Christians Bearing Arms

Brethren:

This is a topic that is becoming more prevalent in many discussions I am having with other believers and it has to do with Christians carry concealed weapons (CCW).

Many men in my old church are packing and they have their reasons. Carrying guns is just something I do not bear witness with but people want to take issue with me because I tell them that I am not believing to be put in a situation to have to use one.

The same questions come up like what would I do if someone were to come in my home to harm my wife or worse.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and convictions and lets just respect others who might be on the opposite side of the issues in what we ourselves believe.

I was in a discussion with a brother who genuinely loves the Lord, loves to get out there in the trenches and witness, etc. He has a wonderful heart for the Lord but he also has a CCW. His conviction is, if someone were to start shooting up the place, he believes he would be able to minimize the damage and death.

He did say he does not believe in using his weapon to protect his food and water as he feels he would give to whoever asks if he were ever put in that situation.

He attends my old church, so carrying is well accepted there.

Blessings,
BD

I have a weapon or 2 for home defense only. I have a CCW but don't carry outside the home. I don't carry it in the home either.

I have dear Christian brothers who have weapons and some who don't. I don't care one way or the other.

I don't know Kung fu (wish I did) so I have no expectation that I could disable an armed intruder. Of course there is no guarantee I could do so WITH a weapon.

I don't think it is a sin to shoot at a home intruder. I see it as my duty to protect my family.

If I was a missionary or a street preacher on "their" turf I would not carry nor would I shoot if I did.

But if they come in my house, I would have to take action. It's not complicated for me.

I do CCW. Sometimes on my person. Sometimes in my briefcase.

I am also going to purchase a tactical knife used by law enforcement and everyday carry it.

I encounter people who are bad news. Many people would do me or my family bodily harm if given the slightest chance. I cannot afford to let that happen for their sakes. I am equipping to resist and protect.

My concern is not government agents. I could never acquire the means necessary to effectively resist wrongful force. Franky I don't think anyone can in spite of home arsenals.

My concern is people I know and people like them that I do not know.

You are surrounded by these same people. They would harm you too if given the slightest opportunity. But, if you have no family to provide for nor protect, you may freely choose the route of submission without resistance. It is a commendable trust. As a husband and father, I do not have the luxury in the face of known evildoers to not plan, prepare, equip and mentally and spiritually determine to act to resist with deadly force. I DO have the grace to pray and trust that God will answer my prayers to keep us from evil.

A preacher that I know was outside of his church building when a man came up and told him that God hated that church and that he was going to go in and kill everyone.
The preacher told the man that he was conceal to carry and was willing to use it if need be,.. the man than backed down, got in his car and drove off. The preacher than called the cops. Within about 10 min. the cops pulled the man over and found meth. a rifle and 100 rounds of ammo.
no one was hurt and no one was killed.

In his young days, my husband practiced martial arts and was very good at it, winning some championships. He was still very good as he got older. He also believed that a weapon would be useful. I did not want one at home, and we never got one.

After God touched his life and changed him radically, he renounced his martial arts practice, and opposed the use of guns. He said that our God hates violence. My husband was very uncomfortable with the idea of hurting another living being, since it is not for us to take a life.

The other thing he said is that having a gun (or pepper spray, or knowing how to defend yourself, etc.) gives you the false assumption that you are the one defending yourself, and that you have any control over it. It is the Lord God only who can defend us, and in Him alone we should trust.

These are my thoughts, and I respect those who think otherwise.

I conceal carry even at my church. Being in Texas, I also open carry, especially when I am hunting.

For me, it is a matter of fulfilling my biblical obligation to defend the innocent and also not getting tore up by hogs (when I am hunting). There are self-imposed (albeit, I believe biblically-based) rules that I apply, though.

1) Persecution is not a reason to defend myself. Since it is an honor to be counted worthy to suffer for His name's sake, I would not shoot someone over it.

2) I don't defend only myself. If someone is threatening to kill me, then by all means, they may do so. I am going to do my best to talk them down and witness to them or pin them to the ground and witness to them, but they aren't going to die from me shooting them.

3) I don't defend my things. Stuff is nothing. It can be taken away by a human and it can be taken away by a fire. It would be nothing but pure vengeance to kill someone over my stuff.

4) Defend the innocent. This is the primary reason why I carry. If I didn't carry. I'd do it with my bare hands, even at great personal cost to myself.

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All of this requires discernment. I have never been in a situation in which I have had to defend someone. But I believe that in that moment, the Lord will lead me, because my first plan of action is to cry out to the Lord over whatever situation I am in.

