Yes it can. What you can't do is laugh about someone having their brains blown out and calling them a piece of shit. I'm glad we defeated the Nazis. I don't think it's funny that they stepped on land mines.
Yeah I'm not disputing that. I'm wondering if maybe he won't be targeted as having "instigated" the altercation, which in some states would hurt his defense. Not saying I agree. I'm talking about the laws.
Yeah, I would think a dedicated follower of the GEOTUS would know fake news when they spot it. Why do you think the news is so eager to report cases against the Church, friend?
Yeah I stopped reading about half way. You misunderstand not only me, but the situation, the nature of people, and the gospels. It's not complicated. You can defend yourself if you're in danger, you can stand up to evil. You cannot hate other people. It's really easy.
In Virginia, I'm pretty sure you can't claim self defense if you instigated the confrontation which resulted in deadly force being used. So like, if you were armed and started trash talking someone and a fight started, and then you shot them, you could have trouble. Maybe something like that is in play here? I don't know.
That's not the way it is to be interpreted, and in fact, it should be interpreted as contradicting your first point. What Paul is saying is that by offering kindness in return for evil, we convict those who do evil. It is specifically because we don't retaliate in kind that we may defeat evil by changing hearts. On the other hand, returning evil for evil will only receive evil in return, and the cycle will never end.
Let's look at the current case in point. Those who are celebrating this person's unfortunate end only embolden the rioters further. They make the BLM crowd and the leftists feel completely justified in their anger and their violence. After all, they're fighting an evil group of people who laugh when other are killed in the streets. It doesn't send a clear message that what they're doing is evil, it does the opposite: it convinces them that their fury is justified.
Now, if we followed Paul's advice, and expressed love of neighbor even when we had to unfortunately use deadly force against assailants, what could our enemies say? Not only were we attacked in the first place, but we put up with it as long as we safely could, and then even after we had to take action, we expressed genuine remorse and spoke lovingly of them, even while they attacked us. Paul is saying that it is in this kind of a reaction that real change can be made...this is what changes hearts, because they look around and see that they really are the bad guys.
It doesn't happen over night. It takes a long time. But it is what is right, and we do it because it is right, not because it is utilitarian. I love my children more than they love me. I would never abuse my children, even if they abused me. If for some reason one day one of my kids went nuts and tried to kill me, and I had to stop them, I wouldn't laugh over the damage I'd caused, I would weep that it had come to that. Because I don't hate my children. We are supposed to love another, enemies and friends alike.
Again, there's a difference between saying "man, thank God that guy could defend himself and those criminals didn't get away with it" and saying "hell yeah, I laughed when that worthless piece of shit's brains exploded out of the back of his head!"
One is celebrating something good, the other is celebrating something bad.
If it were my brother, and he were trying to rob or hurt someone, and got killed, I would understand people defending themselves and being happy to have survived/stopped the threat. Totally justifiable. But because I love my brother, even if he sins, I would be hurt by people expressing hatred of him. As much as I love my brother, God loves him more. And as much as I try to love my enemies, God loves each of them more. God sees what potential each of us has/had. He loves us all more than we love ourselves or each other. We should seek to align our hearts with that of God. God loves, and so we must.
LAW AND ORDER
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
"Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them...repay no one evil for evil...if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him drink. For by doing so, you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
I think the broader message is that we should love all men. If you have to fight them, hey...that may just be the reality of the situation. But there's a difference, I think, between celebrating when good defeats evil and celebrating when individual people are shot and killed in the streets.
I'm working on a PAC -- I call it: Operation Full-Swing
This is where Pedes who live in hopelessly blue states move to swing states to turn them red. Remember, it doesn't matter if the Dems win California by 1% of 100%, the electoral votes are all or nothing.
I suppose this could also apply to hosers like you, fren.
(I used to live in Ottawa, btw. How're things up north?)
Don Lenin*
Enthusiasm wins elections. Period. Biden's highest profile supporters encourage each other to "settle" for Joe. Trump's supporters would crawl across broken glass to make sure he wins (again).
As long we all go vote, and as long as the fix isn't in (and it might be), Trump is going to win. He has the enthusiasm.
Yeah, thanks for this. A lot of people here are understandably angry, understandably frustrated, and understandably want justice. BUT, every rioter who gets shot or hurt was once a little kid who had the potential to be a good person, and St. Paul himself was once a persecutor of Christ. It's a tragedy that their minds have been so warped and their moral compasses so badly damaged that their lives ultimately come to this. Again, self defense and law and order may be justified and necessary, and in fact a man who doesn't defend that which has been entrusted by God to his care is derelict in a God-given duty, but it is wrong to celebrate death. Something to think about, Pedes.
Me as well. Hanover is a model for the rest of our state.
Here, too. Mechanicsville.
This is a great idea.
LET’S WIN ONE FOR OLD VIRGINIA.
I was getting ready to say the same thing, haha. This is the party of Hollywood and the inner cities. Liberals accusing the RNC of cocaine energy would be like us calling them out for having too many American flags or praying too much.
He made fun of someone on Twitter? Welp, guess I had better abandon all of my principles and vote for literal racist communists who want to actually, really, destroy my family and my way of life while standing idly by as children are murdered in the streets.
Well then we have something in common. Now get on the team here.
sir, you're not helping.
Business is about to pick up
I teach Sunday school. I definitely believe what I’m saying. It’s okay to fight against evil. You must love your neighbor. It really is simple.