Today's lesson will be about "Protecting Yourself and Other People"
Alright, has anybody watched the local news, and all of a sudden there's a bunch of murder cases stacked one after another? It's kinda sad to see such heinous crimes going on. For a few others, it's even more sad that in many of these cases, nobody even tried to stop the criminal.
Question - Now, what would you do if you saw an armed man, either stealing your stuff, or holding your family hostage? (Answers)
If you think about it, you can do a variety of things. You can hide until the crook is gone, you can run and get a neighbor or a cop, or you can dial 911. If you feel like you really need to save your family or house, you can even resort to taking down the crook.
Now, if you're in tune with today's culture, you will see that a lot of people in the U.S.A aren't very comfortable with defending themselves, their home, or their family, especially when they have to use weapons or violence. Any of ya'll watch the news with your parents? If you pay attention, a lot of politicians from many states are trying to enact gun "control" laws that either ban or limit the use of weapons and violence of any kind, be the weapon or attack used intentionaly, unintentionaly, or even when trying to protect yourself from an attacker. If you look at Jesus' chosen people, the Jews, you'll see that even they and the nation of Israel hate gun control. Israel, along with a minority of other nations, consider gun control to be evil for at least these two reasons:
1. Israel considers gun control to be the precursor to genocide.
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Look at the Holocaust as an example. According to a New York Times article from 1938, Jews from Berlin had about 2600 hand weapons, 1700 guns, and 20000 rounds of ammunition confiscated from them on November 8th. So what happened to all the confiscated guns?(answers) Let's look into the death camps. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, had a weapon except for the Germans who ran the death camps. I guess you could assume the worst happened with the German government...
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2. Israel and part of the USA also hates gun control because of the major hypocrisy involved.
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From the mid 20th century to now, many of our anti-gun politicians and anti-gun activists have either broken or bent the laws they wanted to set up for you. One NY Representative wanted the police to have guns, but he had to give up two handguns after being charged with a felony crime. Two Illinois congressman were involved with guns. One of North Carolina's most anti-gun representatives shot one of two robbers who entered his home just earlier this year. I could go on...
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Now, with the option of taking down the crook removed, you'll see there's very few options left to stop the crook. Anybody have some? (answers) The first thing I can think of off the spot is to call the police. While the police can be very reliable people to trust your life with, there are some major problems. But the worst problem with the cops is their location. How far away are most emergency vehicles from your home? (answers) For some of us who live in the Charlotte suburbs, they're around five minutes away. Well when someone's robbing your house, they're not here for a sleepover. They're only going to stay for about a minute or two and get out quickly. If they see you, they'll be out faster than you can say "Blast it, he took the kitchen sink!" The crook's likely to be long gone with that sink before the police arrive!
Well, there goes a long explination... But now, it's time to see what the Word of God says about protecting yourself and your home!
1st Verse - Exodus 22:2 If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;
Now, God doesn't just say this through only the Christian Bible, and He's not just talking to Christians, either. Has anyone heard of the Talmud, or the Catechism? (See if anyone bothers to answer) The Talmud is the book of Jewish Law. From what a Rabbi told me, the entire thing is about twenty volumes long. Look what God said to the Jewish through His Word in the Talmud:
Since the burglar is going to kill you, rise up and kill him first - Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 72A
The Catechism of Saint Thomas Aquinas is the base of the rules of the Catholic Church. It explains the Ten Commandments in the greatest detail possible. Here's a quote from the Catechism:
Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow - Catechism 2264c, Thomas Aquinas
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[[We've all read a lot of the Bible. I'd like to know, has anyone ever found a verse that says anything like this: "Thou shalt not resist, hurt or kill a criminal, even if he tries to threaten, seduce or steal from you or your brother"? (Answers) ]]
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Question - All those verses and quotes say that if you catch a thief stealing your property, and hit or kill him, that you won't be guilty of murder. But what if you kill him AFTER he gets away with stealing your property?
2nd verse - Exodus 22:3 But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. "A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft.
