Chaos Coming?

I do not like to think of the dissolution of civil order. No matter how bad our present corrupt order seems, anarchy will be worse.

Nevertheless, in spite of protestations of our president and the chairman of the fed, I see the present lull in economic woe as a mere hiatus. The economy will get worse.

Runaway inflation, widespread unemployment, disruption of the delivery/production of food, intermittent power outages or grid failure are all possible primary triggers to civil unrest. There are secondary triggers, as well.

State and local governments whose budgets cannot maintain both high salaries for public officials and basic services may cut services. Sanitation, police and firefighting could fall under the axe as "luxuries we can't afford". (Those who make the cuts will be able to afford private trash service, security and home sprinklers.)

I know that many readers of this blog will read the above and think in terms of stockpiling guns and ammo. And I agree, you do need to defend yourself . . . but you also need to eat.

At our house, we view the abundant rainfall of this spring and early summer as a window of opportunity to grow and store food. Several weeks ago, I spent a month of evenings cracking pecans which my wife roasted and dry-canned.

Neighbors with several plum trees have more than they could use, so they asked for help. We now have several quarts of canned plums and a supply of plum fruit leather from our dehydrator.

The point is that if food and/or water become unavailable, or if it becomes unsafe to leave your house to procure them, it would be nice to have some in reserve.

Michael Gaddy has some more ideas about preparedness that you might like to read about:

Preparing for Trouble

Communicating in the Resistance

Gravelbelly's COMBAT PREP PACK Now Available

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Along with the material that has appeared on this blog, I've included two entire chapters that have never appeared here at WARSKYL. This is exegetical material that will finally lay to rest any doubts about what Jesus meant in His teaching to "turn the other cheek". There is also a chapter that defines the relationship between self defense and the Great Commission.
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The title of the third book is How to Cultivate the Christian Martialist Mindset. It brings together most of what I've written here about mindset. As with the other books, I've done some editing and I've added some material that was not in the original posts.

If you're a regular reader of WARSKYL, you keep coming back because you find something here that you don't find at other self defense and martial arts sites; philosophy and perspective.

I draw my philosophy from a traditional Reformed Protestant interpretation of Scripture. My Biblical worldview embraces all of life, including personal defense.
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My perspective comes from the way my philosophy interacts with my personality traits in light of my life experience. Because each of us is uniquely created, my perspective is also unique.

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Motivational Quotes

From various sources (including my Bible & my barber).

Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. -- Deuteronomy 20:3-4

Choose wisely, practice 'til you're proficient and pray that you never need it! -- as seen on a gun forum

Blessed is he who when facing his own demise, thinks only of his front sight. -- as seen on a gun forum

The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier on earth. -- Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson

Call me paranoid at my funeral - until then, call me prepared. -- as seen on a gun forum

A few years ago I was taking some classes in Kali. The instructor said something along that line of thught that stuck with me. He said," I don't fear the man who practices 10,000 types of punches. I fear the man who has practiced 1 punch 10,000 times." -- as seen on a gun forum in a debate about "beware the man with one gun,for he knows how to use it."

Strong men stand up for themselves, stronger men stand up for others.

Out of every 100 men sent to battle, 10 shouldn't even be there, 80 are just targets, 9 are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior and he will bring the others back. - Heraclitus 500 BC

For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. (Jos 23:9-10)

Robot Wars on RKBA?

Over 15 years ago, I remember that every time someone "went postal" and committed a mass shooting, my barber would remark that one of the government's robots had been activated. The idea was that these shooters were Manchurian Candidate types, programmed by the feds in order to created media hysteria & call for more gun control.

Don't tell me that it's just paranoia. I know it's paranoia, and I think it's one of my barber's many admirable qualities.

Nonetheless, I never knew quite what to say, as I tend to feed my own paranoia with theories that have some level of evidence (a few of my theories have irrefutable proof). :-)

Now, it seems, a columnist at LewRockwell.com has amassed enough "coincidences" to make me think maybe my barber was right. In his article "Time for a Closer Look", Michael Gaddy says, "A prudent individual, unencumbered with emotional or financial connections to the state, cannot logically ignore the similarities in many of these mass shootings."

