What is a Christian Man's MORAL responsibility to protect his own life, or that of his immediate or spiritual family?

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

Think about this:

When you are reclining ( sitting) at a dining room table bench, you take off your weapons but keep them close by.

When "Jesus said to THEM..." he was talking to ALL the Apostles, as their weapons were not evidently ON THEIR PERSON. Sitting down with a sword is ...um.. problematic, as you can visualize, and it was considered an insult to others to be armed at the dining table as well.

... but here is the clincher ....

NO ONE left the room to sell anything, and Peter produced two swords in seconds.

It took a blacksmith, once he had the metal, about a week of hard labor to make a sword .... NOBODY just "had them laying around", any more than I would deliberately leave an expensive camera OR A .45 CALIBER HANDGUN in a rented dining room.

Upon reflection, Jesus said the two swords were "enough", as they were NOT going to war, merely confronting a cowardly illegal mob who would chill when faced with seeing their own blood, which they did.

Oh... the clincher ... almost forgot...

WHERE DID THE TWO SWORDS COME FROM?

... the Apostles brought them with them to the Passover and the Memorial.

.

 

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

“A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. ..."

Among sane, rational people, the following Meme applies, always.

 

[Ed Hominum]

A brother in my congregation, @TrueTomHarley, carries an AK47 and sets it on the seat next to him. I worry about him.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

TTH:

This is your THIRD split personality, assuming TTH is the real one.

The reason you do not joke about THESE things is the same reason at the Airport you do not yell across the concourse to your friend "HI JACK!".

At best you may find yourself in the rubber room with the size 400 sleeves that tie in the back.

Worst case scenario ... you may want to look up some local Bail Bondsmen .... just in case.

[Evacuated]

3 hours ago, Ed Hominum said:

A brother in my congregation, @TrueTomHarley,

I would always feel uneasy about a brother with what some people call "a strudel" in his name, regardless of what he carried.

[John Houston]

With all the ramping up of violence, there will be time for men to make those decisions. I too am not a sheep, not to allow callous violence if I can avert it. I will with deadly force protect my family. Without hesitation, that is a given. My wife already knows this. No questions asked. 

Now if the situation is like the drama during the convention, where our faith is being tested, there will be some restraint. But just out and out violence for evil sake, no way will I just lay down and take it.

[TrueTomHarley]

8 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

This is your THIRD split personality, assuming TTH is the real one.

The reason you do not joke about THESE things

Sorry. It was cognitive dissonance or something making Ed trouble. It's just hard for him to get his head around the image of packing a gun at the Kingdom Hall. It may be that he's had too much of this Bible stuff about Jesus telling Peter to put his sword down. Ed is a bit of a nutcase and I'll try to keep him in check.

You are a regular here, this is your thread, and I usually avoid intruding upon that. Sorry again.

 

[The Librarian]

@John Houston... I understand your line of thinking.

Then next logical line of thought (or questioning) would be....

Knowing that violence and conflict will eventually reach your doorstep....

Should you PREPARE for such a violent day and actually have a chance at winning the fight? or like a novice warrior fumble as I would with some gun which I barely know how to use?

The same question could be use in regards to martial arts. knives, swords etc...

--------------------------------

I'm guessing the Apostle Peter knew how to use a sword better than I do currently. 

--------------------------------

Even Judge Rutherford had armed bodyguards. We haven't gone back to those days in my lifetime however.

[TrueTomHarley]

On 5/29/2017 at 7:09 PM, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

I agree with the Society's position that Elders, Ministerial Servants, and those in authority should NOT be armed ... I have yet to meet an Elder, etc., that could handle the responsibility necessary, or have the mindset.

So. Call the elders girliemen, will you?

Those split personalities you fussed about? You ain't seen nothing yet.

On 5/29/2017 at 0:14 AM, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Besides, it is MORALLY WRONG to even ASK a Babylonian police officer to put his life on the line to defend yours ...if YOU WILL NOT DEFEND YOUR OWN LIFE

Do the 'Babylonian police officers' themselves agree with this?

Is it also true with plumbers? Is it true with fire fighters? Is it true with heart surgeons? It is morally wrong to ask a professional to do his job?

 

 

On 5/29/2017 at 0:14 AM, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

In this scenario, it would not even matter, as by the time the police arrived, the Kingdom Hall would be filled with bodies, and a lake of blood

I'm sorry, I know I should butt out because nothing is impossible. But there is too much of a 'Boy's Life' component to all this and it draws me in against my will. "Eagle Scout Saves the Sissies! Shows meaning of the motto 'Be Prepared!'"

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

1 hour ago, The Librarian said:

Knowing that violence and conflict will eventually reach your doorstep....

Should you PREPARE for such a violent day and actually have a chance at winning the fight? or like a novice warrior fumble as I would with some gun which I barely know how to use?

It seems to me that all real Men will recognize the responsibility they have to their Families .... physical and spiritual, to take care of them.

That includes, food, clothing, shelter, education and many other things... including defending them from harm, and even death.

The only question remains is this ....

CAN YOU ACTUALLY PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILIES' DEFENSE, WITHOUT THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO PROVIDE FOR A COMPETENT DEFENSE?

For those in Rio Linda ... the answer is NO.

Standing in harms way with good intentions, and becoming the first victim ... is no defense at all.

THERE ARE SO many MALES ...SO VERY FEW men.

MEN have MANY self evident moral obligations ... otherwise we are just drones with male plumbing.

... an incompetent defense ...is NO DEFENSE AT ALL!

IN ORDER TO BE A THEOCRATIC MAN ... FIRST YOU HAVE TO BE A MAN!

 

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

16 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

You are a regular here, this is your thread, and I usually avoid intruding upon that. Sorry again.

TTH:

I do not mind at all if you "hijack" (snicker...) my thread .... discussion between men should go wherever it leads ... I am not like Pharaoh in the movie "The Ten Commandments" that cares if his images are carved deep into stone.

Please feel free to "BLAST AWAY" at will ... and of course (here comes the GOOD part...) I get to BLAST AWAY back atcha. 

Somewhere in the carnage TRUTH will pop out of the mess.

All figuratively speaking, of course, in the context of civil debate....

My ONLY concern is that you would be misunderstood and that knock on your door would have cars with flashing blue lights in the street.

NEVER joke about weapons and killing in today's Snowflake environment ... they are expelling kids from school because they drew a PICTURE of a gun. ... while in Chicago there have been over 2,000 SHOOTINGS, AND 346 MURDERS this year so far, and the Mayor seems not to have noticed.

Approximately 30% of all humans have no sense of humor whatsoever ... and cannot even RECOGNIZE humor ... and I would suspect that in the Truth that is at least double.

Oh,  by the way ... in Chicago weapons are generally forbidden to "Good Guys', so only the criminals have them.

DUH!

 

.

 

[TrueTomHarley]

2 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

NEVER joke about weapons and killing in today's Snowflake environment ... they are expelling kids from school because they drew a PICTURE of a gun. ... while in Chicago there have been over 2,000 MURDERS this year so far, and the Mayor seems not to have noticed.

Approximately 30% of all humans have no sense of humor whatsoever ... and cannot even RECOGNIZE humor ... and I would suspect that in the Truth that is at least double.

Perhaps that is good counsel and I should be chastened by it. I will be.

I would hope that the image of someone lying such a thing routinely, casually and openly by their seat in this most non-violent of all places would be instantly recognized as a joke. But you're right. Humor does not universally translate. And there are many humorless people around. And humor is a spice at best; it is by no means a requirement for life. And it is a hair-trigger topic today.

Point taken.