(Guestpost by Drew)
Isaiah once wrote that Jesus would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). That means people will sometimes dislike us as Christians. Around the world, wicked groups often try to kill us.
In America, things are mostly safer, but events like last week’s Illinois church shooting show us that we cannot always depend on government protection. Likewise, Romans 13:4 says that the government exists ”to bring punishment,” not protection. For that reason and in accordance with Genesis 9:6 and Luke 22:35-38, I think every church should contain armed gunmen. Remaining helpless only invites trouble. I personally have made it a habit to carry a gun with me to church. Everyone else should follow my example!
God’s morality is immutable. If God declared to Noah that violent men should die (Genesis 9:6), that same rule applies to us. Weak and stupid teachers sometimes assume that God changed his mind when he came to earth in human form. But Jesus actually declared the exact opposite: Jesus said, ”Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The Bible does not contain two separate faiths, one with a “Mean God” from the Old Testament and a second with a “Nice God” in the New Testament. God does not change his mind.
So the next time some idiot pacifist tells you that guns are bad, that “turning the other cheek” means letting yourself get killed, slap him upside the head. And then after you’ve slapped him (on both cheeks), help him understand that every command Jesus gave actually coincided with the Old Testament. Jesus was the perfect Jew. In fact, if Jesus had contradicted the Old Testament, he would have been a false Messiah! Overall, Christ handed down two commands: 1) Love God, and 2) Love your neighbor. But contrary to what the Neo-Gnostics believe, these ideas were not new at all. In fact, God had declared the exact same doctrine in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). But while Jehovah commanded us to love our neighbors, he also told us to kill murderers (Exodus 21:14).
I was watching 24 recently. At one point, Jack Bauer mentioned that anyone who refuses to take action to stop a terrorist attack may as well help plant the bomb himself. How true! Pacifists come to mind. These foolish people think they are noble, but in reality they are wicked to the core. They are leeches on society, depending on others for their own wellbeing. Besides, if a criminal tried to rape a pacifist’s wife in front of his eyes, would the pacifist take no action? What if someone attacked his parents (see Deuteronomy 5:16), or kidnapped his child? If he would fight back, then he is a clearly hypocrite for binding the consciences of others. If he would not fight back, he is “worse than an unbeliever” (See 1 Timothy 5:8).
Of course, if God commands violence to defend against rape, he also commands justified violence in other circumstances. Pacifists do not think logically, however. They just feel. And in their feelings, they embrace the ascetic doctrines of demons.
So now that we have established guns are good, what action should we take? We must act wisely. Aside from schools, churches have become one of the most dangerous locations in America. They are frequently the targets of mass-murder. Churches do not need mass armament (Jesus said that two swords were ”enough”), but the taboo against carrying weapons in church has to end. The blood of dead churchmembers will be on our hands if we stand idly by, or discourage others from acting.
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed — For in the image of God has God made man.
Interesting article. It has sparked a good conversation in my office this morning about the need to carry a weapon in church.
My coworker sees your point of view, but feels that having a weapon in church could only escalate the situation. If someone knows that a member is packing, wouldn’t he plan for that and bring a bigger or more powerful weapon. In the end, how many gunmen end up shooting themselves? Why not just find a bomb to use?
These are good questions to ask I suppose. What would you say to his arguments?
Travis Clay
At close range, I think a gun is basically a gun. Realistically, it wouldn’t matter much what kind of weapon the criminal had, especially if he weren’t well-trained. A murderer could bring an M-60 into a church and still be brought down by a pistol — unless maybe he were wearing kevlar or something, in which case you’d need to shoot the head.
The main reason these maniacs target churches and schools is because they don’t expect any resistance. You hardly ever hear about people storming police stations or courthouses. They go for schools because the people are sitting ducks. And churches aren’t much different.
The bomb idea presents an interesting dilemma. I think the facts remain, though, bombs are hard to make, hard to control, and hard to plant. After the Oklahoma City bombing, federal laws (I think) actually make hardware stores monitor the sales of various bomb-making ingredients. But anyway, except for that guy who bombed the black church decades ago, I haven’t heard of anyone planting bombs in churches or schools. It’s a thoughtful question, though.