Here is Gaddy's list:

First, there is the insane and totally explained phenomena of a person becoming angry at someone or something, and then randomly killing people they do not know.

Second, is the almost universal use of mind-altering drugs by the perpetrators of these heinous crimes? Almost all of those involved in school shootings were taking, or had just stopped taking, drugs such as Prozac or Ritalin.

Third, is the fact a great number of the shooters kill themselves after committing their heinous crimes?

Fourth, when the mass shooting does not fit the above profile, the state uses the incident to claim, as they did in the shooting this weekend in Pennsylvania, that the perpetrator feared the state was going to take his guns. This certainly aids the state in its efforts to paint all that are concerned about the possible loss of freedoms and encroachments on the 2A as potential killers and threats to society.

I recommend you read the whole article to discover what he believes are the fedgov's objectives. In the meantime, there are two big issues this raises for me:

1. Perhaps I owe my barber an apology (Sorry, bro.)
2. If someone's paranoid fears turn out to be true, is it really paranoia?
   

USA Today Gun Poll

USA Today is taking a poll on the 2nd Amendment:

Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to bear arms?

It may be either a loaded question, or perhaps it was devised by someone totally ignorant of the concept that rights come from God rather than from civil government (i.e., the Constitution does not grant us any rights; it merely acknowledges the rights we already have). I have found that many polls have questions like this that the thoughtful, principled person must answer in a way that makes him appear much farther to the left than he really is.

Nonetheless, I did participate in the poll, and I voted "Yes". If you wish to have a voice in this poll that demonstrates the egregious failure of American public education, follow this link:

USA Today Poll

Thanks to Spencer for drawing this to my attention.

Courage, 2

Continued from "Mindset: Courage"

Core-age (strength at the core) rises in answer to the call of the twin voices: necessity and obligation.

For many years, humorist Garrison Keillor has touted the benefits of Powder Milk Biscuits. "They give shy persons the strength to do what needs to be done." I don't know how much courage one derives from fictitious biscuits, but Keillor has hit the nail on the head when it comes to courage.

Shy people don't like crowds and avoid potentially awkward social situations. But there are those unavoidable situations where you have to deal with people -- drivers' license tests, job interviews, asking for directions, etc.

Sooner or later the fearful or shy person recognizes that the task must be done and that he must do it, no matter how distasteful. At that point he in effect says, "No," to his fears and dislikes, and he does what needs to be done.

To reach the point where he is willing to do what needs to be done, he must have strength at the core.

To be continued

No Place for Stupidity

Even though the set of little idiots did not kill the big idiot, I could only watch this video once, because my nerves are not what they used to be.

My barber's only comment was, "I am speechless...."

Watch the video, and then DO NOT FOLLOW ITS EXAMPLE, PLEASE.

The Cat-Killer and the Baby-Killer

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.

Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.

Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?

Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Mat 25:31-46)

We live in violent days that require vigilance among us as Christian Martialists. Vigilance and discernment.

There is quite a flap in the news about the capture of a Miami-Dade teen accused of killing and mutilating over a dozen cats in two neighborhoods. If found guilty of the 19 felony charges against him, he faces mandatory minimum penalties of $95,000 in fines, almost ten years in prison and psychological counseling.

A Miami Herald article quotes Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson's description of the suspect as "twisted and depraved, somehow really not right as a human being.'' Her words typify the horror and outrage of the entire community and its leadership.

I have no doubt that the teen responsible has deep-seated problems. Without meaningful intervention [in the form of the Gospel], it seems likely that he would graduate to more serious and more heinous acts, possibly becoming a serial murderer.

Contrast the reaction of officialdom and the media to this troubled teen with their reaction to the death of serial murderer George Tiller. They identify the cat-killer as twisted and depraved but see the baby-killer as a brave defender of women's rights who came to a tragic end.

Just to put it into perspective, one of these people killed and cut up about 19 cats while the other killed and cut up sixty-thousand little human babies (many in the ninth month of pregnancy). Yet American society sees the first as a villain and the second as a hero.

It chilled my blood to read Doug Phillips' blog post on George Tiller:

“Tiller the Killer” would vivisect these children up to nine months into their lives; next, this professing Christian would baptize the mangled remains of the children he murdered; then, he would place their bodies into his Auschwitz-like crematorium; and, finally, he would take the ashen remains of these children and place them in an urn.

