Can a Christian be against gun control?
A Christian can be against gun control, believing that law abiding citizens are best able to protect themselves when they are armed. Whatever Christians do believe, we, as citizens, are called to submit to whatever gun ownership and use laws the government institutes.
What does the Bible say about gun laws?
Gun laws are just one of the many laws that Christians must obey. The Bible speaks about the use of weapons in defense of self and of others. Regarding self-defense, in Nehemiah 4:15–23 we see that Nehemiah gave instructions to the people of Israel to be prepared to defend themselves in the event that their enemy came upon them.
Is gun ownership a sacred obligation?
On the right, some Christians have described gun ownership as a sacred obligation given to us by God Himself. A little historical background will illuminate the original meaning of the Second Amendment.
Does the government have the right to control guns?
With the authority God has entrusted to it, the government has the right to allow or disallow gun ownership to whatever degree it deems right. We, as citizens, are called to submit to whatever gun control laws the government institutes.
What is the Bible about warfare?
Warfare is presented as an inevitable part of living in a fallen world ( Mark 13:7; James 4:1 ), and weaponry is a necessary part of warfare. Weapons in the Bible were also used for personal protection. In some parts of Israel, robbers were common (see Luke 10:30 ), and many people carried weapons when they traveled.
What was Peter’s rash behavior?
Peter’s actions were not only futile against such a “large crowd armed with swords and clubs” (verse 47), but his rash behavior also belied Jesus’ submissive attitude ( verse 50) and worked against the fulfillment of Scripture (verse 54).
What is the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ?
Laws may come and go, but the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ remains the same: to glorify the Lord ( 1 Corinthians 10:31 ). Another biblical principle to consider is that “all who draw the sword will die by the sword” ( Matthew 26:52 ).
What are Christians called to do?
Christians are called to submit to governing authorities, and they are to obey the laws of the land ( Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17 ). This would have to apply to gun laws, too. If American gun laws change, American Christians should submit to these changes and work through democratic means toward any desired alternatives.
What has the recent shootings caused?
Answer. The recent shootings across the United States have caused much heartache. The senseless and tragic incidents have also renewed the intensity of discussion regarding American gun laws. Politicians, sportsmen, and theologians have all weighed in on the issue of gun control.
Does Christianity believe in personal freedom?
Christianity supports personal freedom. Romans 14:1-4 indicates that, when Scripture does not clearly address a particular issue, there is freedom for individual choice. America has historically embraced the concept of personal freedom that resonates with this principle, and the founding documents guarantee wide freedoms regarding firearms. Some point to Matthew 5:9, in which Jesus pronounces a blessing on the peacemakers, and apply it to the issue of gun control. The idea is that guns are antithetical to peace. This may be more of a philosophical or political idea than a theological one, however. There is nothing theologically, or even logically, that links guns to a lack of peace; sometimes, guns help maintain civil peace.
Is gun control antithetical to peace?
The idea is that guns are antithetical to peace. This may be more of a philosophical or political idea than a theological one, however. There is nothing theologically, or even logically, that links guns to a lack of peace; sometimes, guns help maintain civil peace. Debates over whether to control guns or how much to control them depend largely on …
How has the Second Amendment changed?
A final way that the context of the Second Amendment has changed is that we now have to deal with the regular threat of mentally unstable people, jihadist terrorists, and others using guns to commit mass killings. Some people committed gun crimes at the time of the founding, of course, but mass shootings by individuals—especially ones inspired by jihadism—are a novel development. Blunt strategies of simply outlawing guns don’t work, and they violate the Second Amendment. Yet there must be legal, constitutional ways for us to alleviate the threat of mass shootings by making it harder for terrorists, the mentally unstable, and others to commit them.
What are the 4 beliefs that were incorporated into the Second Amendment?
Shalhope notes that when states were proposing gun ownership amendments to the Constitution in 1787 to 1788, they “continually reiterated four beliefs relative to the issues eventually incorporated into the Second Amendment: the right of the individual to possess arms, the fear of a professional army, the reliance on militias controlled by the individual states, and the subordination of the military to civilian control.”
What is the original meaning of the Second Amendment?
