Responsible people vs Government

Well stated, Gina.

 

Gina,

Do you go around slapping your neighbors. I can tell you that if you laid a hand on my wife or child, the alternative for me calling the police would be for me to beat on you untill you were dead. I probably wouldn't stop. Which would you rather I do? I choose to, instead of going to prison or death row, to call the police. If you break the law, then don't whine and complain when you face the consequences of your actions. It is a crime. If you touch my wife, you better pray the police put you in protective custody before I get there (jail).

Joseph Botwinick

 

I agree for the most part, but if someone slaps somebody else, are they really mature enough to diffuse the situation in a reasonable manner, without some kind of authority intervening?

Joseph, Jesus called for us to turn the other cheek. An eye for an eye is no longer the law.

 

I agree Brett. But since I realize that my weakness will not allow myself to remain calm and not commit violence on this person, that is why I would choose to call the police first and give them a head start.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Furthermore, Gina,

What would you expect you husband to do to remedy the situation? What if you left a mark on my wife? What if you were not married? What if your husband is a bigger thug than you are? (Hypothetically speaking, of course.)

Joseph Botwinick

 

A husband's and father's rage could go very far indeed. I readily acknowledge that it would be unlawlful for me to do so. But I honestly can't garantee that I won't do serious bodily harm to someone who harms my wife or my son. I might get the death penalty. I might go to prison. Or, I might get aquitted for temporary insanity. None of these are really appealing to me, and sense I can't say what I might do, I think I would choose to call the police. I am not generally a violent person unless I am defending those who I love. I have never really had to do that, though (which is a blessing from God). I had nightmares when my wife was pregnant that different people were trying to harm my wife and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through me and I saw myself punching, kicking the person and slamming their heads against the ground in a rage over and over again untill they were dead. This scares me a lot because I do know that I do have ther potential to cause serious harm to people if I were to ever be pushed that far. I try to be as peaceful as I can and avoid situations that would provoke me to violence. Since I know I have the potential for that kind of rage and violence, I think it would be best for me to call the police. Now, Gina, ask yourself this. Am I the only one that has feelings like this? Is it possible that it may be better to call the police who are emotionally detatched from the situation than it is for a person whose wife has just been slapped to calmly and cooly work it out with the offending party. I think you might be just a little unreasonable in your expectations here. What do you think?

Joseph Botwinick

 

Gina,
What you have discribed here is battery. This is a crime. The Lord Jesus would never excuse such behavior. The authorities do have a proper function and Paul makes it clear that they are, in fact, the servants of God. Whether they are employees of the government is irrelevent, they are still the servants of God.
Those who commit violence belong in jail.

 

This brings up an interesting point. It depends on what we as individuals want if we do or do not want government involvement.

When we dislike something, we write letters, e-mails, etc. to our Government Leaders from the state level to the Federal level. (Remember the Florida Legislators' email boxes being flooded recently in a personal decision case )

It seems that we want the government involved when it fits our agenda. And then we want them to "bug" out when we don't like it.

We are the government. We elect the representatives. We tell them what we want. Maybe we are to blame?

 

Why not put the blame where it is: The person who abuses is wrong. What would you suggest? A fist fight? A duel? A gunfight? Taking the law into your own hands results in lawlessness.

 

That is one of the most understood and most abused verses in the Bible. Jesus DID NOT advocate allowing someone to sin ot commit a crime. Rather, he advocated not allowing the one who transgreses against you to have any power over you. The Bible also states very plainly and repeatedly that, to allow a sin to take place, you become a participant in the sin.

 

Gina L:
I was outside and saw him at the door making his attempt and confronted him and he left. I was ticked enough to follow after him and he never showed up again. It never occurred to me to call the police. What would be the point? The crime was averted and he left.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


The crime may have been averted, Gina, when the criminal was scared-off, but the one NOT calling the police is to blame because that criminal is still at large. The next time that burglar may be successful, and the victim a helpless elderly or woman or child alone. Suppose he went right over two blocks and broke into an elderly ladie's house, and the police did not have your description, and location in order to hunt this predator down.

It is criminal to not do all one can to take predators off the streets. I am apalled that anyone, seeing a criminal in action, would not call the police immediately. Our refusal to act makes us culpable.


I am really angry that your friend thought that punching through the glass, punching the perp and scaring him off was enough. Not calling the police left that predator to roam the streets looking for an easier target, a more helpless victim. This is so self-absorbed and unbelievably negligent to not care about ones neighbors and those vulnerable to predation.


A servant of Christ,
Drew

 

I get what you are saying Gina and to some extent I agree with you. However, we also have to keep in mind people like Joseph exist. Unfortunately, people like him outnumber those of us who are capable of controlling ourselves these days. So more and more the police are necessary so you don't get murdered in your neighbors driveway.

 

Hey there SN,

Are you Married? Do you have any kids? If so, if someone tried to harm them and you were around, what would you do? Try to reason with them? I care about my family so much that I would die for them. I will also kill for them as well if anyone tries to harm them.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Yes, I am a married dad. And I can say with no doubt whatsoever if another woman slapped my wife I would not kill her. I would have no desire to kill her. If I went to her house to talk to her husband and she slugged me I would not feel any urge whatsoever to kill her. I would also not want to kill her husband or anyone in her family. We are talking minor offenses here. Either you didn't read the initial post, or you are stating you would murder a woman for slapping your wife if you tried to talk to her husband because you cannot control yourself. I am certainly hoping you simply didn't read the intial post, otherwise, I would suggest intensive therapy immediately.

However, I would agree that if someone tried to kill, or otherwise seriously harm, my wife or child they would wish for death when I was finished with them. However, since that is not the topic of this thread, it is somewhat off topic.