Can you imagine the apostle John defending himself with karate chops or Jesus Christ fighting off an opponent with kung fu tactics? (See the December 8, 1975, Awake!)
The thing is, we're not John, nor are we Jesus. Our callings are different. Can you imagine Jesus Christ driving to work in traffic every day? Or how about base jumping or water skiing? Can you see Jesus or John ice skating, taking their wives to the movies, stopping on the way home for a steak and onion rings?
Peter had a sword and used it to lop off an ear of one of the mob. Jesus made a moral teaching out of it, but he never forbade self defense, nor did he apparently have an issue with Peter having a sword. At the time, he was fulfilling that which he came into the world to fulfill, and he offered himself freely. At other times, he vanished from the sight of his enemies or used other miraculous forms of self defense we don't have access to.
In my view, any man who does not defend himself and his family is a coward and isn't fit to have a family. Can you imagine John standing by, silently, while some human scum raped his wife or child? I don't think so. My philosophy is to be a man of peace; to walk softly, but carry a .357 magnum.
Oh yes, and regarding Karate and other forms of Asian martial arts, they also teach discipline, self control, peace, and BTW, isn't it better to deflect someone's knife hand and kick his feet out from under him than put a hole in him the size of a quarter?
A number of years ago, some psycho broke into a home and found himself face-to-face with the woman of the house, armed with a revolver. The problem is, she couldn't bring herself to shoot as he advanced on her, grinning and weilding a knife. He could sense her lack of resolve and then, without warning, the woman's four-year old son came running into the room, unaware of the danger. The man stopped, grinned wider and started for the boy.
It was a mistake. She shot him six times in the chest, sending him on a one-way trip to the morgue. She wasn't willing to shoot in her own defense, but you don't mess with a momma bear!
The people who write such crap, like the Awake! quote above, is that they're idiots and false prophets. As someone who got the living crap beaten out of him back in his college days by a couple of thugs, I can tell you there is no dishonor, shame or disgrace in fighting back. If you have a family, you owe it to them to be able to protect them. And if you don't, don't expect to be proud of yourself. In the Law of Moses, the right to self defense was unquestionable.
Still, it's an individual choice. No religious society should dictate it.
Even animals have God-given means to self
defense. Man has his intellect and rules the
planet.
The real dilemma should be revolver or
semi-auto.
When in doubt, let the Bible be your guide!
.
