we all know the verse about do not resist an evil person, and to submit to governing authorities, but how far does this go? ok so say someone comes into your house and attempts to threaten your life, and your familys life, you have two choices, kill this fool and save your whole family, or let him kill you all, which is right? would it be worse then murder to let your innocent family be killed whilst you sit back and do nothing? should christian people rise against a corrupt govt. or should they just be walked all over and let evil take rule? thoughts? opinions? ideas? as far as an eye for an eye goes, i dont beleive its right to hunt someone down because they punched you in the face and whip their ass, but if your life or others lives are in danger should you do something about it?

wizardovmetal wrote:

we all know the verse about do not resist an evil person, and to submit to governing authorities, but how far does this go? ok so say someone comes into your house and attempts to threaten your life, and your familys life, you have two choices, kill this fool and save your whole family, or let him kill you all, which is right? would it be worse then murder to let your innocent family be killed whilst you sit back and do nothing? should christian people rise against a corrupt govt. or should they just be walked all over and let evil take rule? thoughts? opinions? ideas? as far as an eye for an eye goes, i dont beleive its right to hunt someone down because they punched you in the face and whip their ass, but if your life or others lives are in danger should you do something about it?

Excellent questions! I shall answer the 1st question by answering the rest and the situations you put up. For the 1st situation, God isn’t against self-defense killing, He is against cold-blooded murder. I also remembered a Scripture somewhere where the message was, if you discover sin being about and you keep your mouth shut and let the sin happen freely, you are just as guilty of it as if you committed the sin yourself. So under that perspective, out of self-defense, protection, and saving of lives, it is okay for you to kill the killer for saving your family. If it were not so, then I guess anybody and everybody that joins the military cannot be a Christian under any circumstance because it is the exact same situation. We all know the Truth, so know that it is okay to protect from murderers.

On government, that one I’m still unsure of, but from what I’ve read or heard, we are supposed to submit to authority unless it is something of banning us from practicing our beliefs. That does also include our right to choose correct me if I’m wrong. If it crosses the line so it is illegal to follow Christ or something, yes, we have absolute full right to rise against the government. If you are referring to today’s government, I’ve seen some of our beliefs being put to the trash from them, and imposing their own views, so I think it is okay for the moment for our people to rise against what our government is doing atm.

As for eye for an eye, we don’t follow eye for an eye, that was for the Jews before the time of Christ. WE are under, turn the other cheek, walk with your enemy 2 although he asked for 1. I hope this properly explains, but if you have far more you wish to speak of, then let me know.

None of us follow Christ's instructions in this area. It seems like madness to turn the other cheek after already getting struck once. And it seems like madness to give a stranger the shirt off your back... let alone to pray for those that persecute you. But, He is the Point at which we all must aim for.

Of course , Christ Himself breaks out the whip ( literally ) when he see's the money changers in the temple. Just imagine how much he would be running into that today.. with the RCH being one of the richest entities in the world and all the Protesant mega church's being all about the money.

AS far as the government issue... I believe Christ only said " to give to Caesar what is Caesar's".. that certainly leaves open alot room for determining what you think belongs to the government or not.

What belongs to the government are the power in which the Constitution gives them. They have the power to collect taxes, but if and only if it the purpose for which it is being collected and the method of collection is not against the Constitution.

If the taxes imposed are contradicting to the law they abide by, we can refuse to pay such taxes based on those grounds. Remember, all laws must buckle to the Constitution.

By the way, if you're having to pay taxes that you know, for an absolute fact, contradict commandments in the bible, you can also refuse to pay those. EVEN if the Constitution permits it.

Remember, in the end, it is not the Constitution of the United State of America that we will bow to, but the Word and Face of Christ. We will not be judged by it, but by the Bible.

The bible does give leeway to self defense in the Old Testament.

I do not recall Christ giving an example that we should lay our lives down for a robbery, but he does say if one steals your cloak, give him your tunic as well. In todays language that would mean if someone stole your jacket give them your shirt as well.

