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Don't you think there is a difference between defending yourself against religious persecution versus against someone intending to steal or murder you and your family? We have guns in our home - hoping we never have to use them - to protect ourselves against bad guys. Any man who won't protect his family is a coward.

The Roman Catholic church used the sword to drive out the Muslim hordes from the Holy Land and to protect Rome from being sacked. Unfortunately, they also used the sword to kill "heretics" or those they believed were "stealing away" the souls of Catholics. Jesus said:

And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "No, nothing." And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. (Luke 22:35-36)

At one time, God told the Jews:

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty man." (Joel 3:9-10)

But, when Christ rules and reigns on the earth, there will come a time when those swords will be beat back into plows and war will be no more:

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4)

I'm looking forward to those days. Amen?

I don't dispute any of that. As I said (third time) I am not a pacifist and am not defending pacifism. I'm just referring to the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and first 300 years, which do not fit that pattern of wielding force --- lethal or otherwise --- force to defend the innocent.

Which, I agree, is a moral obligation, especially for those responsible for the well-being of others.