I had a situation where I was shopping in a store, and I, as well as everybody else in the store, heard a man getting very loud and aggressive towards the woman he was with. I sensed that it was about to escalate to the point where he was going to hit her, so I quickly surveyed the store with my eyes to see if there might be some security officer there, and I saw none. Instead, I saw a bunch of elderly women, and a bunch of teenage boys and girls, and I quickly came to the realization that if things did escalate, then I was realistically the only person there who might be able to stop it. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the man punched the woman in her face, As I worked my way towards them from behind (because of where I was located in the store), she tried to fight back, and he hit her a few more times. I had a few options. I could have done nothing. I could have grabbed or tackled the man from behind while trying to physically restrain him. I could have punched him in the back or side of his head. Instead, I grabbed his right shoulder from behind while forcibly swinging him around to the point where he was now facing me, and I said something to the effect of "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MAN?!?" He hesitated for a couple of seconds, and then he took off out of the store.But what if someone came at you? Like you try to prevent a situation, yet they are persistent. Getting in your face screaming, to a point where they want to fight you. How would you handle this?
I am a tall fella but hight doesn't win the fight. I'm not a fighter, in fact I try to deescalate any situation. I am just wondering if it is a sin to stand up for yourself. I know we are to turn away from hate and anger, I know we are to love our enemies, I also know Jesus told his disciples to buy a sword if they didn't have one.Well it all depends how much bench press. I bench press about 500 pounds first thing in the morning without eating breakfast.
But who's going to fight you anyway @Talljake ? Aren't you like the tallest man in the world and look at people with binoculars from up there? How are people going to fight you? With a ladder?
Even after daily prayer and forgiveness.I am a tall fella but hight doesn't win the fight. I'm not a fighter, in fact I try to deescalate any situation. I am just wondering if it is a sin to stand up for yourself. I know we are to turn away from hate and anger, I know we are to love our enemies, I also know Jesus told his disciples to buy a sword if they didn't have one.
If someone daily is being persistent on getting on you, when is enough, enough. Is it sinful to be this way?
I am a tall fella but hight doesn't win the fight. I'm not a fighter, in fact I try to deescalate any situation. I am just wondering if it is a sin to stand up for yourself. I know we are to turn away from hate and anger, I know we are to love our enemies, I also know Jesus told his disciples to buy a sword if they didn't have one.
If someone daily is being persistent on getting on you, when is enough, enough. Is it sinful to be this way?
I don't want to fight. But something will give. Thank you for your insight. God is good, he knows what I am enduring, and he has the right way of handling it. I just pray I choose his way.Standing up for yourself means different things to different people.
When we look at the life of apostles or saints throughout history, they definitely stood up for themselves unshaken in their conviction despite knowing they they might be tortured and killed. They stood up to kings and queens without any physical strength or weapons, but just in their faith in Christ.
So that's a general statement when you look at the lives of the apostles in the Bible.
Your situation might be unique depending on how much you want to reveal but i personally try to avoid physical fights not just now that i'm old and weak but even when i was younger my father who was in the military taught me the opposite of the fighting because he knew that nothing good came out of it.
But yes, when you're pushed into a corner, and again depending on the situation, like say trying to defend your family and you have no other choice, then yeah you might have to fight physically.
And you're going to win anyway because you're tall.![]()
i agree with uI am a tall fella but hight doesn't win the fight. I'm not a fighter, in fact I try to deescalate any situation. I am just wondering if it is a sin to stand up for yourself. I know we are to turn away from hate and anger, I know we are to love our enemies, I also know Jesus told his disciples to buy a sword if they didn't have one.
If someone daily is being persistent on getting on you, when is enough, enough. Is it sinful to be this way?
I enjoy reading your posts... I would think others read your posts also and get something out of them also even if they do not respond or leave a reaction. I am sorry you seem to feel that you are wasting your time here. I would say you are not, but I cannot claim to know God's purpose for you being here or if He wants you somewhere else, so I must remain silent on that point...Just another thread where I've apparently spoken to nobody but myself. Does that make me want to fight somebody? No, not at all, but it does make me wonder, once again, where the "chat" part of ChristianChat is. Time for me to take a vacation from talking to myself throughout the forums.
The reason why I was somewhat saddened is because the questions that TJ asked are questions which I have literally pondered in my mind every day for years. To have my questions ignored leaves me without the input of others. I hope that clarifies things.I enjoy reading your posts... I would think others read your posts also and get something out of them also even if they do not respond or leave a reaction. I am sorry you seem to feel that you are wasting your time here. I would say you are not, but I cannot claim to know God's purpose for you being here or if He wants you somewhere else, so I must remain silent on that point...
When I first saw the question, I wondered what he meant. This question has come up from time to time about whether we are to defend ourselves and others, whether loved ones, or strangers, as in the scenario you presented, from violence. It is probably covered a number of times in the thread about Christians owning guns. Maybe that is why there are few responses? I don't know. Anyways, the reactions as you know are broken in Edge unless you use just the thumbs up or are on a phone. Just speaking for myself, I read far more than I respond to. Still, I do enjoy your perspective. There is a real depth to it as well as wacky humour...The reason why I was somewhat saddened is because the questions that TJ asked are questions which I have literally pondered in my mind every day for years. To have my questions ignored leaves me without the input of others. I hope that clarifies things.
Hey, don't encourage the wacky humor part.When I first saw the question, I wondered what he meant. This question has come up from time to time about whether we are to defend ourselves and others, whether loved ones, or strangers, as in the scenario you presented, from violence. It is probably covered a number of times in the thread about Christians owning guns. Maybe that is why there are few responses? I don't know. Anyways, the reactions as you know are broken in Edge unless you use just the thumbs up or are on a phone. Just speaking for myself, I read far more than I respond to. Still, I do enjoy your perspective. There is a real depth to it as well as wacky humour...
Lord knows I hope not.Here's a question that popped in my mind. Is it a sin to stand up for yourself in a fighting position?