Hi all!
Lessee...
Jews are not pacifists; while orthodox Judaism treasures the sanctity of human life, it does not place any value on pacifism. Huldrych and Jephunneh cited Exodus 22:2; we do as well. In Judaism, we believe that we are actually
commanded to -- as a last resort and if there is no other choice -- kill someone who would/is trying to kill us; to do otherwise, as Mother Vashti would have us do, would be to commit willful suicide, which is (we believe) a terrible sin. Similarly, we believe that we are
commanded to -- as a last resort and if there is no other choice -- kill someone who is attempting to murder someone else; to do otherwise, as Mother Vashti would have us do, would be to commit the murder.
Mother Vashti, please don't take any of this personally! I certainly do
not mean to pick on you; however, I find your beliefs (which I certainly do respect, even though I do not share them) to be at considerable variance with how we (orthodox Jews) understand the scriptures.
Huldrych, I certainly endorse the idea of responsible (but not unlimited!) gun ownership. Whoever owns a weapon must know how to use, and store, it properly.
We also believe that our views on the relevant scriptures should not foster a Dirty Harry mentality.
In Genesis 15:1, God tells Abram
Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward shall be exceeding great.
Our Sages ask what Abram had to be afraid of, having just returned victorious from his campaign against the 4 kings. Our Sages give various explanations. Rashi (
Rabbi
Shlomo
Itzhaki, CE 1040-1105,
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/rashi.html) says that Abram
was concerned not over the one innocent life he might have taken [in the course of the campaign against the 4 kings], but over all the lives, both the innocent and the wicked that he had been instrumental in taking. He was not troubled over the isolated cases of injustice dictated by the necessity of war but over the contingency of war itself which necessitated so much bloodshed.
The above excerpt is from the late Nehama Leibowitz's "Studies in Genesis." Prof. Leibowitz (may her memory be blessed!) cites I Chronicles 22:7 and I Chronicles 28:3 in support of Rashi's view. In the latter reference, King David tells his princes
"But God said unto me: 'You shall not build a house for My name because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.'"
Regarding Phineas, God promises him "My covenant of peace". Our Sages believe that "My covenant of peace" was a promise of inner peace, that Phineas, ever sensitive to the sanctity of human life, should not be consumed by doubts, regrets and emotional turmoil, when he realizes that here, he has just killed two people, sinners yes, but two people who were created in the Divine Image. Our Sages teach that, "Whoever saves one life, it is as if he had saved an entire world. Whoever destroys one life, it is as if he had destroyed an entire world." God had mercy on Phineas that he should not be consumed by the enormity of what he had done & thus gave him His "covenant of peace."
BTW, under Jewish law, a priest who had taken human life, even if entirely justifiable self-defense or by pure accident, was permanently disqualified from officiating at the Temple altar. Our Sages say that the service at the altar brings life into the world; one who took life has no place there.
Just my thoughts (such as they are).
Be well!
ssv
But honestly, I do believe in responsible gun ownership, as well as responsible attitudes regarding the use of deadly force in self defense. As a Christian, I also believe the Bible explains that God makes provision for such, but this provision should not foster a "Dirty Harry" mindset, if you know what I mean. 
