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Something Bad happened. Was I right?

Joseph_Botwinick

<img src=/532.jpg>Banned
Originally posted by Marco:
Hey Guys,

Wednesday night something awful happened. There was a man who broke into my house. I caught him in my living room. Well, he tried to run but before he could make it over the fence at the backyard I grabbed him down. We struggled and I ended up breaking his wrist, two of his fingers, and a rib. Anyway, the deal is I have a lot of guilt. What is guilt? I really wish this didn't happen but it did. Did I commit a sin? Should I sympathize with the man who was stealing and not press charges or am I being too hard on myself? As a new Christian I feel like I haven't had a good start. I really didn't ask for this. I told him I knew aikido, a martial art. I told him to wait for the police. I don't know. Maybe I should have let him go. I was afraid he would return. I'm really bummed out. The police didn't press charges against me, but I still feel anxious about the whole ordeal. I prayed over the situation but nothing so far. I'm kind of lost right now.
I would have bashed his head in with a big stick. No guilt whatsoever.

Joseph Botwinick
 

John of Japan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Marco, you did exactly right in not letting him get away and in subduing him.

(1) The Bible gives you the right of self-defense in many places. I've written a pamphlet proving this (see below).

(2) He was a felon in commission of a crime. You have a right as a citizen to arrest him.

(3) If you had not caught him he might have come back and attacked your family.

(4) If you had not caught him he might have gone to another home that very night and killed someone. You may have saved someone's life!

I have been a Christian martial artist since 1966 (wrestling, jujutsu, karate, kung fu). There are lots of us around! Check out the website of the group I belong to: www.gmau.org. We can be a blessing to you and you to us! The GMAU "Honbu Dojo" has an aikido school in it. We have a journal and many publications, such as the pamphlet I wrote entitled, Christian Philosophy of Self Defense.
thumbs.gif
 

webdog

Active Member
Site Supporter
Marco, imagine what that man would think if you visited him in jail, told him you forgave him and shared the Gospel?
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
Marco

Give thanks to God that you and your family are safe, unharmed, and even that the burglar was not critically hurt. Give thanks to God that the police are not pressing charges against you (stranger things have happened), even though you certainly appear to be justified in protecting your family and yourself.

I pray that some day all of us (including myself) could be so mature in our faith that the first thing that comes to mind in a situation like this is to proclaim Jesus Christ to the man as the way to salvation, as the answer to his problems; instead of wanting to bash his head in with a big stick, or shoot him with a gun (and then brag about wanting to do that as if that kind of attitude is something pleasing in the sight of God).

Maybe it isn't too late to use this as a witnessing opportunity. You might want to visit the man in jail, tell him how you feel about what he did, and tell him about Christ. I think there are ministies that allow victims to confront their assailants.

Just a thought. I am glad you and your family are safe.

peace to you
 

Joseph_Botwinick

<img src=/532.jpg>Banned
Originally posted by canadyjd:
instead of wanting to bash his head in with a big stick, or shoot him with a gun (and then brag about wanting to do that as if that kind of attitude is something pleasing in the sight of God).
1. Don't misrepresent what I said. I never said I wanted to do that. Nobody wants to do that. I also don't want someone to enter my home, rape my wife, murder my son. Therefore, if they grace the doorway of my home uninvited and unannounced, I will bash their brains in with this big stick I have in my house.

2. My bashing his head in will save someone else in the future (along with myself and my family) some pain and heartache. With our liberal soft on criminals sissy society, he would probably be on the streets in a few months, ready to harm someone else. So yes, I would be happy that I stopped him.

3. Don't try to smear me because I don't agree with your soft on crime stances against the death penalty and self defense.

Joseph Botwinick
 

DeeJay

New Member
Marco

Look at it this way, you caught the guy, giving him a chance to change his life before it gets worse. If you would have let him go, someday he would have broke into the house of a gun owner and gotten himself killed, or broke into a house and hurt somebody. His bones will heal, this is a small price for him to pay for the chance to re-examine his choices in life.

I don't know how it is in Canada but here what you did is called a citizen arrest. In my state any citizen has the right to defend his property useing any force nessecery, short of deadly to defend his property. Also any citizen has a right to use any force nessecery, short of deadly to detain a person who has commited a felony. And any time you find an intruder in your home or attempting to get into your home deadly force is justified.

Beings you have the skills to detain this fellon, I see it as your duty to detain him before he hurt somebody. Good job.

