God, Guns, and the Golden Rule.

What is the connection with being Christian and owning a gun? Most of the VERY Christian people I know own guns –proudly, but I have yet to find the passage in the Bible that says owning a gun is important, having a gun is important, or protecting yourself or your stuff is important. I’ve seen plenty of “Thou shall not kill,” but it doesn’t say “Thou shall not kill unless someone is stealing your TV, or someone is attacking you.” It does however say, “turn the other cheek,” but many people seem to skip over that part. It also says that it is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel to get through the eye of a needle. Why? Because we aren’t supposed to be materialistic. Christianity gives you the idea of heaven as a final, after-life paradise so that death doesn’t seem so scary. And yet, it seems, Christians with guns are afraid of EVERYTHING!

If you are Christian, and you die, the common belief is that “that was your time to go.” God is in charge of these things, and we can’t or shouldn’t get in His way, or try to change it. So then why do some people want the God-like power to end someone’s life? Do they think they are Gods?

But wait! The Bible says, “An eye for an eye.” Yes, it does. So if someone steals your TV, you have every right in Christian thinking to go steal theirs –well except for that “thou shall not steal part.” –Damn! Well, you can always turn the other cheek, but no where, no one in their right mind will think that ANYONE’s life is worth a TV or a wallet. These are Old Testament writings that also included killing an ox if you told a lie, and getting your father drunk and fucking him so that you can have children. It’s in there, so do we just pick and choose?

Or do we go to New Testament writings, and the teachings of Jesus. But as I recall, as he’s being tortured and put to death, he says, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” He doesn’t tell his apostles to seek revenge nor is it in their mindset. It’s not a Christian idea. In fact, it’s anti-Christian. Can you imagine Jesus telling his assassins, “I hope you die?” Or what if he was given a sword and fought back. I mean he was in danger for his life and he knew it. He knew that wasn’t in God’s plan. Do you think it is in God’s plan to have anyone kill anyone?

Many people twist ideas and words and call guns, “peacemakers.” I have never understood this. Someone comes into your house, you shoot them, and now you have peace? Do they have peace? What about their family? What about yours? What if you can’t prove it was self-defense, and you get thrown in prison, where’s your peace? Do you sleep more peacefully knowing that there is a gun under your pillow, or do you have nightmares of having to use it?

And statistics show that more people –especially more children –are killed with their own guns, or guns in their houses. That is never what anyone expects, or hopes for, but it is the reality. Where is the peace in that?

The irony is that these same Christians are so against abortion, because in their eyes an unborn fetus has more rights than a living, breathing person with a name, experiences, and memories. If the mother shoots herself in the belly, would it be ok with them? Maybe that’s going too far, but there’s a very huge disconnect that can’t seem to be reconciled. Why, in so many other countries, is abortion not an issue at all, and no one owns guns? Are they backwards or are we?

Maybe Christians feel they are more patriotic and American about it, by following the 2^nd Amendment, but the 2^nd Amendment was written before we had a standing army. It was written when every man was expected to defend his land from the British, the wild animals –oh, yeah, and the natives. So yes, we have this right, and at the time it was written, it made a lot of sense, but it was also written in the same document that separated church and state, so I ask again, where is the connection?