Gun Violence

Love: "It always protects .." 1 Corinthians 13:7a"

With another mass shooting this past week, once again with Christians being the primary target, what is the focus on? Guns. In other words, we don't focus on the victims or the motivation of the murderer, let's focus on the weapon. I have even seen articles posted in support of "gun control" that compare the number of people killed in gun violence to those killed by terrorism; more by guns. Yet, I don't see movements to ban things like gasoline, airplanes, roof tops, machetes, bomb belts and cars, to name a few, since these are often the weapons of choice used by terrorists. But, regardless the focus never seems to be on the motivation of the murderer just their gun. Oddly enough, in many of these shootings, the victims are often killed in "Gun Free Zones." The only people that are safe in a Gun Free Zone are the shooters. But, I digress, a question that has popped up recently with the victims in these recent shootings being Christians is, "Should a Christian arm themselves in order to protect themselves, their loved ones or other innocent people?" The best way to answer this in general is with another question; "If you are a Christian does that mean that you cannot defend yourself from someone who is about to cause you harm?" People will often use this attitude to blackmail Christians. The attitude is one that says, "I can hurt you as much as I want because if you protest in any way at all, then you are evil and I will tell the whole world, including God, that you are evil because you protested the fact that I hurt you." Most people may not say it that way because it is too obvious, but they have that attitude. Apparently, Christians should just lay down and be victims.

Therefore, if a Christian, for example, shoots someone trying to do them or others harm, they are accused of not being "loving." Yet, where is the love in allowing yourself or innocent people around you to be killed? If someone bent on doing me harm walks into my church, breaks into my home, walks into my job or wherever these crimes are committed, I am going to do my best to defend myself. And, if in the process of defending myself I inflict bodily harm on my assailant, up to and including their death, then so be it. I will not have one ounce of regret or remorse. I will not have any shame for my actions. I will not feel as if I have compromised my faith. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not wanting to ever be faced with this situation nor do I wish this scenario be thrust upon other individuals. Defending myself is not only a God-given right, a Constitutionally protect right as a citizen of the United States, but I believe a duty as a Christian. To not do so can be considered a violation of not loving your neighbor. Instead of focusing on the weapons used by the murderers who, by definition, are not following the law anyway, we need to focus on the many reasons why these shootings take place; the laws that only take away the individuals right to defend themselves, the belief systems of the shooters that give them justification for their acts, the anti-depressant medications that rob these individuals of the ability to think coherently, the fatherless homes many of them grow up in and the increasingly godless environment that is the modern United States. It is a Christian's desire to save the lives of the innocent and the souls of the lost. It is okay to defend yourself in order to make sure you are still here to do those things.