Tiller’s career was more horrifying than any horror movie ever produced, because there was nothing pretend about his bizarre and diabolical practices. On Sundays, George Tiller worshipped in his Lutheran Church where he served as usher. But on Monday through Friday, he chopped up children — and he did so in the name of Jesus. He even boasted about it.

You don't baptize amputated limbs, tumors or bits of tissue. You baptize people. This means that Tiller knew precisely what he was doing -- murdering 60,000 human beings.

I'm no criminal profiler, but it looks to me as though the baptisms, cremations and urns were remorseful acts. But the remorse did not overcome his compulsion to kill . . . over and over again.

In that day, when the Great Judge of all nations separates the sheep from the goats, to which side do you think America will go? What has our nation done to the "least" of His little ones?

He will consider that America has done it to Him.

Psalm 146

From a time long before Russelists (Watchtower-ites) tried to co-opt God's covenant name, Presbyterians have been singing praises to Jehovah. In this morning's service, we sang this version of Psalm 146 from the Psalter of 1912. (To the tune of Ripley)

What a wonderful hymn for Christian Martialists to sing for inspiration, encouragement and comfort.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
Nor for help on man depend;
He shall die, to dust returning,
And his purposes shall end.

Happy is the man that chooses
Israel’s God to be his aid;
He is blest whose hope of blessing
On the Lord his God is stayed.
Heaven and earth the Lord created,
Seas and all that they contain;
He delivers from oppression,
Righteousness He will maintain.

Food He daily gives the hungry,
Sets the mourning prisoner free,
Raises those bowed down with anguish,
Makes the sightless eyes to see.
Well Jehovah loves the righteous,
And the stranger He befriends,
Helps the fatherless and the widow,
Judgment on the wicked sends.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Over all God reigns forever,
Through all ages He is King;
Unto Him, thy God, O Zion,
Joyful hallelujahs sing.

Edge of Hand (Judo Chop) to Side of Neck

The Edge-of-Hand Strike, Judo Chop or Karate Chop to the side of the neck is one of the more effective blows that you can use in self defense. The reason -- or more properly, half the reason -- for the effectiveness of this strike is that so many lines of supply necessary to proper function of body and brain run through the neck.

1. Two networks of nerve fibers(each is called a brachial plexus), go down each side of the neck. A sharp blow to either complexz will send a disruptive pulse to the brain, resulting in a brachial stun.
2. The carotid artery also runs down the side of the neck. A quick strike will compress the artery, causing a spike followed by a precipitous drop in blood pressure, resulting in disorientation or loss of consciousness.
3. Finally, you have the vagus nerve -- the only nerve that directly exits the cranium without passing through the spinal cord. It's involved in monitoring and regulating internal organs, including the lungs and heart. A sharp blow can have a stunning effect by disrupting heart rhythms.

Bottom line? You don't need to aim for a specific point. Just hit the side of the neck.

The other half of this blow's effectiveness lies in the the power you can generate with the Edge of Hand Strike. If you train properly, your hand snaps out with the speed of a boxer's jab.

On the side of the neck, you need not hit with just the edge of the hand. The ulnar bone of the forearm makes just as effective a striking edge, so precision is not an issue.

The following video shows the effectiveness of the blow on the street. If you watch closely, you will see the karate expert wind up a little before he strikes.

The street orc was evidently too high on adrenaline (or just plain too high) to notice the telegraph. This demonstrates that even an imperfect skill will often work when the chips are down.



Caution: The nerves and blood supply in the neck are vital to sustaining life. You should not use this technique casually, as it may cause fatality in some instances.

The "Right" Knife, 2

In "The 'Right' Knife", I mentioned some general principles of knife design. These principles apply to fighting knives as well as to survival knives.

If you're reduced to fighting with a knife, the situation has already degenerated to a point of desperation. At this juncture, do you really want to trust your life to a blade designed for something else?

If I have to fight with a knife, let it be with one designed for fighting. My 2-foot long Scottish dirk comes to mind; also my Cold Steel LTC Kukri.

