Posted on 07/19/2016 7:32:44 AM PDT by Salvation
There was more violence this past weekend. A man, whatever his grievance, killed three police officers and wounded four others. Pray for their souls.
And what has this gotten us? More anger. And no progress on justice at all.
History is replete with the failures of those who thought they could usher in justice with violence. The “war to end all wars” (World War I) demonstrated this foolish notion, as it ultimately brought about a far bloodier one: World War II.
There is a famous aphorism (often attributed to Gandhi) that “an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
I would add that Jesus’ showdown with Satan demonstrated that pride cannot drive out pride; only humility can do that. Jesus defeated Satan’s pride with humility and obedience: He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross (Phil 2:8).
A violent response that is not an act of self-defense just throws fuel on the fire and causes Satan to win.
This post is brief for two reasons: (1) I am traveling, and (2) I think Bishop Robert Barron expresses things better than I could in this moment of fresh wounds. The video below is his commentary on the 2008 movie The Dark Knight. Bishop Barron ponders the problem of violence and critiques the world’s notion of how to fight it. His message is still relevant today.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
The question is too abstract. Violence is OK for self-defense, to repel an unjust aggressor.
Violence is OK in a just war.
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” —att. Plato
A violent response that is not an act of self-defense ...
I don't know what Fr. Barron says about it, because I haven't watched his video.
When someone resorts to violence, they are without another way of settling the problem or are not intelligent enough to act in a civilized manner.
People who shoot cops that have not indicated the required actions to be a threat for the reason being defined, need trial and execution These people apparently only understand one form of correction. There are just evil people in the world. Do I think the people that murdered innocent people for a stupid reason are evil? Yep unless someone has another definition of it.
But evil people do understand punishment. And until they are punished and no longer a threat to society, and everyone of them is punished or the punishment deters further murder, then I say start in. And if they get killed in the efforts to catch them, it will save the state money and time and free them up to find another one. And they do this until the murderers quit because it just isn’t worth it, or law enforcement runs out of them (fat chance). They did this in the old west and they didn’t have near the crime of the blatant ignoring of the law like we do now.
And I can promise you, if it continues, the other side will fight back. And wrong or not, a lot of people are going to get killed that really are innocent.
red
I would add that Jesus’ showdown with Satan demonstrated that pride cannot drive out pride; only humility can do that. Jesus defeated Satan’s pride with humility and obedience: He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross (Phil 2:8). …The Second Coming is going to be a whole different kettle of fish.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and with justice doth he judge and fight.It is the hatred that is condemned most of all, versus certain acts.
— Rev. 19:11
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken…
— Rev. 2:27
Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
— Psalm 2:9
“It is the hatred that is condemned most of all, versus certain acts.”
Aren’t we instructed to hate evil?
Of course, John Brown’s hatred of slavery helped bring about the unnecessary deaths of 600,000 men.
OTOH, Lucky Lindy’s failure to hate Hitler helped keep us out of the war long enough that millions died who might otherwise have lived.
Perhaps the lesson is not that we should not hate, but that we should not let our hatred of evil lead us into error.
And to love our enemies at the same time. It isn’t an oxymoron when one thinks upon it. What one may call satanic hatred is thoroughly condemned.
Aren’t we instructed to hate evil?
“And to love our enemies at the same time.”
I think there may be times when it is more important in the short run to kill them and survive than to love them.
Shooting them is showing love. Remember that God chastens every one that He loves, too.
In time of war, it is necessary to work up a heady case of hatred for the enemy if one is to win.
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