Is Violence Ever Justified?

[tate4242]

[quote name='scardella' post='1269931' date='May 10 2007, 09:26 AM']I got into a debate last night
Is violence ever justified?[/quote]

Shalom Scardella:

In my opinion when Yahushua/Jesus asked the Pharisees something to the effect of:
"Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"

I believe that he was partly referring to this situation faced by the Machabee Jews:


[url="http://www.drbo.org/chapter/45002.htm"]http://www.drbo.org/chapter/45002.htm[/url]
[quote]But they answered them not, neither did they cast a stone at them, nor stopped up the secret places, 37 Saying: Let us all die in our innocency: and heaven and earth shall be witnesses for us, that you put us to death wrongfully. 38 So they gave them battle on the sabbath: and they were slain with their wives, and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand persons. 39 And Mathathias and his friends heard of it, and they mourned for them exceedingly. 40 And every man said to his neighbour: If we shall all do as our brethren have done, and not fight against the heathens for our lives, and our justifications: they will now quickly root us out of the earth.[/quote]

To me the implications of Christ's comment is that in a case where people are attacked they may defend themselves, even on the Sabbath and taking the life of somebody who is following evil orders is not murder and to do this on the Sabbath is not Sabbath breaking.

As a Hebraic Roots Christian who hopes to become Catholic I regard that I can work at many truly necessary forms of work even on the Sabbath.