Shooting Back: The Right and Duty of Self-Defence (Paperback)

by Charl Van Wyk (Author) "On Sunday Evening 25 July 1993, I had just been singing with my daughter, Andrea, and was about to pray with her when the phone..." (more)
Key Phrases: returning fire, South Africa, Jesus Christ, Cape Town (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"As Charl's story so clearly shows: armed citizens save lives, but unarmed citizens too often become helpless victims." -- Dr. Peter Hammond, Frontline Fellowship

"As Charl's story so clearly shows: armed citizens save lives, but unarmed citizens too often become helpless victims." --Dr. Peter Hammond, Frontline Fellowship

"As van Wyk's experience illustrates, no place is totally safe--not even a church." -- Larry Pratt, Exec. Dir. of Gun Owners of America

"As van Wyk's experience illustrates, no place is totally safe--not even a church." --Larry Pratt, Exec. Dir. of Gun Owners of America

Product Description
Shooting Back deals with the burning questions that plague all God-fearing People: Should we carry arms?
When is it appropriate to defend ourselves and our families?
What can we do when our freedom to carry arms is legislated away from us?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Christian Liberty Books (October 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0620281200
• ISBN-13: 978-0620281201
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,299,670 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Turn the other cheek" doesn't mean being a door mat, February 21, 2004

By	Steve Herr (Jackson, MI USA) - See all my reviews

As a Christian, I am often asked how I can support things such as gun ownership. This book provides a classic example how lethal force can meet God's approval. Charl Van Wyk was in a church service in South Africa when the congregation was attacked by terrorists. Van Wyk was armed with a .38 revolver which he kept with him at all times, and he returned fire, driving the terrorists off. The final toll was 11 dead and 53 wounded. No one knows how many more would have been killed if Van Wyk had not been armed.

Van Wyk then details his own doubts after the fact and how he sought counseling. With his studies in the Bible on the subject of the Christian and self-defense, he presents the case for the biblical foundation, and the distinction between defense and revenge.

The book does its job of presenting the biblical mandate for us to protect the innocent, but I do have to say that I'm knocking off one star because he could have made his case in about half the space.

This book is an excellent answer to those who think a Christian should EVER raise his hand in violence - for any reason whatever. My copy is going to get passed around to a lot of my friends.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meeting the Author, October 14, 2003

By A Customer

I have been privileged to meet the author and spend some time with him. Mr. van Wyk is no macho gun-waving shooter. Rather he is a mild-mannered family man who has strong principles and did what he had to do under very unpleasant circumstance. He does not consider himself a "hero" for his actions during the St. James Massacre.

I found him very articulate. He is able to communicate his ideas clearly, both in person and in his writings.

I highly recommend the book "Shooting Back" for every Church leader. It is a "must read" for everyone, whether you use firearms or not.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shooting Back-The Right and Duty of Self Defence, June 7, 2003

By A Customer

Shooting Back by Charl van Wyk is a great book. What a testimony; in reading this book, I learned a lot about what God says about self defense and why gun control is so very devastating to a society.
I understand that, in recent months, the author has been given incredible opportunities to speak publicly about reconciliation and forgiveness to the terror organization that committed this atrocity. Amazing!