Self Defense

[MK202002]

This is a personal question- have any of you killed anyone? In any type of situation, like combat, home defense, etc? What do you think of what you did? would you do it again?

I appriciate everyones input, but maybe when deciding on something we should first we should look at scripture (which we did), and second at the first hand experiences of people who have put thier beliefs (on both sides of the arguement) into practice.

Because we all know what we plan to do and what we end up being able to do at the time of the situation are two different things.

[JB Horn]

Still pondering this myself. What do you guys think?

And remember SELF defense. I'm not talking about defending anyone else.

Based on the answer, I would have to change my mind on a lot of things. It's a serios thing, don't you think?

We ask ourselves what would Christ do. But are not the Son and the Father one? What would the Father have you do?

Numbers 25:16

[Guest man]

[Eliyahuw]

This is a personal question- have any of you killed anyone?

No. Not for the lack of trying though. I shot someone for attempting to hijack my vehicle with me in it. they lived as they were intelligent enough to leave when they got a bullet in them instead of continuing to threaten me.

In any type of situation, like combat, home defense, etc? What do you think of what you did?

What did i think? First when it happened i was so wound up from the adrenaline pumping through me all i could do was focus on escape at any cost. When that was not possible then it turned into fight. once the attacker left, i drove off to get some distance and pulled over and ralphed my guts out while shaking like a leaf.

would you do it again?

Yes in a heartbeat. Theres something that my son told me that really made sense. He trained soldiers in the Republic of Georgia to fight terrorism. His biggest hurdle in training these men was to get it out of their head that they would lay down their life for their country. He taught them that it is unacceptable to lay down your life but to fight to live, and to come home alive not a dead hero. I apply that to everything now. i fight to live now.

[JB Horn]

[larryt]

Still pondering this myself. What do you guys think?

And remember SELF defense. I'm not talking about defending anyone else.

Based on the answer, I would have to change my mind on a lot of things. It's a serios thing, don't you think?

just thinking about what Christ told the disciples to purchase.......

if self defense was not implied, why did He tell them to buy a sword????? and this does not include the BIBLE, for the BIBLE ( or as we call it, THE SWORD) was not in existance.....

Luk 22:35

[roselady]

Still pondering this myself. What do you guys think?

And remember SELF defense. I'm not talking about defending anyone else.

Based on the answer, I would have to change my mind on a lot of things. It's a serios thing, don't you think?

just thinking about what Christ told the disciples to purchase.......

if self defense was not implied, why did He tell them to buy a sword????? and this does not include the BIBLE, for the BIBLE ( or as we call it, THE SWORD) was not in existance.....

Luk 22:35

[Guest man]

[larryt]

ok,

if there was another reason,

what was it?

I agree, most people that have guns, knives and other weapons have an motive for having them.

those that live by the sword will die by the sword......

we are not to go looking for trouble, we should not walk around town with ( as i have done in the past ) a 44 mag (loaded) on one side and a 357 (loaded) on the other. this can be preceived as looking for trouble, the same as I use to walk around San Diego with a blade 12" long on my side.....

thing is, i walked around San Diego, at all hours of the day and night, and all parts of town, never had any trouble with anyone..... you may even say it was different then, well yea, maybe so, did this in the late 70's and also in the early/mid 90's, walking around at all hours of the day and night.... I had no problems with anyone, never got robbed, never got mugged, never got accosted... would walk mostly alone....

self defense, like when i was in the military, i have defended myself from attacks from others, (other military members)

first off, if some one struck me, i did not strike back, for a person to strike another is assult (and battery), even if the person throwing the blow turns and walks away.....

one strike....

the person throwing the second blow is just as much the problem.....

if some one swings at me once, the incident is over, they are free to walk away....

if i swing back, there will be a full fledged fight, and no one knows who threw the first punch....

if some one slugs me once, and i do not retaliate, there is no fight.... buy, if they slug me again, then it has gone further then just simple assult and battery...... and by then every one knows who threw the first punch.....

there is a story i have heard and shared....

