How hard is it to watch people heading for hell

[angellous_evangellous]

As far as I'm concerned, any force for self-defense is "reasonable," unlike putting the victim on defense.

Tell that to the judge.

Generally, police tend to look the other way if you use excessive force to defend your home (like firing for shotgun rounds and reloading). But if you really do something odd and extra violent, you could face some penalty.

 

[Gentoo]

Seeing as I don't believe in Hell, not even in the form of a different version, it's not that hard at all. I find it more distressing to watch people take advantage of others... and that includes proselytizing.

 

[Misty]

Tell that to the judge.

Generally, police tend to look the other way if you use excessive force to defend your home (like firing for shotgun rounds and reloading). But if you really do something odd and extra violent, you could face some penalty.

I hope our police would be prosecuted if they looked the other way. What happens if you shoot someone you thought to be a burglar, but was a perfectly innocent member of the public? Are you any safer in the US with your gun culture and armed police force than we are in the UK without it, I doubt it?

 

[Smoke]

I hope our police would be prosecuted if they looked the other way.

Bear in mind that Angellous lives in Texas.

What happens if you shoot someone you thought to be a burglar, but was a perfectly innocent member of the public?

Why would a perfectly innocent member of the public break into my house? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

 

[Misty]

Bear in mind that Angellous lives in Texas.

Why would a perfectly innocent member of the public break into my house? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

But you can't shoot someone just for breaking into your house! Anyway someone might be there quite innocently. For instance the postman often opens my front door to put the post on the mat if it is too large for the letterbox, if I shot him when he opened the door, not realising who it was, that would be terrible and I would have a life sentence!

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Bear in mind that Angellous lives in Texas.

That ain't all the police ignore. In most places in Texas, you are likely to know or be related to all the police officers and highway patrol. They know that certain crimes are almost impossible to prosecute (such as rape). Now the judges are a whole other story - if you make it that far, the police have handed you over to the fates.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

But you can't shoot someone just for breaking into your house! Anyway someone might be there quite innocently. For instance the postman often opens my front door to put the post on the mat if it is too large for the letterbox, if I shot him when he opened the door, not realising who it was, that would be terrible and I would have a life sentence!

Yeah, I know of some tragic stories -

In my hometown, at 3am some teenagers were ringing doorbells at houses and running off. A homeowner thought that they were burglers and shot one of them through the door.

I know another guy who shot his uncle, who crawled through the window and night, trying to scare him.

Then again, there was a business owner in DFW who had people breaking into his storage and stealing valuable merchandise. He made the news because he killed three people in three consecutive nights.

No one was prosecuted in any of these cases.

 

[Storm]

But you can't shoot someone just for breaking into your house!

What you should wait to get shot first? No, thank you!

Anyway someone might be there quite innocently.

If *I* didn't let them in, they're not supposed to be there.

For instance the postman often opens my front door to put the post on the mat if it is too large for the letterbox, if I shot him when he opened the door, not realising who it was, that would be terrible and I would have a life sentence!

Without so much as knocking? I wouldn't shoot him, but I'd sure as hell complain.

Anyway, we're not talking about answering the door with a shotgun blast; we're talking about self-defense. (I know you Brits have trouble with that concept, but with a little effort I'm sure you can keep up. )

 

[Breathe]

As far as I'm concerned, any force for self-defense is "reasonable," unlike putting the victim on defense.

I'm with you on this one, Storm.

The UK law more or less thinks that you should make your intruder lunch. :areyoucra

I am so pleased I live in the UK where we are not permitted to use more than reasonable force to protect ourselves, and that doesn't include using firearms. If you do harm or kill someone who is attacking you, you have to prove in court you were acting reasonably, which is right in my opinion.

I'm not pleased I live in the UK, this country sucks. I'd get out if I had the means to do so, and I'd be out as soon as I could.

I live next door to drug dealers who moved in fairly recently, and I have two small children as well as my wife and myself in my home. I would not hesitate to use physical force or a weapon on someone who was in my house.

This ban on guns in the UK is absolutely stupid. It means I can't get one for self defence, but a criminal still can who can then break into my home. An acquaintance of mine could get me a gun in an hour if I wanted one, although I don't want one.

 

[Breathe]

But you can't shoot someone just for breaking into your house!

Course you can.

Your postie doesn't come in during the middle of the night for example now does he? Nor does put a balaclava over his face and start shifting through your things and runs off with your electrical equipment now, right?


If he does do that, then I suggest you complain.

 

[mhiggs]

"As a Christian it is very hard to watch people headed to hell."

Hell was a big reason I began to question my belief in Christ. I also found it difficult to see people going to hell. I began to find it difficult to believe that they deserved to go to hell. I eventually stopped being able to believe in hell. Now I can't believe I ever did.

