We caught a brief bit of CBS Sunday Morning today as we were getting ready to return home from the 1st Annual East Tennessee Blogger Shoot put on by Dennis Badurina of Dragon Leatherworks. More on the blogger shoot in another post.
One of the stories featured was about the Rev. Rob Schenk, an evangelical minister, who is asserting that you can't be both pro-life and pro-gun. His "conversion" to the anti-gun side came after the Navy Yard shootings near his home in DC.
When Mo Rocca, the CBS correspondent, asked how it was un-Christian for a man or woman to want to defend his or her family with a firearm in case of a home invader. The response floored me.
"Well, first of all you're making an immediate decision that if someone invades your home, they are going to die," Rev. Schenck replied. "So you are ready to kill another human being in your home. That brings about a big ethical question for the Christian. And we're told in the Bible, we're even to love our enemies."I do not pretend to be a Bible scholar. If you asked me to produce a Bible verse to refute Rev. Schenk I would be hard-pressed to do so. That said, I firmly believe that under God's law as well as under natural law I have the right, nay the obligation, to defend both myself and my family. Protecting the innocent against the depredations of violent criminals is a moral duty. If I have to use a weapon such as a firearm to do that, so be it.
(Rocca)"Even a potential intruder? Someone who's been coming into your home to hurt you?"
"Absolutely. Is it always God's will that I survive a violent confrontation with another human being? I'm not sure that's always God's will."
I think we are seeing a concerted effort by both the mainstream media and the gun prohibitionists to use people like Rev. Schenk to "shame" us into accepting more and more gun control. I refuse to be shamed for wanting to protect my family, for wanting to enjoy the sport of shooting, and for any other in my mind legitimate use for firearms.
1 TIMOTHY 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.
ReplyDeleteLuke 22:36 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.
I think he is right, we don't know if it's God's will for us to survive an encounter. But by not defending ourselves we are saying we know it's God's will that we NOT survive. And that assumption is as flawed as the first.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I pray that God's will be done, and I take actions that I can take by defending myself and my family. If this isn't God's will, that will be borne out in the results of the encounter.
A short but insightful essay...
ReplyDelete"Christians and Self Defense:"
http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Christians-and-Self-Defense
David Codrea addresses this "Lost Shepherd" on his site and in Guns Magazine. One of his quotes...
ReplyDelete“He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one who has no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God has enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend [it]self,” a Philadelphia sermon from 1747 observed.
The Lord's will determines if I live or die in the attempt to protect my family and myself. However, his will also determines if my defense is successful and my family lives.
ReplyDeleteChrist or a Glock? Come on now...you KNOW Christ would have carried a 1911.
ReplyDeleteBrowning Hi(gher) Power!
DeleteAnd I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. - Revelation 19:11
DeleteTrue story.
People like that scare me... And yes, Luke 22:36
ReplyDeletePeople like that scare me... And yes, Luke 22:36
ReplyDeleteBeing a firearm trainer is actually a really interesting and amazing job in itself. People just come to seek about the things that you know about guns, where you can help them in knowing about how you can use them in a proper manner without harming others. I believe that it is actually a very interesting task in itself to perform for the betterment of the society.
ReplyDeleteRegards:
MA Gun License