Electricity on Shabat

Question

I would like to take this opportunity to iterate, (yes, iterate, not reiterate, check Webster's) something that Rabbi Abadi, literally, blasted me for about 17 years ago. The issue was being machmir (stringent) where it leads to actually transgressing a "D'oraytah" This old man who lives nearby us experienced a blackout on a Friday night. Now, this man is not learned by any stretch of the imagination. In fact he became "shomer shabbat" about 15 years ago. Anyway, he tells me, "God should forgive me, but it was so dark and I didn't want to to turn on a flashlight so I lit a candle" LYA