 

[Alceste]

Yeah, I know of some tragic stories -

In my hometown, at 3am some teenagers were ringing doorbells at houses and running off. A homeowner thought that they were burglers and shot one of them through the door.

I know another guy who shot his uncle, who crawled through the window and night, trying to scare him.

Then again, there was a business owner in DFW who had people breaking into his storage and stealing valuable merchandise. He made the news because he killed three people in three consecutive nights.

No one was prosecuted in any of these cases.

Hell's bells, angellous! You DO live in the wild west.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

"As a Christian it is very hard to watch people headed to hell."

Hell was a big reason I began to question my belief in Christ. I also found it difficult to see people going to hell. I began to find it difficult to believe that they deserved to go to hell. I eventually stopped being able to believe in hell. Now I can't believe I ever did.

I hope that there is a hell. Many people will not get justice in this life, and I hope that God gives them what they deserve. These people start wars that kill millions of people, the serial killers, people that sexually abuse children, those guilty of genocide.

Hell is not a place where unbelievers go - it is when these criminals look into the face of God.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Hell's bells, angellous! You DO live in the wild west.

I was surprised when the guy who shot the kid through the door didn't get prosecuted.

 

[Misty]

I hope that there is a hell. Many people will not get justice in this life, and I hope that God gives them what they deserve. These people start wars that kill millions of people, the serial killers, people that sexually abuse children, those guilty of genocide.

Hell is not a place where unbelievers go - it is when these criminals look into the face of God.

I wonder what Blair and Bush will be facing in a supposed afterlife for starting the war in Iraq and lying to their people about the weapons of mass destruction. Of course Saddam was a nasty tyrant but at least there was a rule of law even if it was much less than democratic! Now the invasion forces are going to pull out without establishing any kind of sustainable peace letting the Taliban take over, NICE ONE!:clap

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I wonder what Blair and Bush will be facing in a supposed afterlife for starting the war in Iraq and lying to their people about the weapons of mass destruction. Of course Saddam was a nasty tyrant but at least there was a rule of law even if it was much less than democratic! Now the invasion forces are going to pull out without establishing any kind of sustainable peace letting the Taliban take over, NICE ONE!:clap

I think that Bush will have a much more severe punishment. He makes Blair look like a little kitten.

 

[Misty]

I think that Bush will have a much more severe punishment. He makes Blair look like a little kitten.

Blair was an idiot, it looks as if Cameron (not that I voted for him far too right-wing for my taste) will stand up to the US and not let them have it all their own way.

In my opinion Iran and North Korea would deserve to be 'sorted out', but of course they have nuclear weapons and the West would be scared to take them on!

 

[painted wolf]

Everyone condemns everyone to hell in the afterlife... meanwhile we make this life a reflection of that wish.

I wonder what this world would be like if we wished everyone would go to heaven instead.

wa:do

 

[Smoke]

But you can't shoot someone just for breaking into your house!

In most of the United States you can. Although if it turns out to be the cops bearing a no-knock warrant fraudulently obtained or even for a completely different address, they'll kill you without even thinking about it.

Anyway someone might be there quite innocently. For instance the postman often opens my front door to put the post on the mat if it is too large for the letterbox, if I shot him when he opened the door, not realising who it was, that would be terrible and I would have a life sentence!

In the U.S., it would be a foolhardy postman who opened the door to put a package inside. But I'm not advocating shooting blindly at any noise you hear without even checking to see who or what you're shooting at.

I know another guy who shot his uncle, who crawled through the window and night, trying to scare him.

I guess he scared him all right.

In my hometown, at 3am some teenagers were ringing doorbells at houses and running off. A homeowner thought that they were burglers and shot one of them through the door.

See, that guy should have been prosecuted. We were always taught that you don't shoot somebody who's actually outside your house, and you definitely don't shoot unknown people through the door.

I remember my second-grade teacher telling us that if you shoot somebody as he's climbing through your window, and he falls outside, you should always drag him inside before you call the cops. But those were simpler times. If you tried that these days, CSI would be all over your ***.

 

[Misty]

In most of the United States you can. Although if it turns out to be the cops bearing a no-knock warrant fraudulently obtained or even for a completely different address, they'll kill you without even thinking about it.

In the U.S., it would be a foolhardy postman who opened the door to put a package inside. But I'm not advocating shooting blindly at any noise you hear without even checking to see who or what you're shooting at.

I guess he scared him all right.

See, that guy should have been prosecuted. We were always taught that you don't shoot somebody who's actually outside your house, and you definitely don't shoot unknown people through the door.

I remember my second-grade teacher telling us that if you shoot somebody as he's climbing through your window, and he falls outside, you should always drag him inside before you call the cops. But those were simpler times. If you tried that these days, CSI would be all over your ***.

I am so very, very greatful I live in the UK.