Is violence ever justified or acceptable?

by ThomasCovenant 21 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  monophonic

  i'm going to muck this up, but, like chris rock said:

  everyone deserves to get their asses kicked, just don't do it.

  an old man deserves to be kicked down a flight of stairs, just don't do it.

  or something to that effect. it was the bit where he didn't support OJ killing his wife, but he understood, because if his wife was cheating on him and the guy she was cheating on him with was also driving around town in his Pinto, he might feel compelled to kill them.

  then he went on and on about how he would never, ever hit a woman, but he'd shake her until her weave fell out of her hair.

  see, i haven't seen it in years.....so that's my horrid memory interpretation.

  ah, i have my computer on random for music and "never give in" by pato banton just came on.

  'life is a struggle, but we never give in."
• 

  WTWizard

  Here is my take: Initiatory force, threat of force, or fraud against a person or their propery by any person, government, or corporation is not acceptable. If no one ever initiated these things, there would be absolute peace and security and freedom.

  Force may justifiably be used only in defense against those who violate the above. When someone initiates fraud, then force must be used against the person initiating the fraud to prevent further fraud. This force may consist of seizure of goods that are fraudulent, shutting down scams, seizure of property that is used to further scams, and incarceration of those perprtuating the scams. Obviously if someone threatens initiatory force or uses such force, force is to be used against such person to prevent them from destroying peace and security. Deadly force is justifiable to counter a potential death threat or defend oneself or innocent people from those who would initiate deadly force; this could include execution of people that are a genuine menace to society at large.

  Eliminate the initiatory force and threat thereof, and you eliminate the need for retaliatory (punitive) or defensive force. Violence in all forms dies out. And then the problem is solved.
• 

  ThomasCovenant

  So far every reply is YES

  Any NO's?
• 

  Deputy Dog

  Would you fight (with violence) to end a war?
• 

  blueviceroy

  The key word is justified

  Anything that must be justified is a fabrication of the mind and merely adds to the suffering of all .It allows us to engage in what ever negative behavior we think we should like deception, self abuse , violence

  Acceptence is just what we allow to be, how you may FEEL about something is not accepting . How we feel is irrelevant to what is accepted

  Like we can accept the only way to understand and improve the world is to understand and improve oneown self or not

  The only thing we can have certainty in is knowledge of self, after that maybe we can actually make a difference
• 

  Gregor

  EVER? Yes, not only justified and acceptable but necessary and required. Unless you don't care if someone harms you and yours and takes your stuff. Come on, this was too easy. Think of a harder one.
• 

  mkr32208

  Yes...

  Glad I could clear that up for you!
• 

  minimus

  If someone tried to hurt me or my family, I'd get violent.
• 

  zack

  The use of force or deadly force is IMHO, dare I say it, justified in defense of life or limb.

  Can we all just get along is a wonderful sentiment. The reality is that there are those bent on causing as much harm as possible to their fellow man and who

  will only cease from their harm when they are met with equal or greater force.
• 

  RollerDave

  There is self defence, and then there is revenge. The two are not synonymous.

  During the attack, to stop it by ending your assailant is self-defence. To act against them any time after the immediate threat has stopped is revenge.

  I support self defence wholeheartedly, I reject revenge just as strongly.

  I am a person who has defended himself. I would do it again in a shot, but I would advise anyone considering what sort of defense to provide themselves with to consider the aftermath of using violence even in defense.

  Even if it is 'justified' there are times in the dark of the night when it haunts you.

  The only way you can remain completely without this pain is If you can just 'get away' or avoid it in the first place; but if you are not offered this option by your assailant, I'd drop him like a bad habit.

  Having been both the victim of abuse/attack at an early age, AND someone who defended himself in a lethal fashion, the aftermath of a defensive incident is much better than chewing over the abuse again and again.

  The gift of life is precious, to take life is simply horrible, but to throw it away is worse. To not defend yourself or your loved ones is to throw away their lives. This I will not do, but I know I cannot be everywhere so I have provided them with tools and skills to ensure their safety to the best of their abilities.

  Having witnessed something truly horrifying and knowing that them who did it looked like anybody else; I am never unarmed and would use violence in defence in a heartbeat, even tho I would have to deal with the aftermath.]

  Please excuse the lack of my usual organization and clear thought, it's hard to think clearly when certain memories elbow their way to the front of my mind.

  RD