Saturday, September 15, 2007

Lehigh Acres crime increasing, businesses closing, and self-defense for Christians

According to NBC-2, there has been over 700 business-related robberies and crimes in Lehigh Acres this year. Some businesses are thinking of closing down due to this violence. As I mentioned on a previous post, residents have been seeing this as a disturbing trend. Lee County commissioners need to add more funds to add more deputies and patrols in the area.

Businesses need to take advantage of the "castle doctrine" in the state of Florida. This means if you are being robbed or someone physically attacks you, you can defend. You don't have to retreat.

When someone pulls a gun, it will take you maybe half a minute to think and dial 911. It will take the deputies to make it there in 3-5 minutes. Depending on the amount of drugs and criminal intent the robber has, you are probably dead or hurt in 1 minute.

How do you avoid this? Equalize the playing field. Have a protective measure in your business. That could be a dog, a gun, a taser, bullet proof glass, armor, a bat, alarm system, etc. I do not advocate an "eye for an eye" or "living by the sword", but I do advocate preservation of life and self-defense.

Understanding Self-Defense and Christianity
To my fellow Christian readers out there...

Most Christians know the verse to "turn the other cheek". (Matt 5:39) But we have to balance Jesus' statement of Matt 5:39 with His statement in Luke 22:36, "He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." Jesus told His disciples to buy swords. Why? He knew, during this period they would be persecuted and hunted down. Jesus wanted to make sure they preserved their life, especially as they move about spreading the good news. A few verses later we see Peter using his sword offensively to attack a soldier and Jesus rebukes this act.

Why? The disciples were already told about the sacrifice and what was suppose to happen. The act of salvation was not supposed to be stopped. So Peter's offensive attack wasn't merited. It wasn't self-defense but rather an act of anger and pride.

In short our response to violence, robberies, and thefts should also be controlled and wise not an angry act of pride. Don't shoot someone because you see them picking up one of your products. Having that type of pride could land you in jail. If you see someone pulling a knife from a distance, you have the opportunity to call for the police. But when it comes down to someone pointing a gun to your head or to your wife's or to your children's head...that's different. In those scenarios, which verse will you remember? Turn the other cheek or buy a sword?

Apply biblical common sense and you'll know the answer.

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