Religious attitudes towards self-defense, deadly and otherwise

[Perry Dane]

Eugene,

         I can't, offhand, help you with precise theological sources, 
but you might be interested in an internal debate that occurred at 
Calvin College, the very intellectually and religiously serious Dutch 
Reformed college in Michigan, when the school administration decided 
(after the Virginia Tech tragedy) to issue guns to some members of 
the college security force.  A group of students got very upset over 
the decision, claiming it was unchristian, and the administration 
produced a "Theological Explanation for the Use of Force Policy."

         For some account, see, e.g.

http://www.calvin.edu/news/2007-08/use-of-force.htm

http://www.crcna.org/news.cfm?newsid=530

http://clubs.calvin.edu/chimes/article.php?id=3713

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/05/calvin_board_oks_gun_policy_fo.html

I haven't been able to find the explanation theological document that 
the college administration drafted in defense of its policy.

         Hope this helps.

                         Perry


Eugene Volokh wrote:
>     I'm looking for good sources that discuss religious attitudes
>towards self-defense or defense of others, deadly and otherwise; in
>particular, I'm looking to see whether there are religious groups that
>(1) take the view that deadly force is always bad, even in self-defense
>or defense of others, but nondeadly force (including pepper spray, stun
>guns, and other devices that are extremely unlikely to kill) is
>permissible, or (2) take the view that given the choice between
>nondeadly force and deadly force, one should always use nondeadly force,
>unless the nondeadly force is very likely to fail (e.g., all one has for
>nondeadly force is fists vs. an attacker's knife).

*******************************************************
Perry Dane
Professor of Law

Rutgers University
School of Law  -- Camden
217 North Fifth Street
Camden, NJ 08102

dane at crab.rutgers.edu
Bio: www.camlaw.rutgers.edu/bio/925/
SSRN Author page: www.ssrn.com/author=48596

Work:   (856) 225-6004
Fax:       (856) 969-7924
Home:   (610) 896-5702
*******************************************************



*******************************************************
Perry Dane           			
Professor of Law

Rutgers University
School of Law  -- Camden		
217 North Fifth Street
Camden, NJ 08102   			

dane at crab.rutgers.edu
Bio: www.camlaw.rutgers.edu/bio/925/
SSRN Author page: www.ssrn.com/author=48596

Work:   (856) 225-6004
Fax:       (856) 969-7924
Home:   (610) 896-5702
*******************************************************