Originally Posted by Penguin
Number 1: I am not an atheist. Never was and never will be.

Number 2: Although I do not claim the title of christian now (because intellectual honesty requires me to disavow some of the beliefs crucial to the faith) I was raised in a strong Southern Baptist church. Years and years of bible study, literalist bible preaching, and the like. And there is no way this side of hell itself that this shooting could be justified under the brand of Christianity that I grew up with.

Not a prayer. Not one.

As a MOF I have attended and studied 7th Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Church of Christ, etc and I have yet to find one single one where this kind of thing would be held up as Godly or Christian. Hell, I studied Buddhism and, out of curiosity, Judaism and Islam and even they would not support this kind of murder.

What church, exactly, are you so sure would back this thing? Church, hell I'd like to know a single religion that does. Even Islam only condones the removal of an arm for theft!

I'm sorry but shooting a mentally disturbed individual in the back of the head as he was fleeing a just completed robbery is just about as un-Christlike as I can imagine. The jesus I studied as a kid would have ran him down and gave him his coat to go with the billfold!

I'm not preaching, as I stated I don't claim the title of Christian. But I would like you to give me the name of the denomination that teaches this as Godly behavior.

I dare you.

Will
Keep in mind that there's a difference between stopping a crime in progress and meeting out punishment. No one is privileged to meet out punishment for a crime until a conviction by a jury. Stopping a crime is a distinct matter. Where nothing short of lethal force will stop a felonious larceny in progress, I think the law should allow it.

I doubt Jesus would have problem one with dispatching a thief in the act if that appeared to be the only way to stop him and remain safe at the same time. Stopping a crime by whatever means necessary has nothing whatever to do with a willingness to forgive a repenting criminal.