The gun issue

[smileyguy]

I am just wondering if anyone has an opinion on the issue of Jacob and
his guns. He had them and his sons were, evidently, good shots from
the hunting that they did to feed themselves. But he would not let his
sons use them to defend their homestead when the Indians attacked.

I am an NRA member and have several guns that I keep under lock and
key. I am also a baptized Mennonite and do not believe in life
threatening behaviors no matter what the circumstance. This is an
oxymoronic belief process I have going on in my life but it seems like
Jacob had the same thing going on.

Maybe I'm wrong to have them. Maybe I should get rid of them.

Any opinions on this?

I wonder why he didn't just shoot them in the air to scare off the
attackers?

[natesl...@yahoo.com]

I'm a gun owner too and often wonder what I would do if someone
actually broke into my house and threatened my family. I believe in
non violence but can't imagine watching my family get hurt or killed
when there is a way to prevent it even if that meant hurting someone
else. What Jacob and his family must have gone through in the old
country during those times of persecution and to actually get to the
new world obviously had a great effect on his firm belief in non
violence.
I have been looking up my family history for the last few years and
it makes me proud every time I learn more about what my ancestors did
and went through to leave everything they knew to come to a land where
they were free to follow their beliefs. I am also really happy about
this blog and hope to find out even more about my heritage.

[bstu...@yahoo.com]

1. I own guns
2. I carry a gun for protection for myself and others
3 I've been an Infantrymen (ground pounder, grunt) in the Army for 11
years, 3 trips to Iraq.

My dad fought in Vietnam and before I left for Iraq 1 we had a long
discussion about the Bible and the whole Commandment thing... It
actually says "Thou shall not commit murder." Protecting yourself and/
or others is NOT murder. I can understand and greatly appreciate
Jacobs choice. In some respects I'm jealous. It still bothers me to
pull the trigger on another human being and is not an easy thing to
do, ever. They are someone's father, son, husband. However, when that
person threatens the freedoms, lives, and beliefs of another, someone
has to help if they cannot help themselves. If our fore-fathers, who
based this country on religion, did not pick up their weapons and
fight for freedom, Jacob et.al would not have had the opportunity to
make the choice he/they did. Someone MUST help those who cannot help
themselves and fight for our/their way of life. If that means God has
chosen me to sacrifice my place in Heaven so that others may live free
lives and are free to believe in Him without persecution then I accept
that role. It is a hard thing to live with and think about everyday,
but through prayer and conversations with others I know that what I'm
doing, what my father did, what both of my Grandfathers did, and every
other relative I've had fight in all the other wars (back to the Civil
War) was right! We were chosen to be the sheepdogs that protect the
flock.

[Ruth Zook]

I am a descendent of Joseph through my paternal grandfather, and a
descendent of Barbara through my paternal grandmother. I grew up in the
Mennonite church. In later years I joined the Unitarian Universalist church.

As a child and young adult I frequently heard the story of the Hochstetler
massacre. It was upheld as a positive example of nonviolence in the face of
violence. It was never stated that those who died were the females, the
youngest, and an injured son. So, when it was left to God, or chance, it was
the most vulnerable who died. As a woman and mother I've had trouble
squaring that with justice. I would hope that in similar circumstances I
would do everything possible to protect my children.

I have been directly and personally confronted with violence. It is real.

I don't argue my point of view. I respect those among my siblings who hold
to nonresistance.
What I do is simply say how I see it from where I stand.

[larry gilbert]

I'm new to knowing that I am a descendant of Jacob Hochstetler, only discovering the connection in the past 4-5 years.  Descending from Jacob and Barbara Miller Hochstetler through their son Jacob and Mary Schultz Hochstetler to their daughter Mary Hochstetler wife of Frederick Bluebaugh, and so on.  Besides many other Hochstetlers appear on many of my other family lines as cousins, etc. So like most of you I did not grow up knowing the story of Jacob.  I was raised to be non-violent unless you have to protect yourself and your family. My mother taught me to be non-violent which usually meant I got beat up in school because I wouldn't fight back.
Not knowing the total circumstances of what all Jacob encountered in his life at the time and his relationship with the Native Americans prior to the incident, I cannot say what was going through his mind and therefore cannot make a judgement call on his actions.  I guess we will never know the full story unless we can channel the spirit of Jacob to tell us the whole story.
I do not own a gun, I am not a hunter, and try to live my life on the rule that I will be protected and provided for by the Universe (God).  I also believe and try to live by the rule that if I know I am safe from harm I will be, and that if I fear something, it will only manifest itself and give me reason to fear it.
Growing up my father owned guns, which he only used when he went hunting, which was rare for him as he worked too much.  My grandfather on the other hand was an avid hunter, sometimes making his living off of hunting, such as raccoons for their fur.  Today I am against such practices, but those were different times and we as a human race are slow at learning what is right and wrong.
This is probably not what you were looking for in response but it is what I have to offer at this point.
Larry Gilbert

> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:39:13 -0800
> Subject: The gun issue
> From: dhost...@gmail.com
> To: jacobhoc...@googlegroups.com