Bullying has been a big problem in schools. One of the things we always assumed was that bullies have a poor image of themselves.
Although the future for bullies is pretty bleak (most of them don't do well in the adult world) they don't suffer from feelings of inferiority.
Quite the opposite.
They don't hate the people they bully; it's just that they don't regard them as worth compassion.
Making them feel better about themselves can actually aggravate their behavior.
He killed some of the money changers and beat up the rest?
Not in my Bible.
Gandhi and Martin Luther King overcame violence through peaceful opposition.
And what should we do about those Jains and their peace-mongering?
Let's see - the hostages were released and Iran has not attacked us since...darn that Carter!! He also negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel that stands to this day.
That's where peaceful wimpiness leads - peace and nonattacks!
There is always someone bigger, stronger, faster. Kindness is hard to overcome with violence.......Please don't carry this concept over to unusual situations such as war or even hooliganism in organized street gangs. It applies in general.
Years ago, a chap entered a church and demanded that the pastor "GIVE" him money. The pastor threw the man out the front door, physically, and remarked. "When you come for assistance, you come on your knees before God, not demanding." He used violence in its proper context, in my opinion, but it might not work for the 128 pound skinny pastor!!!!
Even martial arts does not advocate violence as the answer. It attempts to teach the student to bring his mind and body into agreement,,,peace within itself. The physical act is last resort........hence, peaceful coexistence rather than violence.
I am considerably stronger than my wife, but never, ever did I use my physical prowess to overwhelm her to get my way. The real man uses words and kindness. The wimp uses muscle.
Nice try at obfuscation. In spite of your efforts, the fact still remains that Jesus used violence to defend His father's house from evil.
So a murderer comes in your house and tries to kill your family, and you are going to use non-violence to overcome him?
Read your history book. The hostages were not released until Reagan took over. And you say that Iran has not attacked us since? Not directly, only through terrorist surrogates.
It might not work, that is, unless he trains sufficiently with God's help in a martial art, so that he can say with David, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight" (Ps. 144:1). There are martial arts that teach using the opponent's strength to defeat him, such as Tai Chi Chuan or jujutsu.
This is a misconception, similar to the canard, "Violence never accomplished anything." The subject is very complex, with many martial art styles out there, ancient and modern. But even most traditional Asian martial arts do advocate violence as the answer to violence, though only in the context of self defense. The first move of every karate kata (memorized series of moves) is a block, but the second move is a counter attack. The famous karate master who brought karate from Okinawa to the mainland, Gichin Funakoshi, said, "In karate there is no first strike." He did not mean by this that a karate practitioner would suffer his nose being punched. :smilewinkgrin:
This is actually the false Asian doctrine of monism, common to Buddhism and Taoism. Instead, the Christian doctrine of trichotomy (or dichotomy, take your pick) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are far better for inner peace.
Few modern martial arts teach monism, not all Asian traditional arts teach it, and it often falls by the wayside after the martial art reaches America and the American instructor teaches according to his own beliefs. All of my martial arts teachers have been Christian, and none of them taught monism.
Agreed--the last resort. But a real man will still defend his family at the last resort.
This is admirable, but hardly germane. The real man uses words and kindness for his wife and the wimp uses muscle to try to get his wife to obey, certainly. But I don't recall this thread being about marriage relationships.
My favorite quote in this matter is from an unknown Western novel, describing the hero: "He was strong enough to be gentle."
Studies have shown that prison inmates have on the average a very high level of self esteem. In the last days, "Men shall be lovers of their own selves" (2 Tim. 3:2).
The storm cannot snap the bamboo because it bends with the wind.
Use the enemy's momentum against him.
Old general statements from one of my kodokan judo sensei.
Often mistaken by those who do not know martial arts to mean 'non violence'.
On the contrary, the two statements, when applied properly in defense of one's self, ends with the opponent effectively neutralized, and one's self effectively defended.
The man bought himself a .44 Magnum (think Dirty Harry) and started Tae Kwon Do, but let me paint our bathroom pink saying he was in touch with his feminine side.
Hmmmmm.......