The dirk and the kukri do not lend themselves well to street carry in town. And I don't know of any place in the U.S. where you can get a permit to carry a concealed knife.

If law enforcement personnel become aware that you're carrying a knife, something called officer discretion comes into play. He will decide whether you're carrying the knife as a tool or as a weapon, and your knife's size and configuration -- along with your appearance and attitude -- will serve as major factors in his decision.

If you're thinking of a survival/fighting knife for a wilderness survival scenario, you have a lot more latitude. But I can't recommend a single knife that does it all.

As I've recently begun the planning and assembly stages of my own "Bug Out Bag" (BoB), I've realized that while surviving with just one knife is "manly" and Spartan, it probably makes surviving harder than it has to be.

So, here are the knife-type tools I plan to have in my disaster survival kit:

1. A good hunting knife (maybe my Cold Steel Master Hunter) taped to one of the shoulder straps of my pack, hilt downward so I can access it easily;
2. A two-edged fighting knife taped to the other strap (subject to further thought);
3. An LTC Kukri attached to the pack (so I can access it by reaching over my shoulder) for cutting through brush & light chopping;
4. A folding camp knife, such as issued to the military in the Vietnam era, with knife blade, can opener, screw driver, etc.
5. A Kershaw multi-tool (technically, it's a knife, since it has a knife blade) which features a vise-grip rather than pliers -- the extra hand you often need.

The fighting knife may be moot, since I have the kukri.

The biggest argument against multiple knives is the extra weight. So, would you rather be tired from carrying more tools or from the extra work it takes to force a tool to do something it's not entirely good at?

If the weight is that great a concern, divide the knives among the BoBs of your family or survival unit.

I know this is not the answer you were looking for, but if it stimulates your thought processes, I'll be happy whether you ultimately agree with me or not.

Addendum: that last paragraph sounds a little harsh, and I did not mean it that way. What I mean is that you will do best by thinking about the tasks your knife (knives) will have to perform and then making your choice(s) on that basis. As always, my opinions are just the opinions of someone who still has a lot to learn, so I expect some folks to take exception based on their own knowledge, skills and experience. At this site, honest disagreement over the details is perfectly okay.

The "Right" Knife

Stephen has asked a question in the comments section that I thought would do well to answer in a post. He wrote:

. . . what would you recommend for a good all around survival/fighting knife?
I currently use a Buck Hunter 110, which I absolutely love. I've dressed everything from fish to deer with it but it's perhaps not the best for fighting applications.

I used to sell knives, and although I do not fancy myself an expert, I think I have learned a few things that may be helpful. The first helpful thing I will mention is that in good knife design, form follows function.

An electrician's knife is perfect for stripping wires, and the fact that it has a screw driver where you usually find a point, makes it safer and more useful to the electrician. It certainly would not be my first choice, however, for butchering chickens.

Similarly, there are reasons that skinning knives have deep bellies and often a finger hole in the blade. Likewise, there are reasons that bread knives do not look like butcher knives, and vice versa.

Principle: The narrower the range of uses to which you put a knife, the more specialized will be its design.

Survival knives must often do jobs for which you'd normally use different kinds of knives, and in addition, they must also stand in for tools other than knives (e.g., camp axe, wedge, can opener, etc.) This requires compromises of design that result in a knife that can do a lot of things, but cannot do them all equally well.

A survival knife that will cut through brush as well as a machete will make an unwieldy (and dangerous) can opener. A survival knife that has the weight, configuration & edge to chop wood like a camp axe will probably make a mess of cleaning and filleting fish.

Therefore, a survival knife is always a compromise in terms of design and function.

(To be continued)

The Scottish Games & Highland Festival

On Saturday, my wife, my soon-to-be-eighteen-year-old daughter and I attended the 4th annual Greenville Scottish Games & Highland Festival. We've attended all four, and each year it gets better.

As a Christian Martialist, I felt at home . . . stepping into a warrior culture. I would have liked to see more representation of the Scots' Christian heritage, however.

We watched burly men in kilts toss the caber while others tossed the sheaf. Then came a border collie demonstration that would raise the standard for all you sheepdogs out there. The dog was tirelessly persistent, marvelously skilled, and singlemindedly loyal to the shepherd.