Woody

If a person breaks into a house, they are usually doing so on the premise that the house is unoccupied at the time. Very rarely will a burglar enter a house when the people who live there are home, unless it's just a kid or a stupid burglar.
With that said, the last thing on their mind is doing anyone harm, physically...they're under the assumption that no one is there, so no one to harm. Burglars are very rarely aggressive people, they're cowards, that's why they sneak around.
This is not true anymore. One of the fastest growing crimes, at least where I am, is home invasion robbery. A criminal waits until, most likely a lil old lady, is home and then enters. She is there so here money and credit cards are there also but I think most of all these punks get a thrill out of controling a person and scareing them.
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Joseph_Botwinick:]
I would have bashed his head in with a big stick. No guilt whatsoever.

Joseph Botwinick [/QB][/QUOTE]

I wasn't trying to smear you Joseph. I always find these kind of quotes interesting from people who are professing, long-term Christians. It is brash, violent, and arrogant language. The opposite of what is commanded by our Lord, Jesus. It seems you are smearing yourself.

And then we have a new Christian, Marco, who is involved in this nightmare, and he is humble and circumspect concerning his actions and thoughts.

Marco, you have started well and I suspect you will finish strong.

peace to you both
 

Joseph_Botwinick

<img src=/532.jpg>Banned
Don't lie about me and what I said. I never stated that I wanted to do this...actually stated the opposite as a matter of fact. But, I am more than willing to do it in order to protect my family. What are you willing to do?

I am guessing you don't have a family or you don't care what happens to them. That is certainly a shameful testimony on your part as a Christian if the latter is true. If it is the former, I totally understand your ignorance. Maybe one day you will understand what it is to want to protect someone you really love. If someone breaks into my home, I am going to inflict as much damage on said person as I can to stop him. If he dies, that is his fault and his problem...not mine. If he lives, I will witness to him later.

Joseph Botwinick
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
You are correct Joseph. You didn't say you "wanted" to bash his brains in. Only that you would bash his brains in and not feel guilty about it.

I stand corrected. My apology to you.

peace to you
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
BTW

I don't think we have ever discussed self-defense issues. We have discussed the death penalty, though.

And yes, I do have a family and yes I would do everything in my power to protect them, whatever it took.

peace to you
 

Joseph_Botwinick

<img src=/532.jpg>Banned
Would you bash their brains in if that is what it took (think about a drug crazed lunatic doing all sorts of evil to your family)?

Joseph Botwinick
 

DeeJay

New Member
Forget the stick. If somebody is in my home and my wife or kids are home its the 40 calaber until the person is no longer able or willing to inflict damage on my family. I have no confidence in a sticks ability to stop an intruder.

That said I pray I never have to use that kind of force.
 

Joseph_Botwinick

<img src=/532.jpg>Banned
1. I don't own a gun...never have and probably never will.

2. This stick is guaranteed to do the trick...trust me.

Joseph Botwinick
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
Hey Joseph, how about a joke? Someone showed me this one over a year ago. It was on the internet, but I have no idea who to credit.

What is the difference between a liberal, a conservative, and a Texan? Well, consider the responses to the following senerio.

"You are walking the streets of New York City at 3 a.m. You have your wife and 8 year old daughter with you. You carry a 9mm handgun for protection. A man jumps out with a large knife and demands you turn over your wife or your daughter. What do you do?"

Liberal response: "I really don't have enough information to make an intellegent response. For instance, is this man homeless? What does he want my wife and daughter for? Would my wife volunteer to go with him? Would he accept money instead? And why am I carrying a gun? That is illegal in New York City. I am a worse criminal that this guy. Maybe I should go to jail, instead. This is all too confusing."

Conservative response: "Bang!"

Texan response: "Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, click...click...click...(sounds of reloading)..bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang."

Eight year old daughter: "nice grouping daddy, but you're pulling a little high and right. You might want to adjust the sights at the range tomorrow morning."

[ November 17, 2005, 11:34 PM: Message edited by: canadyjd ]
 

Joseph_Botwinick

<img src=/532.jpg>Banned
So true. Except in my case it would be a big stick being cracked over the base of his skull over and over again. Now, how about you? How far would you be willing to go to protect your family?

Joseph Botwinick
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
I already told you. Why do you keep asking? You don't want to become a liberal sissy too, do you? :D
 

bruren777

New Member
You did the right thing you have the RIGHT and DUTY to defend your family.

I had a discussion with a Christian brother about the same situation as in what we would do to defend our wives or children. I said I would do anything to stop the crook including putting a 350 mag. round in him.

The brother disagreed, he said"God would take care of it". My reply was God gave us the ability to use our brains to decide on the appropiate action.

You did the right thing brother and don't let anyone tell you different.
 
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