It means give them more than what they bargained for.

Common sense is if someone breaks into your house and you are unable to defend yourself, then give them what they want and hope for the best, most robberies are just that robberies. Small percentage of them are home invasions.

If it is a Home invasion, do you best to get out or fight. They will kill you either way. If you can defend yourself in that situation then do so.

But if a Christian woman is in a relationship with an unsaved man, Paul says she is not to divorce him, Paul says let him divorce you. Well this creates a sticky situation in our time. What if that man is abusive? To take what Christ said literally on this subject, and what Paul says, the ideal is for the woman to endure the abuse, even if it kills her. That is the extreme. There have been some Christian woman who have taken it to the extreme to protect their kids and to show the love of Christ to their husbands.

If one is not able to do that, then they need to get out of it.

God will not test you beyond what you can endure, and he always provides away of escape from it.

any more thoughts or opinions on this?

Truly you won't know how you will react until that time, God forbid, comes. All of us have given thought to this at one time or another. But for 99% of us, thank God, it is needless worry.

Well everything just boils down to whats laid on your heart. Look in the garden when the roman soldiers took Jesus. James drew his sword and cut off the ear of the soldier that tried to capture Jesus. Jesus amended James' actions by attaching the man's ear back on. Jesus saw the bigger picture. But the bible also states, as well as the beatles, that to everythng there is a season. There a lot of examples of different acts of violence and peace throughout the bible. I just think when that time comes God will lay on your heart what's right.

Technically, if I'm not mistaken, the Constitution gives its people the right to rise up and do away with the leader of the government if that leader becomes something he or she was not meant to be. So that's interesting...

But there's definitely nothing wrong with self-defence. And I agree with what pretty much everyone else said. God is going to guide you and tell you what needs to be done. And I think againsttheantichrist got it right with his comment too.

St. Sliver wrote:

Well everything just boils down to whats laid on your heart. Look in the garden when the roman soldiers took Jesus. James drew his sword and cut off the ear of the soldier that tried to capture Jesus. Jesus amended James' actions by attaching the man's ear back on. Jesus saw the bigger picture. But the bible also states, as well as the beatles, that to everythng there is a season. There a lot of examples of different acts of violence and peace throughout the bible. I just think when that time comes God will lay on your heart what's right.

Oh and welcome to the board, Chupa!

wizardovmetal wrote:

we all know the verse about do not resist an evil person, and to submit to governing authorities, but how far does this go? ok so say someone comes into your house and attempts to threaten your life, and your familys life, you have two choices, kill this fool and save your whole family, or let him kill you all, which is right? would it be worse then murder to let your innocent family be killed whilst you sit back and do nothing? should christian people rise against a corrupt govt. or should they just be walked all over and let evil take rule? thoughts? opinions? ideas? as far as an eye for an eye goes, i dont beleive its right to hunt someone down because they punched you in the face and whip their ass, but if your life or others lives are in danger should you do something about it?

I have a hard time believing a lot of these circumstances are purely limited to two choices. The person breaking in, I don't HAVE to kill him to protect my family. ....just knock him around a bit, then put some weight on his neck while I call the police.

Vengeance is not mine, and an eye for an eye makes everyone blind. When it comes to turning the other cheek, I don't have to get hit in the first place.

Ash made a good point with "Give to Caesar what it Caesar's". I don't argue with government too much because, while I might be opinionated, I probably couldn't run it any better. (better in some areas while others go to hell is more like it)

Hguols wrote:

I have a hard time believing a lot of these circumstances are purely limited to two choices. The person breaking in, I don't HAVE to kill him to protect my family. ....just knock him around a bit, then put some weight on his neck while I call the police.

Vengeance is not mine, and an eye for an eye makes everyone blind. When it comes to turning the other cheek, I don't have to get hit in the first place.

I like all of this.