Sgian Dubh and the Church

[Phil]

I have to say here that the sgian dhubh was not designed ever to be something to peel an apple, sharpen a pencil with or help with manicuring. It was carried secretely as a weapon of last resort to kill in the event that other weapons were taken away and was not designed in a modern peaceful society where we all respect each others life and liberty. If someone disarmed you and was about to kill you you pulled out your sgian dubh and stuck them - and hoped that was an end of them. Not a nice scenario but then life in those days wasn't. Highland dress contains many such hangovers of less civilised times, dirks, swords, pistols etc. but the only one to remain generally is the sgian dhubh.
As I understand it the Christian faith, and I believe other monotheistic religions, have as part of their fundamental belief the view that "thou shalt not kill" and therefore to carry a weapon designed to do just such a thing must fly in the face of the belief being followed in a place of worship.

[BoldHighlander]

As I understand it the Christian faith, and I believe other monotheistic religions, have as part of their fundamental belief the view that "thou shalt not kill" and therefore to carry a weapon designed to do just such a thing must fly in the face of the belief being followed in a place of worship.

This could skate dangerously close to the edge of the rules, but in the old Hebrew text it actually said "Thou shalt not commit murder". Anyhoo....

I recall the busy body who once confronted me about my sleeved tattoos, saying "you know what it says in the Bible about tattoos don't you?" My reply was "yes, and that's between God & I, isn't it?"

[JRB]

I have to say here that the sgian dhubh was not designed ever to be something to peel an apple, sharpen a pencil with or help with manicuring. It was carried secretely as a weapon of last resort to kill in the event that other weapons were taken away and was not designed in a modern peaceful society where we all respect each others life and liberty. If someone disarmed you and was about to kill you you pulled out your sgian dubh and stuck them - and hoped that was an end of them. Not a nice scenario but then life in those days wasn't. Highland dress contains many such hangovers of less civilised times, dirks, swords, pistols etc. but the only one to remain generally is the sgian dhubh.
As I understand it the Christian faith, and I believe other monotheistic religions, have as part of their fundamental belief the view that "thou shalt not kill" and therefore to carry a weapon designed to do just such a thing must fly in the face of the belief being followed in a place of worship.

Actually, the sgian dubh almost certainly evolved from the sgian achlais, or armpit knife, as a short utility and knife. Knives of it's type were caried by all manner of people from serfs to royalty from antiquity to modern times all over the British isles and Europe. I'm sure it was employed as a last resort weapon on more than one occassion (part of it's utility) but that was not it's only or primary purpose. If it were purely a weapon and nothing else it would have much more likely evolved into a double edged blade.