The Christian and Gun Control

I debated whether or not I should write this article for a long time.  I put it off for a while because I thought a lot of people were saying and writing things about it, and there were other things that had been neglected that I wanted to address.  However, there is a lack of clear thinking on this issue.  So I’m going to talk about gun control.

I’m going to start by giving you what my politics are on the issue, because that no doubt influences my views somewhat.  I don’t like labels, but if I have to take one, I’d label myself as a conservative.  I break that mold on certain occasions, but in general, I believe that capitalism works and the government should give its people as many freedoms as it can without endangering them.  I believe that the Second Amendment is referring to the rights of the citizen to arm himself or herself and that ought not be infringed.  I do believe that we ought to have better background checks and more strict regulation in terms of who can have guns so that incidents like Sandy Hook don’t happen.  My belief is that the problem is in the killer, not the weapon of choice.  I will probably go more in depth with this at another time, but for now that is all I will say.

That covers my base view of gun control.  My view on it as a Christian becomes more complicated, or at least deeper.  You see, just because the government grants me the right to do something, that doesn’t mean I should do it as a Christian.  When I turn 21 in November, it would be perfectly legal for me to buy all kinds of alcohol and drink until I’m well past drunk.  The command for Christians is to not be drunk.  The question then becomes what the Bible says about what we use guns for.

I think it’s fair to say we can legally use guns for basically three purposes: hunting, recreation (the shooting range, for example), and self-defense.  Since the question is really about violence and not about recreation or hunting, I’m going to take a look at self-defense.  Does a Christian have the right to defend himself or herself with violent or even lethal action?

The passage that is often used with this is Matthew 5:39, the passage that tells us to turn the other cheek.  It’s pretty hard to turn the other cheek when you’re shooting at somebody.  That, I grant, is true.  However, if that is how we are to understand Matthew 5:39, why does Jesus tell his disciples to take up swords when he sends them out (Luke 22:36)?  Doesn’t that seem contradictory?  When you look at the context of Matthew 5, I suggest we ought to understand it in terms of taking mistreatment by those in the world, not when people are trying to kill us or our family members.  It seems pretty clear that Jesus instructed them to take swords to defend themselves.  I doubt they were using them as razors.

Before we leave this topic, there’s one more thing I want to address.  1 Timothy 5:8: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  Let’s say I get married and have kids.  One night somebody breaks into the house.  They have a knife.  They go straight for my 3-year old daughter.  If I don’t protect my daughter, am I providing for her?  I will grant that the passage is speaking primarily of financial means in the context, but let’s use our brains.  If I do not defend my daughter, am I providing for her?  I submit to you that I have a God-given responsibility to protect my family.

In closing, I want to offer a caution.  My point is that a Christian can use a weapon in the defense of himself and his family. That does not mean, however, that to be against guns is the anti-Christian position.  I want to make that clear.  It simply means that being pro-gun is a defensible position for a Christian to have.  I also don’t want to leave this topic without including Romans 13:1-2: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” 

We have every right to arm ourselves in defense of ourselves and our families.  We do not have the right as Christians to take up arms in rebellion against our government, no matter what rights they take away.  The principle in Matthew 5 is important here.  When we are mistreated, we are not to retaliate.  That much is clear.  So if you are a Christian and you are pro-gun, that’s great.  Just remember where your boundaries lie, lest we be found to resist what God has appointed.