Is it sinful to kill in self-defense?

The San Fernando Valley NRA Members' Council ^ | 7/14/2013

[Redcloak]

Is it sinful to kill in self-defense?

This is a topic that I’ve been wanting to write about for a while now and this rant from NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen Garcia got me thinking about the subject again. At the Netroots Nation conference,  Garcia said of gun rights supporters…

“I’m not an ordained minister; I’m not a theologian, but these guys are going to hell.”

I’m not an ordained minister or a theologian either, but what does God think of those of us who own firearms? Did He really give us a right to keep and bear arms; to have deadly weapons?

Ultimately, the right to keep and bear arms is about the People retaining the ability to use deadly force to defend themselves, as a group or as individuals, from harm. If we are endowed by our Creator with the right to life, then the it follows that we have the right as individuals to possess the means necessary to defend ourselves from those intent upon harming us and threatening our lives. That threat may come from a criminal or from a tyrant, but the concept is the same; the right to possess defensive arms is a basic human right and one that the 2nd Amendment recognizes and protects.

But the question many people of faith ask is this: Is it moral to use deadly force in self defense? Do we sin against God by killing in self defense?

[Redcloak]

This had been floating around in my head for a while. Lily Eskelsen Garcia's comments and more recent events pushed me to complete it.

[clamper1797]

No

[Secret Agent Man]

Nope. Not at all.

[Mastador1]

I’d prefer talk to God about it later rather than sooner.

[Lmo56]

People have debated it for a long time. But, remember, the Bible makes a distinction between kill and murder ...

[Licensed-To-Carry]

"But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."

[joyce11111]

I would certainly protect myself or loved ones with force if faced with immenate danger! It is no time for "TURN THE OTHER CHEEK"!

[rwilson99]

Nope. Please refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2263-2267.

From the same good people who assembled the Holy Bible itself.

[nvscanman]

Only an idiot or an evil person with an agenda
for control would believe such a ludicrous thing.

[Redcloak]

That’s why I went back to the original text; especially the Hebrew. The Hebrew word “ratsach” (ra-tsak) is what was translated into the English language of 1611 as “kill”. My guess is that “kill” meant murder to many Englishmen in 1611; so at the time, that was a valid translation. In 2013, we wouldn’t choose “kill” as the correct English word. We’d choose “murder”.

[ansel12]

The fact that Peter carried his sword and attacked with it when Jesus was arrested, tells me that it was always with him, and was for self defense, even though in that particular incident, Jesus didn’t want defending or the sword used.

[humblegunner]

Is it sinful to kill in self-defense?

It is righteous and sanctioned by scripture to beat the
bloody hell out of blogpimps and fags. If they die as a
result they're just reaping the fruit they have themselves sown.

[Shadowstrike]

No, it’s not a sin to kill in self defense.

God made my Soul, and for awhile gives me this Earthly body. HE has a time limit on my life, not another mortal.

[Redcloak]

"But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."

And bear in mind that the sword was the AK-47 or M4 of its day. It was the standard issue infantry weapon of the time.

[missnry]

The “Arm-Chair Theologians” always throw out the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” If “killing” another human being was a “sin” then God would be full of “sin” by His act of the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah etc etc. The correct interpretation of the commandment is “Thou Shall Not Murder.” Defending life with lethal force is a judgment call that can be justified when warranted.

[Aliska]

Right, and Peter obviously was allowed to carry his sword when he was with Jesus.

Except for martyrdom for your faith, my personal opinion is you should kill to defend yourself and your family. Also to stop someone else from killing like yur neighbor. The Jews came to that conclusion after WWII. Never again will they be led like sheep to the slaughter.

To my way of thinking it would be a sin to let harm come to anyone and you had the means to prevent it. It's also meritorious to lay down your life so someone else might live in certain situations.

Now if the police are harming someone, once I would have said you don't interfere. Well, you still don't interfere if you don't want to get shot or seriously manhandled but that was before I saw and learned some things about police brutality, excessive force.

[crazydad]

Original Hebrew if I recall was “Thou shalt not murder”. As in maliciously. If it was a sin how many millions of good men would be in hell due to war? Murder on the other hand is a premeditated. This is just my opinion.

[SkyDancer]

Is it sinful to let yourself be killed if you are able to defend yourself?

[Redcloak]

I would argue that you not only have a right to defend the life that God gave you, but a duty to do so.

[smoothsailing]

Is it sinful to kill in self-defense?

No, but it's sinful not to.