Would A Christian been justified To shoot the Joker killer?

[Yeshua1]

Misapplied because you overlook the actual meaning of the passage you refer to.

You've correctly identified it before: Jesus is speaking against revenge and vengeance ("an eye for an eye"). But then you somehow turn this to mean that if you slap a mosquito for biting you, you're taking vengeance on the mosquito. You somehow turn "persecution because we are Christians" into "breaking into someone's house to steal and/or kill."

The kind of mentality Jesus was preaching against is still prevalent in the Middle East today; in fact, a common saying is "If you wait 100 years to exact revenge upon your enemy, you're still going too fast."

There is absolutely NOTHING in the Bible that says defense is the same as vengeance/revenge. In fact, the Bible says the opposite. In the Old Testament laws that provide the guideline for how to judge someone who has killed a thief breaking into his house--given to us by the same God who said "turn the other cheek"--He has told us there is no blood required.

This doesn't mean we can go looking for thieves to kill; that would be murder. But it does say that if someone is breaking into your house, and you kill them--it's not "okay," but it's not punishable.

its the SAME God in both the Old and new Testaments, correct? So if allowed in OT, would that be same way in the new?

 

[Don]

its the SAME God in both the Old and new Testaments, correct? So if allowed in OT, would that be same way in the new?

Considering that the New Testament is constantly quoting the Old Testament...yes.

The difference being, whether you rely on the law for your salvation; or you recognize that it's God identifying those things that He finds good (but knowing that even if we could somehow manage to keep every single law, all our righteousness would still be as filthy rags).

 

[Aaron]

Pretend that a brother was packing legally a Pistol, and right when the Joker openned up, would have taken him out at close range...

Would that have been justified, approved by God?

Of course. One cannot love his neighbor as himself and allow his neighbor to innocently fall victim to a violent malefactor. It would have been a sin NOT to shoot.

 

[USN2Pulpit]

It would have been a sin NOT to shoot.

Aaron, I agree with you. For a believer that carries, it is a great responsibility - not to act in vengeance, but in defense of others.

There are many that don't understand - and can't reconcile following after a loving Savior with the possible need for lethal action in defense of others. I am one who knows the pain of having made that decision several years ago.

But borrowing a line from "a few good men," I would say that "my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives!"

 

[Yeshua1]

Aaron, I agree with you. For a believer that carries, it is a great responsibility - not to act in vengeance, but in defense of others.

There are many that don't understand - and can't reconcile following after a loving Savior with the possible need for lethal action in defense of others. I am one who knows the pain of having made that decision several years ago.

But borrowing a line from "a few good men," I would say that "my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives!"

IF you were the secret service, and any president was targeted to be shot, could a christian shoot his Uzi in order to stop the president from being shot?