Original meaning, as the lates Justice Antonin Scalia taught us, is always a good place to start when discussing constitutional questions. As Robert Shalhope’s 1982 Journal of American History article “The Ideological Origins of the Second Amendment” explained, the Second Amendment was born out of a conviction that citizens needed to keep guns to protect the republic against tyranny.
How should pastors and laypeople think about gun control?
So how should pastors and laypeople think about gun control? The best approach is a judicious ambivalence about guns, gun violence, and the Second Amendment. As illustrated again by Orlando, we know that people with murderous intentions can do awful things with guns. Yet sometimes the only way to stop such people is with more guns, ideally in the hands of police. As a matter of conscience, Christians considering gun ownership for personal and family protection need to think about what the injunction to “turn the other cheek” means with regard to committing violence in self-defense.
Why did the Second Amendment give the right to bear arms?
In other words, the Second Amendment granted individuals the right to bear arms, not primarily for hunting or protection against criminals (though the founders presumably would not have opposed those reasons), but to represent a check against national political and military power. An armed citizenry provided a defensive bulwark in the states, without having to keep a professional army during peacetime. The founders commonly believed that a “standing army” was a leading indicator of government corruption and tyranny. Why do you need an army, they reasoned, if there was no war?
Do Christians say no to gun reforms?
It is unseemly for Christians to be pro-gun zealots who automatically say “no” to even the most modest reforms. Yet we also know the nature of man, and the nature of governments. Sometimes, as a people and a nation, we must confront forces of violence by using armed force in return.
Who warned the British that they could never impose tyranny on Americans?
The Baptist writer John Allen, probably the second-most influential pamphleteer of the Revolution behind Tom Paine, warned the British in 1773 that they could never impose tyranny on Americans, because virtuous American citizens would defend their rights by force. “Americans will not submit to be SLAVES,” Allen wrote, “they know the use of the gun, and the military art, as well as any of his Majesty’s troops at St. James’s, and where his Majesty has one soldier, who art in general the refuse of the earth, America can produce fifty, free men, and all volunteers, and raise a more potent army of men in three weeks, than England can in three years.”
How should Christians view gun control?
So, how should a Christian view gun control? A Christian can be a proponent of gun control, believing that removing guns from the hands of people brings about peace. A Christian can be against gun control, believing that law abiding citizens are best able to protect themselves when they are armed. Whatever Christians do believe, we, as citizens, are called to submit to whatever gun ownership and use laws the government institutes.
What does the Bible say about weapons?
The Bible speaks about the use of weapons in defense of self and of others. Regarding self-defense, in Nehemiah 4:15–23 we see that Nehemiah gave instructions to the people of Israel to be prepared to defend themselves in the event that their enemy came upon them. We read that during construction, "half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail" ( Nehemiah 4:16 ); "each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other" ( Nehemiah 4:17 ); "each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built" ( Nehemiah 4:18 ); and that "half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out" ( Nehemiah 4:21 ). These were not guns, but they were tools, weapons to defend themselves if war was thrust upon them. The Bible may be silent on guns, but it is not silent on weapons.
What is gun control?
Gun control is broadly considered to be the idea that a civil government can regulate how people own or use guns. Throughout the history of the United States of America guns have been commonplace.
What did Jesus say about the disciples?
The disciples responded that they had two swords, which Jesus said was enough. Personal freedom is a virtue of the Bible. In a nation built upon freedom, some will choose to say that guns lead to violence; others will choose to say that guns can prevent violence.
What does Romans 14:1–4 mean?
Romans 14:1–4 helps us to understand that where the Bible does not speak specifically on a subject, there is the freedom for us to choose. The civil liberties of America have readily afforded people the right to "keep and bear arms.".
When were guns invented?
Depending on how you define "guns," guns were invented somewhere between AD 1000 in China and the 1860s during the American Civil War with early handguns being created in Europe in the 1500s. The Bible is silent on the issue of guns, per se, just like it does not mention computers and automobiles.
Is the Bible silent on guns?
The Bible may be silent on guns, but it is not silent on weapons. Pertaining to the defense of others, Ezekiel 33:1–9 speaks of the responsibility of a watchman. He is the one who remains active, at attention, looking for possible harm.