One disappointment was that there had been an unannounced change of schedule, so we missed the massing of the bands. It is always a thrill to see score upon score of pipers marching onto the field, filling the arena and saturating the soul with the stirring skirl of bagpipes.

It's little wonder that the English outlawed the warpipes. As this fat old man has listened to the pipes, he's been ready to pick up a great-sword and follow them into battle.

We managed to catch a concert of traditional Scottish music played by a hammer dulcimer, fiddle and Celtic harp. The harpist played a piece that was used in an episode of Firefly. (When she asked who was familiar with the show, only my daughter & I raised our hands.)

We also watched some of the competitions for the "sword dance". Mostly young girls, although one competitor was a teen-aged guy. Since it's a traditional warrior's dance, it would be good to see more young men take an interest.

I also caught two presentations by the European Medieval Arts of Arms group from Greensboro, NC. As always, their unchoreographed fights and duels were impressive, and the knights were friendly, courteous and eager to answer questions (like mine about how the European staff technique compared to Japanese bo).

Sprinkled among the attendees were many who wore kilts, some bearing swords and/or dirks. A refreshing respite from the hoplophobic spirit of our national culture.

Another interesting feature of the Festival was the appearance of a few black folk in attendance. One young black man wore a kilt. (The first year, there was a black girl in the Highland dance competition.) I see this as a positive, wholesome cultural influence, and I can only hope that it will grow in time.

Now, if only they would put Christ's crown & covenant at the center, add Psalm singing and honor Scripture, they'd have a true Christian Martialist festival.

Psalm 144:1-2

I was pleased to see this included in this morning's worship at our church. We sang it to the tune of Amazing Grace.

O blessed ever be the LORD,
Who is my strength and might,
Who doth instruct my hands to war,
My fingers teach to fight.

My goodness, fortress, my high tow'r,
deliverer and shield,
In whom I trust: who under me
My people makes to yield.
--- 1650 Scottish Psalter

Survival SOG Seal Pup Knife Video

My barber sent me the link to this video on the Survival SOG Seal Pup Knife. This guy has done some cool things to increase the utility of the knife & to turn it into a mini-survival kit.

A lot of this is adaptable to any sturdy sheath knife made of good steel. Some of it depends on the Kydex sheath. Either way, observe and take what you can use.


Today, my family & I are headed to the Greenville Scottish Games & Highland Festival. Yesterday evening, we went to the parade. Ahhhh, the pipes . . . the pipes.

Do Guns Belong in Church?

The Rev. Ken Pagano, pastor of Louisville KY's New Bethel Church wants to celebrate Independence Day by inviting people to bring their firearms to church. (Thanks to my barber for calling my attention to this.)

An ABC News story demonstrates the national news media's obsession to turn a pro-2nd Amendment story into a platform for the anti-gun crowd. You can see the bias of the reporting by following the link at the end of the first paragraph:

A pastor in Kentucky is redefining the tradition of wearing your Sunday best to services by encouraging his congregation to strap on holsters and bring their weapons to church.

It leads to a story about the in-church shooting of serial baby murderer George Tiller. (The anti-gun lobby is using this, just as I predicted in "Why Shooting Abortionists Is a Bad Idea".)

Then the author devotes about half of the article to arguments from the anti-gun lobby about why the Rev. Pagano's idea is horrendous. The arguments are shrill and irrational.

For example,

Paul Helmke, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said that encouraging people to bring guns to a church is a contradiction in terms.

"Christ tells us to put down the sword and this pastor seems to be encouraging them to take up the sword," said Helmke.

Oh, yes! I think I remember that passage. Here it is:

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Mat 10:34)

Oh, wait . . . that's not it. This one must be the one:

And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said He unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luk 22:35-36)

(This passage alone is a mandate for Christian Martialism.)

What, no anti-weapons quotes from Jesus? Bummer, Mr. Helmke. Maybe he was thinking of what the Apostle John said:

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Rev 13:10)

Here the context shows that sword is a metaphor for violence. Kind of like when a man who has cut hundreds of living babies into pieces dies by violent hands?

The fact is that most Americans who carry guns are not violent people. They carry guns as protection against violent people. And Luke 22:36 tells us that's just what Jesus intended.

