Should Christians Carry Guns?

dogs4thewin said:

They do not have to know you are armed.

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This is true, but what will those same people we have been preaching to about putting our faith in God, having no fear because He is our protector, preaching against violence, not fearing those who can kill the body, and teaching them about the glorious life that awaits us after our physical death going to think if we pull out a gun the moment we feel threatened? Or, worse, we take the life of another man?

Wouldn't keeping that weapon concealed from them and then suddenly revealing it at a time of danger make them question our faith and what we have been preaching to them all this time?

I don’t personally see a problem with followers of the Messiah carrying guns or weapons, as He clearly instructed his disciples to arm themselves and buy swords.

A gun is the modern equivalent of a sword.

dogs4thewin said:

If they do not know you are armed how would they know.

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They would know if a threat ever presented it's self and we no longer conceal it. Why take the chance of hiding something like that anyway? Would we be honest in preaching to others about putting all of our faith in God and the gospel while at the same time carrying a concealed weapon because we are afraid of death?

SteveIndy said:

You say you do not want to kill anyone then why own a gun? If you make provision for murder then when the opportunity arises you will kill.

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Using your logic, I must want a fire to break out in my house, because I have 3 fire extinguishers!

Also, you are confusing "murder" with "killing in self-defense"; they are NOT the same.

step_by_step said:

This is not an attempt to make anyone angry or stir up anything. This is a real question that I'm struggling with in my life right now. I just want to start a friendly debate/discussion and I also don't want to include politics in this.

That being said, I'm considering getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. It's something that I've thought about for a long time now and it's been back on the front of my mind lately. I would want to train myself so I knew how to use the weapon and when using it, I would never want to kill anyone.

But my question is, is it wrong for a Christian to carry a gun? In Matthew 26:52, Jesus warns Peter that all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Does this mean that we shouldn't arm ourselves? I personally know a few Christians who live firmly by the second amendment and therefore have lots of guns for protection. Does God frown upon this?

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IMHO, it is not if one arms oneself but WHY one would arm themselves. A gun is just an inanimate object until the person who carries one uses it. So what purpose does it present?

We recently had a crime occur here where a white man tried to first gain access to a predominantly black church but found locked doors. He then went to a near by Krogers where he walked around and then stepped up behind an elderly black man and shot him several times in the head.

He then left the store and saw other blacks outside where he shot and killed an elderly black woman. A black man with a permit to carry then drew his weapon and a gun battle broke out. Neither men hit anyone with the hail of bullets but this man was trying to protect his wife.

The white gunman was then confronted with another white man who had a gun permit who drew his weapon but the assailant asked him not to shoot because whites don't kill whites.

Now, IMO, the only sinful one was the white man to intended to kill. I don't know why the others had weapons but just having them isn't a sin. It would deep end on why they carried them.

dogs4thewin said:

One can have faith in God and a sense of self-presrvetion and common sense too.

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This is true and it's up to each individual to decide for themselves if they want to walk around their community armed or not. Personally I believe we should try to be Christlike and follow His example in all areas of life. Doing this makes us a powerful personal witness to the unbelieving world.

All we need to do to find the answer to the OP's question is to ask: "Would Jesus carry a weapon?"

The answer seems quite obvious to me.

"Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ." -- Paul (1 Corinthians 11-1)

Daniel Martinovich said:

I was the same for a lot of years but my dilemma was different. I consider our country as founded almost the pinnacle of God’s will for the nations.

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Quite the claim - do you have any kind of underlying argument, Biblical or otherwise, that the United States of America is "almost the pinnacle of God's will for the nations".

To many of us - and especially to those outside the USA - this seems like chest-thumping.

eleos1954 said:

Just like anything .... used responsibly there's nothing wrong with it.

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This sounds reasonable, but on further analysis, this way of thinking about guns is deeply suspect. Imagine that I made the same argument about having a nuclear bomb in my basement:

"Used responsibly, there is nothing with it"

Well, life does not conform to such terse common-sense-y aphorisms.

The reality is that we all have moments where we are irresponsible.

The reality is that a non-negligible fraction of us can and do slide into mental illness.

And the reality is that accidents happen, even if we are really careful.

Let's be clear: whether or not this is true of the United States, it is clear beyond doubt that one can order a society so that no guns are needed and people are safe. I won't take the time to do so right now, but I am confident that, if challenged, I will be able to list a number of free prosperous nations that are essentially gun-free and where the citizens are safer than in the USA.

StephenDiscipleofYHWH said:

I would wish for you to kneel and pray to the Lord for the murders life just as I was. It is better for me to die saved than to rob a man of salvation. Again brother I would not be praying for my own salvation but for the Salvation of the sinner.

The Lord is our protector and our avenger. We do not avenge ourselves but give place unto wrath.

And you become a sinner in the process.

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The person who rejects Jesus will have had more than sufficient time and chgances to accept Him regardless of what is done in that situation, and God defends the poor and powerless, doesn't He?

Hi OP, yes the thread blew up overnight! .. I have only got to see it for the first time, and I can see so much passion here. People just cannot bear the idea to let go of what they perceive as their right to take human life if they should decide it is their right to do so. I wonder if you understand why that is.. and, has that passion taken such a firm hold of you yet?

