Militia News – by Don BoysI have been asked if Christians should “shoot to kill” in self-defense, No, they should shoot to stay alive! A truism very appropriate today in America is, a gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone. Courts have ruled that the police have no legal obligation to protect you.
In real, everyday life, you and your family are on your own! As Dad you are to be the provider, priest, and protector of the family. You are the paladin “Have Gun, Will Travel” and that means you may have to shoot another person to keep the family safe.
Most Americans admit that self-defense is American but is it Christian? I think so, although many will disagree.
In Genesis 14, some kings kidnapped Lot along with others and fled the countryside. Abraham, being responsible for his nephew, armed his 318 trained servants and pursued them almost to Damascus. He fought the enemy and brought back Lot, his family, and servants and all the bounty. Abraham believed in using force.
It is never mentioned by pacifists that Hebrews 11:34 highly commends Abraham and other famous Old Testament men who were very aggressive against wrong. In fact the writer says they “waxed valiant in fight.”
In Exodus 22:2 God permits the defense of your home. If you are awakened during the night by a thief in your house, you have every right to kill the invader without any sense of guilt. However, if it is daylight you do not have the right to kill the intruder unless he tries to kill you.
All right, but what about the New Testament teaching? First of all, no Christian has a right to retaliation or personal vengeance; however, he does have a Scriptural and constitutional right to defend himself, his family, and his property.
In Luke 19-11-27, Jesus describes a king who killed those who opposed him. According to many authorities, the king in the parable represents Jesus Himself when he returns to set up his kingdom on earth. If killing is always wrong, then why would Christ use a parable wherein one representing Himself kills someone?
In all the examples in the Gospels, Christ or His disciples never told a soldier to not fight or not kill in time of war or self-defense. They had many opportunities to make the point if they wanted to make it. They did not.
Those who boast of not believing in self-defense are almost always inconsistent. They will use seat belts, locks on their autos and homes, take flu shots, etc. but balk when it comes to protecting themselves with guns. Evidently they believe in a “little” self-protection but not “big” protection. Or do they believe in protection against “things” but not against people? Or do they know what they believe?
What pacifists do know is that they have the freedom to espouse their illogical talk because brave, aggressive men like General Patton kicked down the tyrants’ doors to maintain the freedom for pacifist doves to fly around cooing “peace, peace;” when they did nothing to produce that peace. National defense, like self-defense is not wrong—it is right.
Quakers and others opposed to weapons point out the absence of swords or their use in the New Testament after the Book of Acts, but so what? The Bible doesn’t refer to sandals after the Book of Acts, but does any sane person believe Christians did not wear them?
Swords were common in those days, so if it was wrong for believers to own or use swords, we can expect Scripture to clearly say so; but it doesn’t.
My critics point out that Jesus told Peter to put up his sword when he cut off the servant’s ear during His arrest in the Garden; however, Christ was clearly saying that His time had come for Him to die for man’s sins, so Pete was not to attempt to stop what must take place.
But self-defense is so unlike the gentle and mild Jesus” says someone; however, let me point out that the “gentle and mild Jesus” drove the moneychangers out of the Temple with a whip.
One of Christ’s last commands before going to Calvary was to tell the disciples to sell their cloak and purchase a sword! (Luke 22:36) The meaning is, let him procure a sword at any expense, even if he is required to sell his clothes for it, intimating that the danger would be very great, and a sword would offer protection from wicked men.
My critics say that Christ did not mean to purchase a sword; He only meant that they would face many battles as they preached the gospel. Not so, because in verse 38 the disciples said, “Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.” No figurative language there. Christ told them to possess swords as they traveled the world preaching the gospel, although two swords would be sufficient.
Why did He tell them to purchase a sword? Because shotguns had not been invented yet! A used shotgun will be much more practical than an extra suit. Have you obeyed His command?
If you permit a murder or rape of an innocent child when you could have stopped it, then you are morally responsible for it. Go sell your suit and buy a gun, learn to use it, and be willing to use it when necessary. However, remember if you carelessly shoot the Avon lady or paper boy, you will have to take the responsibility.
