Don't let them take away your peace. Remember, it's what comes out of a man's mouth that defiles him. It's what you let yourself think and say that dims the lamp of the Lord and makes the way seem dark and murky. Evil is not new. If your words are angry, your thoughts are angry. If your thoughts are angry, you're angry. If you're angry, you're afraid. If you're afraid, you lack faith and love. Out of the same mouth proceeds both blessings and cursings.
Brethren, this ought not to be.
Follow Christ's example. You can do it.
Frankly, this will all come to an end when enough people wise up, belt up, and pack heat all the time, to plug these aspiring mass murderers when they draw iron and plant them face down. Every. Single. Time. The more MAGA first responders, the better. End of problem. MAGA rules. Or is this too damn simple?
No. I agree with you. I think we should all be carrying at this point and should be ready to fire should the circumstances call for it. But vengeance and self defense are different things. Be the light. Hold love and forgiveness in your heart so you can look yourself in the mirror if you're ever in that horrible position of having to pull the trigger and know your actions were pure and justified.
I've taken the training, etc. I've pondered the decision criteria (best to make the clear decisions in advance). It doesn't have anything to do with vengeance. There is no question of forgiveness if life and death is at stake. And there is no question of purity, either. Only justification...and that is what pondering it in advance is for, as well as taking the training to learn what the deadlines are. In the clinch, the last thing you need is "love and forgiveness in your heart." It is a distraction that just gets in the way of doing the job---and of not getting killed.
Having never killed anyone, I'm not going to argue with you. I've said what I said. I think we need to take care not to be consumed with hate at this time. We never know how close the plan is to completion and how much of a role we play and if our actions might kick the can down the road farther unnecessarily. Q said "pray" not "shoot." I think that's good advice.
Who is talking about hate? You are the only one who is. Any "feeling" is an obstacle to life-saving action, which requires clarity of thought. The "plan" will not save my congregation from a madman killer who bursts into church with the intent of shooting people. Q was talking about political and social action, not emergency response. I hope you are not in a situation where it is life and death, and you funk out on the spot.