Anyhow, I have found the answer for you here:

Southernscotty said:

Having a gun promotes the gospel because it keeps one alive long enough to preach it and if you are a minister who goes into drug infested areas such as some of us do. It is only wise to have a little backup to go along with the Spirit.

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.. and what comes to mind is "you cannot serve two masters". The scripture that comes to mind for this, is Jeremiah 17:5 "cursed is the man who makes human flesh his strength, and whose heart departs from Adonai".

You just need to decide who you will be and what you think Christians should be making the world become.

step_by_step said:

This is not an attempt to make anyone angry or stir up anything. This is a real question that I'm struggling with in my life right now. I just want to start a friendly debate/discussion and I also don't want to include politics in this.

That being said, I'm considering getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. It's something that I've thought about for a long time now and it's been back on the front of my mind lately. I would want to train myself so I knew how to use the weapon and when using it, I would never want to kill anyone.

But my question is, is it wrong for a Christian to carry a gun? In Matthew 26:52, Jesus warns Peter that all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Does this mean that we shouldn't arm ourselves? I personally know a few Christians who live firmly by the second amendment and therefore have lots of guns for protection. Does God frown upon this?

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I am a Christian and I own many guns. I hunt and use guns for target practice.

There is nothing Un Christian about carrying a gun... unless the time, place and method that it is carried is prohibited by law.

I am hearing a lot of noise and arguments in Canada and the US about Gun laws..

Here is the undeniable truth.... You will never get rid of all the guns... People who go about the proper channels and procedures in order to own and carry guns, within the bounds of the law...are not the problem.

You could pass a North American law.. to outlaw any and every gun... you will still have guns. All the law abiding citizens would turn in their guns.... all those that don't follow the laws... would thumb their nose at it.

If a kid, on the street of New York, Chicago, Toronto or Vancouver has a concealed handgun.... a law is not going to deter him now, is it?


The only way you are going to start to put a dent in the use of guns for illegal actions... is to make the punishment severe... Very severe..

However, that is the issue. Our countries have adopted a flawed concept. That is that people are not responsible for their unlawful acts... It is believed that it is societies failure... Therefore.. we don't punish them.. we try to "correct" them..

How's that working for ya?

The blame needs to be firmly placed back where it belongs... Squarely on the shoulders of the person doing the act. After a certain age or level of maturity, people should be held accountable for their actions and rewarded or punished for them.

Punishment first..... rehabilitation after.

If you put your finger in a pot of boiling water... you get hurt.. then you heal and you have learned...

Nature has it right...

dogs4thewin said:

What do you mean you control what you choose to do with the TOOL.

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In principle, sure. I should have been clearer. People often talk about avoiding tempation, etc. Bars, racy movies, video games. Seems to me a firearm could be a pretty big tempation in some circumstances...

Southernscotty said:

How about those poor innocent people who are in that particular church service that very day who were there to finally accept Jesus and are hoping and praying for a better life, BOOM!! then gets it cut short by a terrorist with a snoot full of demon dust

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If they died accepting Christ then they were saved. The man who did it has a chance to repent and should be prayed for, and the Lord will exact vengeance as he sees fit. Again though it would be better that this man come to repentance and acknowledgement of the Lord.

expos4ever said:

Quite the claim - do you have any kind of underlying argument, Biblical or otherwise, that the United States of America is "almost the pinnacle of God's will for the nations".

To many of us - and especially to those outside the USA - this seems like chest-thumping.

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Sure, I have a whole website with a thousand pages of information on it. www.wordservice.org

But just to keep it simple. How does the influence of this invisible kingdom spread in the earth?
Simple answer. Through the preaching and teaching of Gods Word. Through the disemination of information. In the USA’s founding days, via printing presses. Now electronically.

In the very first ammendment of our constitution; how the kingdom of God’s influence is spread is enshrined and protected from government or public interference.

The second ammendment, the right to keep and bear arms put teeth on that prohibition of the public or the governments ability to interfere with the preaching of and the teaching of the Gopel and the disemination of information by acknowledging the right to do so and defend with deadly force if necessary.

The best way to see their thinking on the subject is to read the original state constitutions. I have them listed on my web page which by the way. If you type into your browser: original state constitutions. My page on it shows up first. What I have done is to highlight the Christian\Biblical influence in each one of them. Makes them easy to read with links to the entire documents. The bill of rights in the federal constitution is actually a bill of restrictions against the federal governments interfearance in matters and powers retained by the people and their states.
The Original State Constitutions

YeshuaFan said:

The person who rejects Jesus will have had more than sufficient time and chgances to accept Him regardless of what is done in that situation, and God defends the poor and powerless, doesn't He?

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So when Paul was delivering Christians up to die(he having already heard the word of God and denying it) he should have been killed since he had sufficient time to repent and turn to God? Who are we to say a man's time is up? Who are we to say a man can never be saved? Isn't that reserved for the Lord alone?

God alone avenges us, and he alone redeems.

In addressing the OP and what we as Christians are to do when it comes to "swords".....

I found that John Calvin said something intriguing on the subject:

It was truly shameful and stupid ignorance, that the disciples, after having been so often informed about bearing the cross, imagine that they must fight with swords of iron.

Thank you, OP, very interesting topic to discuss.