« Implementing a Partial Serial Number Verification System in Delphi | Home | Red Microsoft beats Pinko Linux »
Christians, the Bible, and Guns: is Self-Defense Vengeance?
By Brandon | July 28, 2007
We’ve all heard the cries of hypocrisy: You can’t be Christian and against gun control; you can’t be pro-life and pro-gun ownership; vengeance is God’s, so why do you need a gun?, etc.
Let us examine, in particular, the charge that being prepared for self-defense is vengeance.
The conversation goes something like this:
Gun Grabber: “Guns kill people! We need more gun control laws!”
Gun Owner: “People kill people. Gun control laws do nothing to stop criminals from committing crimes and just make it harder for law abiding citizens to protect themselves. Saying we need more gun control laws to keep people from being murdered is like saying we need to ban silverware so people won’t get fat.”
Gun Grabber (knowing he has no logical argument): “You hypocrite. You’re a Christian, and the Bible says Vengeance is God’s, so what right do you have to own a gun?”
We already know that gun laws don’t prevent gun crime. It was illegal for a student to carry a weapon on the Virginia Tech campus, and so the only student with a gun was the one shooting everyone in sight. Short of snapping magical fingers and disappearing all firearms, no law imaginable can prevent guns from being used by criminals. But we know all this already, and it’s all been completely documented.
We also know that as a matter of United States law, the right to own guns is recognized by the Constitution. All the hemming and hawing one can conjure up doesn’t change the fact that the very foundational document of our government says “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Some people try to argue that militia means government military, but it doesn’t, and the very wording of the amendment places the right of arms ownership with the people and not the state.
But now, what of the Christian? Can a Christian accept these facts and own guns without hypocrisy?
What is Vengeance?
The Bible says:
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” -Romans 12:19
There can be no doubt that the Bible clearly directs the Christian not to take vengeance into his own hands. Vengeance is taken out by God himself, and according to 1st Peter 2:14, he does this through the institution of government. But is self-defense vengeance?
For an answer to this, we do not go to the gun-grabbing liberal who despises individual liberty and sees personal defense as an affront to the nanny-state. To see if the divine operation of vengeance is equated with self-defense, we need merely read more Scripture.
For example, if someone breaks into your home and you kill him while he is committing his crime, is that vengeance?
“If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.” -Exodus 22:2
Clearly, the answer is no: self-defense is not vengeance. But what if you wait a while, and go kill him after you found out what he did? Conveniently for us, the very next verse answers that:
“If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.” -Exodus 22:3
These two verses lay out quite clearly the difference between self-defense and vengeance. In the first case, the thief was killed while committing his crime, and there is no fault in the man who killed him. But if he waits until it is over (the sun be risen), it would be vengeance, because at that point the imminency is passed and the thief must be dealt with under the law.
So we see quite plainly that acting in self-defense is not taking vengeance.
“Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” -Luke 22:36
Topics: Christianity & Religion, Society & Politics |
July 29th, 2007 at 10:15 am
There is a later scene where Jesus told Peter to put his sword away.
The reason He did so was that the sword was meant as a weapon to use against bandits and highwaymen, not Temple policemen. (The Jerusalem Temple had its own police force, and it is this police force that arrested Jesus.)
July 29th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Christians should remember that Christ was Jewish, so what does Jewish Torah say about self-defense?
[The Torah is the biblical books of Genesis through Deuteronomy]
[no, I'm not Jewish]
Rabbi Mermelstein addresses that topic: http://www.gunownersalliance.com/Rabbi_0363.htm
March 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Self-defense is not practiced anywhere in the New testament. Paul recieved 40 stripes - 1 not once,
but 5 time. I self-defense were an option surely
the Apostle would have used it. But he did not even mention it. Jesus said thos that take up the sword shall perish with the sword. Instead
hebrews 4:12 says ” the SWORD of the Spirit is move powerful than ANY two-edged sword”. Using
a carnal weapon would be not as effective as the word of GOD. Psalm 68 says “LET GOD ARISE, let
his enemies be scattered.”. Moses spoke the earth
beopened and ALL the rebels at KORAH were descended into it. Paul spoke and his enemy became blind. I thought that “the just shall live by faith”. As soon as you take up the sword any faith you had uis GONE. When Paul went to jail the angel brought an earthquake to open the prison doors in acts 17. Show me even 1 disciple who used carnal self sefense. We are living under grace not the law. We should follow the law of the SPIRIT, for to be carnally minded is DEATH.
When ananias and saphira lied, the apostles spoke
and they both dropped DEAD. I hope and pray we can follow these holy examples to make this world
a more peaceful place to live
March 24th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I’ve found no New Testament prohibition against self-defense, or defense of one’s family. Such a statement would have to be researched to determine whether it was a translation error, because the scriptures tell us that God is constant & un-changing. Such a prohibition would be a complete 180-degree change from the instruction of the Old Testament.
I don’t know about your other readers, but I could not stay my hand and allow an intruder to savage my wife and children. I want and need the means to resist, because I know that the state is under no burden to defend me or mine. Property is of no consequence - beyond it’s worth to provide for my family’s needs as I am bound to do.
Here’s a link to a discussion of self-defense and the New Testament: http://www.lawandliberty.org/defense.htm
God’s blessings upon you.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Letting a criminal commit violence against my family is not loving him or having mercy upon him, nor is it protecting the helpless as we are commanded to do. If we do not provide for our families, we are “worse than infidels.”