Thou shalt not kill.
Those
four words are often used by opponents of self defense when they claim
that divine law forbids the taking of another human life, even in
defense of your own. So, how can a Christian justify the carrying of
arms for self defense, or should they abhor such a practice and rely on
divine intervention?
The
first issue with the opening argument, above, is that it is the result
of a mistranslation. While many texts translate the fifth
(sixth in some texts) Commandment as "you shall not kill", many other
texts hold true to the original meaning of "you shall not murder." That
is the key distinction.
In
fact, when analyzing the issue using the Catechism of the Catholic
Church*, Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 5 goes right to the heart
of the matter.
§2263
The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to
the prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes
intentional killing. "The act of self-defense can have a double effect:
the preservation of one's own life; and the killing of the aggressor. . .
. The one is intended, the other is not."
§2264
Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality.
Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to
life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is
forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow.
§2265
Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who
is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good
requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For
this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right
to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to
their responsibility.
This
tells us that not only do we have the right to use deadly force against
those tho would try to take our own lives, but we have that right to
defend others in our care as well. We all have a responsibility to each
other individually, and those charged with the protection of the
community (such as police officers) are justified using deadly force as
well.
When
you are forced to defend yourself to preserve your life, it is that act
of preservation that is the intended result of the employment of force.
You're trying to stop the aggressor. If the aggressor dies as a result
of your meeting force with force, that outcome is considered
unintentional by the church. You are trying to stop, not kill, though
sometimes only the death of the attacker can halt the assault.
During
the Last Supper, Jesus was preparing his followers for what was to come
after he was gone. He told them, "one who has a money bag should take
it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell
his cloak and buy one." (Luke 22:36). Once He, their shepherd, had left
them, they would need to protect themselves, even if it meant selling
their clothes to be able to buy a weapon to do so.
Some
Christians are fond of saying "The Lord will provide," yet here is
Jesus telling his disciples to provide for themselves, which would
seemingly support Benjamin Franklin's 1757 quote in Poor Richard's
Almanac, "God helps those who help themselves." What Jesus is really
telling his followers is to prepare themselves using the tools God has already provided in order that He might work His will through them.
If
evil confronts a man in the form of an armed attacker, do we really
expect God to strike the attacker down with a heart attack? Or is it
more likely that He would provide "a defense for the needy in his
distress" (Isaiah 25:4) through placing an armed, good man in the path
of evil? If we are to believe that "the secret things belong to the LORD
our God" (Deuteronomy 29:29), we cannot discount the idea that there
are earthly ways in which God might intervene on our behalf.
But how do we reconcile this with the Christian value of turning the other cheek? Again, the answer is in the text.
"When
someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as
well." (Matthew 5:39). What is being referenced in the text is not a
deadly threat. You're not going to be killed by a slap to the face, and
Jesus was urging the letting go of anger and pride.
Consider
also Isaiah 2:4, "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning hooks." Though this is often taken to mean
that weapons should be destroyed now, what it is actually referring to
in context is Judgment Day.
According
to the Scripture, after the Final Battle between good and evil, God
himself will rule the Earth and all forms of evil, vice, and sin will be
gone. It is only after that time that weapons will no longer be needed
for self-defense, and until then, we need to be prepared to act to
preserve our own lives and the lives of others. It is the Christian thing to do.
* I'm not a Catholic, but they have a LOT of good reference materials & studies which are useful to all Christians.