a roman soldier (a big man, one that people would not mess with), present at the Cross, was touched by Christ, sought out the desciples, and became a believer in Christ as the Son of God...... as he learned the teachings, he would apply them into practice, he was still a roman soldier, and one of his fellow soldiers found out about his conversion....... asked him if it were true that if he smote him that he would turn the other cheek........ the new convert, said yes....... so the other roman soldier, smote him with all he had, and the new converts head did not even twitch, and he stood there. then the soldier, reared back and with all he had, swung again.... hit the new convert with as much force as would lay a normal man out for the count, and the new convert took it, a solid blow to the jaw...... he just smiled, and said NOW IT IS MY TURN........

how many times are we to turn the other cheek????

we are to be humble, yes, and we are not to provoke violance, and to avoid it where we can... but... there is nothing that is written that we have to be a punching bag or a door mat.....

there is a time and a place for all things......

a bully is a bully is a bully, no matter what name it is given.... and some times it takes a solid fist, in self defense, to change that bully to a friend.....

in 1972, bullies were in the schools, just as they are now.... bullies were not handled any differently then as they are now.... no one does anything about it until the hammer drops.....

a boy was being picked on by three other boys, for three nine weeks, he was being hit, kicked, punched, belittled, books knocked out of his hands, papers ripped up.... and the boy would ask the teacher to be moved (9th grade) to a different seat... he did not want trouble, just wanted to be able to do his work in peace..... the teacher denied the request every time it was presented.....

the boy went up to the teacher prior to class starting on day, to ask again, to be moved, the teacher was talking with another student, one of the bullies, came up behind him, slugged him so the teacher could not see, the boy turned and nailed the bully with his left hand, set his books down, came back with his right and creamed him, then one more with his left...... chipped a tooth, broke his nose, cut his lip and blackened his eye, the bully hit the back wall of the class room and slumped to the floor.

the boy then turned to the teacher and said NOW CAN I MOVE????

that boy and the bully became best of friends through out the rest of the high school years.... the other two bullies, no longer pestered anyone, for the fear of what happened to the one, was upon them......

self defense???? yea, we do not need to be doormats....

as with the terrorist? they have created enough damage, it is time to put these bullies in their place, you do not wish to fight, that is fine, but when they come and start picking at you, do not expect to be rescued.

people were told to depart a country, and some did and some did not..... then....when over 50 were taken captive, every one was yelling for us to get them out........HEY....THEY WERE TOLD TO LEAVE...... they chose to stay....

how many terrorist attacks have we had against the USA in the last year? how many have died? those saved and those unsaved?

how many in the last 5 years?

how about the last 6?

how about the previous 8 years?

was it right that the USS Stark took missle shots to her side, from a supposidly "friendly" aircraft????

mistake??? i think not..... how many of the sailors on board that lost their lives were not saved?

they were our companions in arms..... fellow soldiers and sailors that lost their lives for just being Americans.....

if you know the reason Christ told them to purchase a sword, i would like to know...

mike

Hi Mike,

Matthew Henry might be able to shed some light on the matter.

They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce upon them than they had been, and they would need magazines as well as stores: He that has no sword wherewith to defend himself against robbers and assassins (#2Co 11:26) will find a great want of it, and will be ready to wish, some time or other, that he had sold his garment and bought one. This is intended only to show that the times would be very perilous, so that no man would think himself safe if he had not a sword by his side. But the sword of the Spirit is the sword which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves with. Christ having suffered for us, we must arm ourselves with the same mind (#1Pe 4:1), arm ourselves with an expectation of trouble, that it may not be a surprise to us, and with a holy resignation to the will of God in it, that there may be no opposition in us to it: and then we are better prepared than if we had sold a coat to buy a sword. The disciples hereupon enquire what strength they had, and find they had among them two swords (#Lu 22:38), of which one was Peter

[Godsloft]

there is not one single passage in scripture which indicates we are not to defend our own lives against a thief, a psychopath, etc. the only thing even close is that those who die for CHRIST are blessed. since in our country at least, psychos don't go around asking you if you believe in Jesus before blowing your brains out.

Jesus told his desciples to carry a sword, and if they didn't have one, to sell their coat and buy one, because there would be difficult and dangerous times ahead in which they would need one.

that's good enough for me.

This is not true. Christ plainly stated not to resist an evil person. He also plainly stated that those who take up the sword will die by the sword. And He who tries to save His life will lose it. And if some one strikes you on the cheek turn the other to him also.

Matthew 5

39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Matthew 26

52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Matthew 16

25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

There is no such thing as self defense in Christ Jesus.