????

ABSOLUTELY

MIKE

I would say that a lot of good advice has been given out in this forum.

I HATE Bullies, Mr and Mrs Mike Irish

[DogTired]

Hello,

Thank you all for replying to my question. You have affirmed what I have beleived all along, that I'm not "A Doormat", and I can be confident when I defend myself and others. Key word "defend".

Thanks again.

God bless you all.

DT

[carrielles]

I am trained in 3 kinds of martial arts. Soem do focus time or meditation but I spend that time with Jesus instead of "focusing" on my technique. Its all about heart attitude, and what you put as a priority. In 13 years I have never had the need to use it. Butits there if I do. thank you jesus for showing me what is important. My hubby is US navy, you can bet he will use deadly force to protect you and your rights to peaceably assemble and worship and all the others in the constitution.

[Warrior of Christ]

Christians are not doormats;

Exactly. I have a 7 month old daughter, if an intruder entered my home, i will strike him dead.

But to answer your question, in my opinon defense is not a problem. Even though Peter denyed Jesus, didn't he cut a man's ear off who tried to arrest Jesus? My family is everything, i will fight to the death for my family. If you feel has if you have done wrong my striking a man, pray to God for your forgivness for being violent, and also pray for the man who began the violence. Pray for him because at that time, Satan was on his shoulder.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Warrior of Christ

[Guest Theology_Professor]

Yes Christians are to defend themselves and their families. To not do so makes one "worse than an infidel" Proverbs. One needs to provide for them and defend them. Life is a gift of God worth defending. Satan comes to kill steal and destroy. Satan is not lord. We don't have to give into them.

Jesus came to die. He had a different purpose so we cannot align ourselves with that. Nor can we align ourselves with the early church of which many were killed. Jesus was not a pacifist. He picked up a whip and chased out money changers. He spoke up when needed. He stopped Peter from defending him in the garden because it was his purpose to die at that time. Peter was needed to spread the gospel ... so Jesus was defending him.

The disciples did not stand around after Jesus died and wait to be killed. They ran and hid. That was not a bad thing.

When ad 70 hit many ran to the hills and it saved their lives. Jesus warned the people do to so.

To let yourself be killed without a fight is not being a true martyr. There are people, though, that bring on their own death. It is not then an honorable death unto the Lord.

God himself let Peter out of prison when he was captured awaiting death. God defends his own now and then.

Choose life.

[Guest Jude 1:3]

Jesus said if you don't have a sword, sell your coat and buy one. (Luke 22:36)

Clearly He believed the Saints ought to defend ourselves.

Many of the nations which enact gun-control have a long, long history of genocide...

[irishcowboy]

so what kinda self defence should we take? most if not all self defence classes r based on martial arts. and that is based on eastern philospy.

let me see, there is one called Smith, and then there is Wesson, and they are 45,

then there is this

it is better to talk then to walkaway,

it is better to walk away then to run,

it is better to run then to to be struck,

it is better to strike then to be struck,

it is better to maime then to be maimed,

it is better to kill then to be killed.

and remember, there is a season for all things.....

i do not condone killing (which would be also different then murder) but what has to be done has to be done.

mike