And what could be more appropriate in church than doing what Jesus commands?

Amen.

The War on Terror Hoax

The powers that be have placed brave, loyal young Americans in the Middle East to fight a "global war on terror". This "war on terror" hits us here at home in the form of lost freedoms (for our own protection, you understand).

On Monday (June 1, 2009), for example, American citizens returning from day trips to Canada or Mexico needed passports to get back into their own country. Meanwhile, illegals cross over our southern border by the tens of thousands.

Anyone who thinks the passport regulation contributes to national security is deluding himself. It is simply one more control imposed on us by the power elite.

Middle Eastern terrorists know about our porous borders. What stops them from purchasing a ticket to Mexico and then simply walking into the U.S.A.? Certainly not our politicians and bureaucrats who are too busy fashioning hoops for you & me to jump through.

If I were a cynic, I might think that some elements of the civil power structure want the door left open, because further terrorist activity justifies more restrictions on American liberties.

At any rate, the terrorists know where their opportunities lie. Here is a lecture by a Kuwaiti (didn't we fight a war to free Kuwait from an Iraqi invasion?) professor who encourages terrorists to use the border with Mexico as an entry point to bring Anthrax into the U.S.

As long as illegals can just walk into this country, you'll never convince me that the "war on terror" has anything to do with stopping terrorists.

Why Shooting Abortionists is a Bad Idea

By now, everyone has heard of the shooting death (in church, no less) of serial killer George R. Tiller. Tiller was known for his willingness to perform "controversial" late-term abortions.

(While the child is fully human from conception, the central nervous system and brain are fully functional by the last two or three months of pregnancy. The vivisection of a fully conscious human being who is fully able to feel pain is a particularly heinous act.)

While I do not mourn the passing of one who performed state-sanctioned murders, I do mourn the manner in which he passed. There are reasons that shooting these particular orcs is a bad idea.

REASON SIX: It gives the liberal media and the anti-gun lobby a platform to further propagandize the weak-minded all around us ("I see stupid people . . . they're all around us . . . some of them don't even know they're stupid" -- with apologies to M. Night Shyamalan).

REASON FIVE: It gives the enemies of godly wisdom (Prov. 8:36; stupid people, again) a martyr. Here is this poor, innocent serial killer gunned down while worshiping in his church. The weak-minded will associate his death with all the recent attacks on churches.

They will not question what kind of church takes an unrepentant serial killer into its communion, let alone makes him an usher. Nor will they speculate as to which god this twisted bastard (Hebrews 12:8, KJV) really worships.

REASON FOUR: Shooting an abortionist will not, in the long run, save lives. There are enough demented physicians (except in South Dakota, where they have to bring in outside doctors to perform abortions because no one in-state is willing) that one or more will step into the gap to resume Tiller's bloody work. Which leads to the next . . .

REASON THREE: One of us for one of them is not a fair tradeoff. The FBI immediately began hunting down the man who shot Tiller. According to an article in the Washington Post, the U.S. Marshals will now provide protection for high profile baby killers.

When outnumbered, it's a strategic and tactical error to accept one-on-one losses.

REASON TWO: You will not help the pro-life cause. The most visible spokesmen will denounce you as a monster or a nut, and they will distance themselves from you. The obscure few who side with you will be used by the media to further the cause of infanticide.

REASON ONE: Although these paid killers (and the parents who put out contracts on their own children) are guilty of murder, you are not the appointed instrument of justice. God has given the job of punishing murder to the civil authority (Romans 13:1, ff).

Lawfully appointed officials need to arrest, charge, try, convict, sentence and execute these murderers. When they neglect their responsibility and abuse their power, the proper response for any Christian (including Christian Martialists) is to

1. Do some soul-searching (& fasting?) to ask, "Why has God sent these tyrants to chastise us?"
2. Seriously repent for our own offenses to the Holy God in Heaven;
3. Appeal to God for justice, which includes the use of imprecatory prayers.

Freelance avengers operate outside God's presently appointed order. They are not acting in self defense, but are, rather, trying to use carnal means to obliterate the chastisement that is meant to turn us back to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They merely add to the abominations of our land. Let none such be named among us.