Havok-

Your rules of engagement pretty much line up with my own. #2 is hard, but I think I agree. I have a little bit of a hard time with the idea of dying needlessly because of my family etc. I hope it never comes to that. I don't think it would be a sin to self-defend, but I understand the argument against it.

proudpapa: Wow! That is the exact scenario that played out at the church a buddy of mine pastors. The man left, I believe on foot, but was found to be really messed up on drugs and was arrested. But he was asked to leave and told what he was up against if he did anything to threaten the congregation.

I personally have a CCW and carry intermittently. I would not hesitate to protect either my home, or my congregation. I have really thought long and hard about my convictions and how it plays out with my faith. I think my personal conviction is this. I have no problem with giving my life for the sake of the gospel. I would do so willingly and believe that in that moment God would give me the same grace that He has given other martyrs. I do not carry to necessarily protect my own life. But I do want to protect the lives of others. I know my own destiny and have a very secure hope of salvation. But I am not sure of the others that might be in my church, and I do not want to let someone kill them.

My family has a strong tradition of gun ownership. We all hunt, we all plink, and most all of us are CCW carriers. My church is full of, for lack of better words, a lot of country rednecks from the same tradition.

Let me add this. There are areas of life where the Bible does not clearly spell out what I should or should not do. They are areas left to personal conviction through prayer and best understanding of scripture. My uncle was a conscientious objector during the Korean War. He was drafted, spent the war as a jeep mechanic a couple miles behind the front lines, and drove unarmed to the front each Sunday to preach to the troops who were not catholic even though he was not an official chaplain. He did not believe he could take the life of another person. I honor and respect him for that, though I do not necessarily agree with his interpretation of "thou shalt not kill". I will never knowingly consume an alcoholic beverage (NOT trying to start any rabbit trails please) although I have to be Biblically honest and say that I do not believe that tee-totalism is taught scripturally. I have a personal conviction about my witness and I bind myself by that conviction.

I think we have liberty in these areas, but must be sure we can do so without condemnation. If your heart condemns you, better to abstain.

twayneb,

I find our positions very interesting. Counter to your situation, I did not come from a pro-gun family by any means. In fact, my family (mom and her relatives) does not like that I hunt or fish or tote a gun. My family raised me to be quite liberal but I turned into a bible-thumping, conservative redneck!

But I truly believe that if there another way that doesn't involve killing someone, to take that route, but most certainly not at the cost of other's lives.

I have played many different scenarios in my mind. Balancing justice and mercy is hard. Actually it would be impossible without the Holy Spirit. Frankly, there are plenty of times where I thought the Lord should discipline me, and He showed me mercy. So I definitely need Him telling me how to handle this stuff.

let me put it to you like this marcmc,

If someone broke into your house and threatened to kill you and your family, who would you call? The police, right?

Why would you do that?

....because they have a gun and can save you....

It isn't that far of a stretch of the imagination to understand why, where it is legal, a man would choose to carry a firearm.

Well, I don't think carrying a gun / being a believer is incompatible? Would you object to me hunting with a gun? Would you object to me carrying a pistol while I am bowhunting so that I can shoot a hog if he attempts to attack me?

That being said, guns and believers are not incompatible by nature.

The issue is what you do with it.

It's not political for me. It's a matter of principal and honor. How can I look to the Lord and say that I did what was right, while simultaneously allowing those who are innocent to be taken advantage of?

And this is in no way directed at you. We come from very different cultures. However, I also react the same way that you did, when I think of grown men being cowards while they watch the innocent be destroyed. I most certainly expect an unbeliever to act that way, but not a believer.

Lastly, you and I may not have the same calling/gifting, hence our differences. This issue is very important to me, regardless of any politics. If guns were illegal in the USA, we'd still be having a similar discussion to this because I'd be advocating using your bare hands to defend the innocent. A gun is a tool and a means to an end--nothing more.

Marc your argument sounds like when pit bulls here in the US kill some kid, and the owner says "but he was so gentle and never bit before." There is always a first time.

My house was never broke into growing up nor have any of my dwellings I have lived in since then ever been broken into. But there is always a first time. If I heard someone breaking in at night I would likely die of fright so I would not have a chance to decide whether to shoot.

Almost daily here in the good ol USA we hear of home invasions when the owners are home. Usually they are drug crazed thugs.

I agree that the likelihood of it happening is low; but we buy insurance and spend a lot for it to guard against relatively rare events (house fire, car accidents etc).

I can understand why a man would choose not to protect his family from thugs. But that is certainly not me.

Let me ask you this- if a thug broke into my house, under your philosophy could I brain him with a fireplace poker?

marcmc,

All right, brother. I have made my first point. And I can be wrong, for sure. Show me according to the Scripture where I am erring, please. I am not arguing. But I am willing to hear what you have to say.