Written by Don Boys.
http://www.militianews.com/should-christians-shoot-in-self-defense/
Good article and happens to be a question that I have been trying to debate and figure out with my Christian friends too, who seemed to be one step ahead of me and said similar things as this article does.
One pointed to Jesus’ teachings in the Book of Matthew, while another referred to the story of Joshua and Jericho and how they sent in spies and battled many armies in self-defense. Also, I have even thought about the story of David. How many times did David go to war and by the way who killed Goliath to protect the Israelites?
Oh yea, DAVID!
Remember that sling with the stone that knocked Goliath dead and God loved David and made him king over the Israelites? Yep, that was him!
Like the author says, they may have not had guns back then, but they sure as hell had stones, swords and so on which are the equivalent of guns and I’m sure they would have used them back in those days if they had them.
Basically, God helping them escape Egypt was really the only time they didn’t have weapons. After that, God told them that if the kings of the other lands did not accept the Israelites peacefully, they would have to go to war with them. So obviously, they had to have something to fight with other than their fists and obviously many people were killed and obviously God allowed them to defend themselves in war as long as it was just and moral.
The “Thou shall not kill” 5th Commandment is basically telling people to not go around killing people for immoral and unjust reasons and obviously to tell them to not go around killing people for fun. That is the extent of that commandment. As far as self-defense goes, that’s different.
“One of Christ’s last commands before going to Calvary was to tell the disciples to sell their cloak and purchase a sword! (Luke 22:36) The meaning is, let him procure a sword at any expense, even if he is required to sell his clothes for it, intimating that the danger would be very great, and a sword would offer protection from wicked men.
My critics say that Christ did not mean to purchase a sword; He only meant that they would face many battles as they preached the gospel.”
I have to say, I’m one of those critics actually. I tend to think he means the sword as in the Word of God and to sell everything you have and follow him as he states in the Gospels. So I’m still a little unsure on that one. But that’s just me.
As far as any verses that state specifically the justification of killing in self-defense, I can’t think of any off hand, but I can recite many stories that imply it, as I have stated earlier in my comment.
If anyone knows any specifics verses stating self-defense or can point me in that direction, please let me know as I would like to study them for myself.
I believe he meant it just as he said it ” and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” Because you can not sell a physical item and buy words that come from the mouth. I have heard it stated that he meant to buy a bible to keep with you as your sword, but there were no bibles at that time! So I believe he meant actually to possess a weapon. The second and end part of this is when they replied to him with ” lord, behold, here are two swords.” And said back to them. ” it is enough.” You know what we say? One is none, two is one! There is a misstated quote for comandment 5, I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately written as “Thou shall not kill.” And it is written in the original text as ” Thou shall not murder.” And there is a difference. When you kill it is out of necessity and in defense of self or others, but when you murder it is out of sinful action and mostly for self gain. There are a couple of great teachings on sermonaudio.com one is by john weaver titled war 1-4, another great sermon about this subject is also on sermonaudio.com by Michael slattery titled biblical self-defense which is a two part teaching and yet another by john weaver titled self-defense also a two part teaching. I was struggling deeply about it and prayed wholeheartedly and was lead to these and I believe it can spark the candle of thought to light your way.
God told the Hebrews to attack and kill the inhabitants – the Hebrews attacked killed the soldiers and took the women as slaves – God rebuked them and said – I told you to kill them all, men, women and children as they are not of Me.
In 1215, a heretical sect of Albegensians were killing all the Catholics in French towns, villages and hamlets. The Catholics mustered a small army of 200 horse and 800 infantry ( which in those days infantry were considered not very useful, just cannon fodder), all of whom had little training or battle experience.
The Albegensians were closing fast and had 100,000 men on horse, all battle hardened and well trained. The Catholics with their 1000 ill trained by courageous, knelt down, prayed the Rosary and attacked. 100,000 vs 1000.
