How to scare bank robbers? Try smiling

Given the Eagle's heavy-recoiling calibers and its gas-operated rotary bolt system, the big bore semiautos do generate a lot of torque when the gun is fired and tries to move both vertically and rotationally in the horizontal plane. Sometimes the .50 AE and .440 Cor-Bon rotate enough to eject empty cases into the shooter's face rather than high and off to the side like the .44 and .357 Magnums.

I was wondering about the recoil. Can't see too many women firing this thing.

Thats what the smaller caliber ones are for. The 50 is a portable cannon and it leaves a mess. The HP rounds are horrifying.

Just chambering a round is nearly as intimidating as doing the same with a 12 gauge.

That chambering sound brings about the anticipation of destruction.

You are right; but if Stephen had retaliated or tried to defend himself, he would have given the impression that christianity is no different from islam or other religions whose followers use force as a witness to their religion.

It all depends on how great a person’s faith is and also, what is God’s will in that particular christian’s life.

Many times in the bible, the Holy Spirit has guided christians out of danger and at other times, the Holy Spirit has allowed christians to glorify Christ through their long suffering and their ability to love their enemies even in the midst of being tortured and killed.

When a christian puts his life in God’s hands, no matter what happens, he is going to heaven as long as he does not deny Christ or do things that does not glorify God.

“For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 35-39) Amen.

We should try to follow Jesus.

Many times in the bible, the Holy Spirit did help Christians avoid danger, but at other times, the Holy Spirit allowed christians to face danger and to endure the torture.

Jesus was a witness to the cruel Romans who tortured and crucified dissident Jews and yet Jesus kept on doing His work of trying to save the souls of people instead of killing the evil Romans and trying to save the Jews from being crucified.

It is easier to take a gun and defend oneself than it is to turn the other cheek and when the enemy sees us not taking the gun but rather praying in the midst of danger, its a better witness to God’s power in a christian’s life.

As the Word of God states : Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...... Do not repay anyone evil for evil........Do not take revenge..... but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12 : 14-21).

“For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 35-39).

When the Romans saw that the christians did not try to defend themselves but willingly went to their deaths praising God, the Romans saw something different in Christianity that they never saw in their own religion.

In God’s wisdom, the blood of martyrs made way for christianity to flourish and eventually overwhelm the Roman Empire, not with the sword, but by the love of God in Christ Jesus.

We do follow Jesus.

Luke 22

36 He said to them, “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. 37It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[b]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That is enough,” he replied.

When the disciples said, “two swords” and Jesus said that was enough, what did Jesus really mean ?

Two swords for twelve apostles ? and perhaps hundreds of disciples at that time ?

We have to look at the “two sword” quote in light of the fact that the Holy Spirit had not come yet to either protect the disciples or give them the power to endure persecution.

So between the time Jesus was taken from them and the time of the Pentecost, the disciples were actually defenseless and Jesus in His wisdom said that two swords would be enough to protect them till Pentecost.

But after the Holy Spirit came, the disciples used the “sword” of the Spirit which is God’s Word as their only defense against the powers of darkness.

You can also look at the “two sword” quote as God’s way of telling weak christians that if it is difficult for them to depend on the Holy Spirit for protection or strength to endure persecution, than those weak christians would need the sword to protect them

He looks like some kind of farting rodent.

Sounds like I how I got rid of a psycho bully. This girl kept making late night calls and really kept bugging me. Said she would be my worst nightmare. She followed me to a non-school class. Talked her mom into signing her and her sister up for this class. She would be very nice to other girls. Finally I decided I wouldn’t be scared of her anymore. She was alone in a room where my bag was. I walked in, smiled, said, “How ya doin’?” and got my bag. She tried to whisper, “Nightmare.” I kept smiling and left. The next week her sister said she had been sent to a local short term psychiatric hospital. Probably had nothing to do with me, but the look on her face was priceless.

It worked for Davy Crokett when he smiled down a bear - but that was just a movie. In real life you are asking to get your smile ruined by a led slug.

Bump for the smiley solution to Virginia Tech.