What's the typical time for a robbery to happen? (Nighttime!) Well, if someone's stealing your stuff at three in the morning, and you're snoring so much that you don't notice it, how long do you think he will have been gone once the sun's up? (many hours) Well at that time, will he still be stealing your stuff, or threatening your family? (answer) So if you kill him then, you're basically killing for revenge, which is the same as murder. What do you do now?
3rd Verse - Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
Numbers 35:12 - These cities will be places of protection from a dead person's relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community.
Well, he's gotten away, so you can't just kill the theif or murderer, or you'll be guilty of murder and revenge. Basically, you would call the police, and let them and God handle the rest.
Now, what if someone else's life or lives are at risk? God has some things to say about that.
Leviticus 19:16 (New Living Translation) - "Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. Do not stand idly by when your neighbor's life is threatened. I am the LORD."
In the Catechism, Thomas Aquinas says: Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. - Catechism 2265a, Thomas Aquinas
In the Talmud, God also says: Where is it taught that it is obligatory to save someone who is being pursued by another with the intent to murder? The Torah teaches "Do not stand by idly when your brother's life is endangered. -Jewish Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 73A
Alright, next. Anybody remember those various shootings and massacres that have been reported in the news? Someone give me an example. (Columbine, Pentagon, Fort Hood, Clorado School where teacher saved student, DC Sniper, etc.)
Judges 5:8: They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
I mean no offense to any of these victims. But think about most of these shootings. Nearly all the victims were unarmed and defenseless. Anybody guess why? (answer) Well, if you go around town a lot, most buildings have a policy against having a gun. In fact, many states hardly let you own one. But that doesn't mean someone can't sneak in a gun and start a killing spree! But even still, if any of the victims were smart enough to sneak in a gun in case the madman started killing, they'd probably be in prison with the killer, regardless of what they intended to do with the gun!
Well, God has something to say for future victims:
1 Samuel 25:13 - And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
So King David armed every man with a weapon. Not just his soldiers, not just his guards, but every man, including the citizens! Do you think God would agree with this? (answer)
Believe it or not, even Jesus agreed!
Luke 22:36: "Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
(A scrip is a piece of paper accepted as money in certain places)
Based on that, Jesus and David wanted every Israelite to have a sword at his side, in case some murderer were to walk in and try to kill somebody. From their point of view, Jesus and David believed they cared about the lives of the Israelites.
Now, what if I were to pull *draw toy gun* this out?! (see reactions)
At least six of you would be dead right now. Shame, shame! Communist Leader Vladmir Lenin said, "One man with a gun can control 100 without one." So if a group of people abode by the law and went into a building unarmed, and one killer went in with his gun, then it's game over for the unarmed. Now, Let's change a little something here. Suppose each of you had at least one gun, and then I draw the gun. That's (count people) guns versus my one gun. I stand no chance! If that were the case, I'd be in prison, maybe even dead. But look at the bright side, ya'll would've saved six lives that I would've taken otherwise!
Just imagine if all those massacre victims had guns with them. Each shooter would've thought twice before taking that first shot, and in total tens to hundreds of lives would've been saved, by guns! If having a gun in the right place can save one life (Or in the case of Virginia Tech, save thirty-two lives and prevent twenty-five wounds), wouldn't that be worth it?
BEFORE YOU RUN LIKE GREMLINS, let me tell you a few things:
1. I am not promoting in any way the use of violence and weaponry to solve all of your little problems in life. God views that as anger and revenge. But when someone is trying to kill you or your family members, remember that God loves you so much that if it was the only choice, He would let you kill the attacker to save your family. So go ahead and get him if you really must! Remember, mommy and daddy won't always be there, the cops are never seconds away, and Superman is only on Saturday morning cartoons.
2. Firearms may be the most effective method, but they are not the only method of protecting yourself. Some people carry knives, some carry pepper spray, some even know martial arts. The cops carry billy clubs and stun guns, but whether you can get those is questionable right now.
3. Do be aware that in some states, it is illegal to attack, shoot, or even kill someone, even if that someone is threatening you or your family. So be aware of criminals, and try to avoid them in the first place.
4. Here's two rules about defensive and aggressive violence:
a. DO hit back because someone is attacking you. DO NOT hit back because someone had attacked you! There's a huge difference, trust me!
b. Violence is not the only answer. But neither is being pacifist.