The Albegensians were annihilated, the Catholics suffered 2 dead and 8 wounded – true story.
A small band of Catholic knights faced an overwhelming army of Muslims on a plane in Spain during Isabella’s reign in the 15th century. Although massively outnumbered, the Catholic knights prayed and attacked. As they were attacking across a wide plane towards the Muslims, out of the clouds came three horsemen, St. Michael, St. Raphael and St. Gabriel, the three Archangels, who rode in with the Catholic knights and helped to annihilate the Muslims. To this day is a statue in Spain commemorating this battle and the assistance of the three Archangels. – True story.
A true story told to over 5000 Marines as they were embarking for Korea in 1951, and many other soldiers and marines afterwards. For clarity their are two Michael’s, for clarity we will call the Marine Michael “MM” and the “other” Marine Michael that joins late – Just MIchael.
A Sargent picked a 20 man “volunteer” squad for a recon patrol to search for infiltrating Chinese Communists (Chicoms). It was cold, winter, a light snow falling in the woods. The men were spaced 20 meters apart and started a slow searching advance abreast of each other on line. As they started to advance a new man Michael ran up to MM and said, I’m joining you and my name is Michael, so is mine said MM, then Michael repeated a prayer that MM’s mother had taught him as a child, which he always prayed and tried to get others to pray it. The new man Michael repeated the prayer – to which MM thought the men in the company had told him as to tease him somewhat.
As they advanced into the woods, suddenly Michael says, stop – enemy. MM looks to his side and sees six chicoms just leveling their machine guns at them and they open up. MM hits the dirt, looks up and tells MIchael, who was just standing there, to get down. He, MM, reaches up and tries to grab Michael and just then gets hit in the chest by a round from the enemy and begins to pass out. Writing this story later to his mother while recovering, MM writes, ‘mom, I don’t know if it was an illusion or what but as I was passing out it appeared that Michael grew very big and suddenly he was wearing some sort of armour and had a large sword, then I passed out. Later, when MM was being carried to the rear his Sargent asked him what happened.. MM said ask Michael who joined me late – the Sargent told him – son, I was watching you the whole time and no one was with you, I was just about to call you in a bit closer when those Chicoms opened up – but tell me how did you kill them son, we checked your rifle and you did not fire a shot, but those six Chicoms had their head severed from their bodies as if by a sword. This is a true story and is online – called “St. Michael and the Marine”.
Story, after story could I tell you from history, with many witnesses similar to these. Of course Christians have a duty to protect themselves, their families, their faith and their countries – and the God of the Old Test is the same God of the New – and God does not change His mind nor His commandments, nor His attitude.
During Isabella’s time in 15th Century Spain, while the Moores (Muslims) were ravaging Spain, raping their women and slaughtering their men – on many a Spanish house and barn were written the words – Pray to God and Keep Your Powder Dry – today that translates to – Praise (pray to) the Lord and pass the ammo.
WOW! Thanks for sharing that Marine story, Jarhead. I love hearing stories about things like that.
Man, so if that’s really a true story…Wow! I don’t know what to say except God was definitely there for that guy. I’ll have to remember that one.
I wonder if JD has heard that story before.
Reminds me of Daniel 12:1 about the end of times and delivery from oppression:
“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of they people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
Easy question.
Absolutely.
Self defense is what it is……………..regardless, no?
Property rights,contractual rights and free markets solve the problem.Sometimes you put up with your neighbor as long as he is not harming you and vice versa.It provides for mutual protection,limited stress and a happy god.On the other hand we are born free with a natural right to protect our own bodies.But I think as people get reaccustomed to this natural system the less state police we need and the better we get along with our neighbors and the less anybody is jailed or shot.It’s any damned fool’s opinion whether there’s no god or one God or infinite gods.Property rights and individual rights remain the same.Any God would feel the same.You’ll have to excuse me for my wisdom but I’m getting old so I think I’m smart just like I thought when I was young.But I’d defend myself or my family to the death and anybogy wouldn’t is a coward or a goddamned fool.