Post by TheFirebrand on Mar 5, 2012 14:17:20 GMT -6
Matthew 5:39 (KJV) But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
There is nothing in this Scripture that indicate we ought not defend ourselves or our loved ones against violence. God does not expect anyone to just willingly allow themselves to be beaten to death or to willingly sit by and watch as a home invader rapes their wives and murders their children. That is not what this verse is about.
Need I remind you of Nehemiah chapter 4? The faithful soldiers were all armed while doing God's work and in rebuilding Jerusalem. Obviously they were armed with swords in that time, but would you take a knife to a gunfight? Anyone who tells you it is morally wrong to bear arms is essentially forcing their opinions on you.
Secondly God has blessed Israel with the greatest skills of defending themselves against even the worst of odds!
You do not have to kill someone to defend yourself. There are other ways of disabling a person, sometimes without even harming them.
What Matthew 5:39 is saying is that (and I know this from experience) that sometimes its best just to turn and walk away or to ignore somebody rather than to accelerate the situation by adding fuel to the flames. God is not telling people to give themselves up for a beating.
John 15:13 says "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Do you not realize that sometimes that self sacrifice literally mandates fighting to save the lives of others?
Myself I do not believe it is honorable to join a military that works for a government who's only interest is war mongering. If our military truly was defending our country, then this would be a different perspective entirely ...
"Thou shall not murder" is the correct translation of Exodus 20:13. Otherwise how could we ever eat? We must hunt for meat and garden for fruits and vegetables. Do you not realize that plants are alive?
Neither is self defense an act of murder!
Matthew 5:21-22 (In the King James Version) is utterly misinterpreted: Jesus says "Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not murder; and whosoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment ... "
Again, the true translation is murder. Verse 22 states "without a cause" ... Someone invading your home or threatening you family is a good cause to be angry ...
I have seem for some reason 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 being used as reason not to bear arms ... If you willingly give yourself over to a beating or torture simply on the precedence alone that you do not believe in the right to defend yourself ... that my friends is serving man!
I have also seen Acts 5:29 used for this purpose. Its states "We ought to serve God rather than man" Well God never told us to sit and allow violence of other men or fear of them to control us ... if you do, then you are serving man as well ...
The use of these Scriptures to justify the belief that bearing arms is wrong is total contradiction. If you do not wish to own a gun, I am not speaking against that. What I am doing is thwarting your use of Scripture to push it on others that they ought not have the means to defend themselves and their families ...
I have not known any great men of God who would not willingly defend their homes and families ...
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