Many of my esteemed, godly, and more learned Christian colleagues, in light of the Parkland slaughter, appear to be suggesting that you cannot carry a weapon and be a good Christian–there appears to be no nuance in what seems to be a very emotional argument.
Frankly, this troubles me, as I believe this to be a very complex moral, social, and spiritual issue (and I’m not just saying this because of a supposed affinity for violence and a craven capitulation to an NRA-fueled “gun culture”).
Christians should be the most thoughtful and least reactionary of people, as we know how deeply sin infects every area of human existence. There’s more to this than simply telling people to trust God and turn the other cheek. So in the interest of furthering the discussion, I have a few questions for my anti-gun friends:
1. Agreeing that government authorities have the right to bear arms, do you believe that the individual right to bear arms guaranteed in the Second Amendment needs to be repealed? If not, why not?
2. Do you believe it is immoral for a Christian to defend his wife and children, or parents and grandparents, from those who would harm them? Or is it OK as long as you don’t use a gun?
3. What do you say to all those churches that currently employ crisis protection plans involving firearms to keep members and visitors safe from an attack? Are the shepherds not allowed to defend the sheep?
That’s all for today.
