So, I'm stuck. Because it's a tempting path to choose. Of course, no sane person I think wants violence. Yet, I find myself arguing that we should be violent. And it makes me feel like an awful person. I'm supporting, nay, encouraging the use of violent force. What a horrible person I am. But, wait. Surely, I'm not actually saying these things.
Just for fun, let's look at what I am saying.
I'm saying that in self defense, or in defense of another, I will violently and, yes, even lethally oppose an attacker. I believe that no greater love has any man than this: that he would lay down his life for his friend. And I don't believe this is merely in a passive sense. I would put my life in danger to defend my family or loved ones, and feel completely within the will of God.
I'm saying that I believe there are wars worth fighting. Granted, I think few of the ones going on today are worth fighting, but I do believe that there are and have been wars that served a higher purpose. I mourn the loss of human life, but there are things, great things, that would have never happened had it not been for the sacrifices of so many.
I'm saying that justice is necessary. I think if a man willfully kills another, he deserves no less than his own death. This needs to be quick, painless, and non-torturous. While on trial, a man may repent, and truly feel remorse for his crimes. This has happened multiple times. And I believe that those that have have truly attained salvation. But, the consequences for their actions still stand. Their victims are still dead, families are still destroyed. Crimes and their punishments are laid out in scripture, with capital punishment being one of the punishments prescribed by God Himself. Therefore, I see it as a legitimate punishment.
So, maybe, after all, I'm not supporting violence. Maybe....maybe I'm just giving myself and others enough grace to realize that violence exists, sadly, but not all is unnecessary. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not crazy after all..............
.......nahhhhh.
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youre a good kind of crazy. good post, made me think. :)
ReplyDeleteI had a comment all typed out and then I hadn't logged in yet, so it went away.. poo.. Let me try and re-type it.
ReplyDeleteI do not support violence. Granted, if someone came at me, trying to attack me, I would most likely use self defense if I weren't too afraid to act. (there was something here...) I feel that if we enforce Capital Punishment then we are taking the lives of people-'well they are guilty!' well, none of us are innocent in today's society. I feel like it's a never ending cycle of unnecessary death. Who are we to judge anyway? We aren't God. I realize justice is necessary- Let him sit in a cell for the rest of his life with no chance of ever getting out.
I also agree that there are 'wars' worth fighting, but what I view as a worth-fighting war, is not the war on Terrorism-sorry. There is sex trafficking, slavery, starvation, abuse and SO many more.. Shooting guns and blowing up things is so much different than going into brothels and rescuing girls from sex trafficking. Those are the wars I'm willing to fight.