civilservant

Would I shoot on sight? No - because I know the law. Only when they become a threat would I use deadly force. They have the chance to retreat, or surrender. If they do not take that chance, or raise a firearm towards me, then yes I would respond with whatever force is required to neutralize the threat.

Do I know if I would be calm or confident? I would like to think confident, probably not calm, but no one knows in that moment.

One thing I do know is that it would take the law at least 10 minutes to respond to where I live (out in the sticks) and I am not prepared to wait that long for help. Sometimes you have to help yourself. It's not like I want to shoot someone, I really don't, but in a straight choice I choose my family over them.

scrubbedexpat099

That is not the law in Colorado, yours may well be different.

Shard

Yes, I understand that. Just curious as I have never been in a gun owning situation.

Shard

I think for most atheists it's a case "arbitrarily close to zero". Certainly any with science training would accept that there is always a possibility (of some kind of cosmological phenomena akin to a god).

SultanOfSwing

Most break-ins are done by opportunists. Simply chambering a round or presenting the gun would likely be enough to cause them to run off. If, in the unlikely event someone breaks in, you'd very likely not have to actually fire the gun, which is obviously the desired outcome. I don't feel I have a need for one myself unless I decide to get into target shooting, but whatever. I do have a solid cast-iron frying pan and I'm not averse to running at a home invader semi or fully nude to scare them off.

Of course, if you get a 'professional' burglar who is armed and prepared, you're likely ****ed whether you have a gun or not. But adequate home security (and not doing things like posting your vacation dates online, etc) will force those people to break into someone else's house instead.

plasticbag_uk

I don't believe any UK politician is financially backed by the NKA (National knife association).
I have yet to hear about a crazy kid entering a school in the UK and stabbing 17 children. This country need real gun control FFS, no amount of excuses will change that.

Shard

Frying pan or not, that would scare off even the most hardened criminals.

SultanOfSwing

It was probably way too flippant given the subject matter at hand here, but the objective is to scare them off in any way I can. Over the top gestures can be quite effective in causing a home invader to become someone else's problem. And if he happens to fall down the stairs on the way out and I end up sitting on them while the police get there - well that's just a shame, isn't it?

Lion in Winter

That's your Celtic heritage coming through.

I remember my parents once thought there was someone in our house in London. My father went to look for them in his pajamas, holding one of his golf clubs

kimilseung

Most atheists I know don't try to, as Boiler put it "disprove the possibility" As they know it is impossible to disprove that possibility, just like Russell's teapot. They just lack the belief in any god.

civilservant

I don't disagree with any of the points you make to be honest. The likelihood, out here in the boonies, of being broken into is remote to say the least. Better have and not need, then need and not have though.

If the action of pumping the shotgun (which isn't going to be that useful since there's a shell in the chamber and it'll just eject it, but I digress) is enough to scare the person off then that $400 investment just paid off.

Shard

Yes. Nothing to disprove.

SultanOfSwing

Standard procedure, there. I mean, I get it if you're in the middle of nowhere, possibly surrounded by bears or something maybe you might have a gun or two strategically placed 'just in case', but I'm slap bang in suburbia and the fuzz are a 10 minute walk from my house. I'll spend my money on something else that I'll get a lot more enjoyment and use out of.

My strategy is to make my house as undesirable as possible to break into. Therefore, I don't flash around any of my expensive gear - the car gets loaded and unloaded inside the garage with the door shut. When we get a new TV, etc, I break down the boxes and put them in the recycling, rather than setting them out for collection. It's worked well this far and if it fails, well, I have my frying pan.

SultanOfSwing

I was, in a way, backing you up anyway. It's 100% better for you that the likelihood of being broken into is remote where you are, because then you will only have to use your guns for 'sport' (assuming you partake in target practice, etc), rather than to actually shoot someone.

Shard

You keep it loaded

What's then the point if you're pumping it ?