Do you think it's Christian to own guns?

[Biblicist]

LOL, many policies, including my family's employer group ins., have high deductibles, especially for prescriptions. With Obamacare the deductibles (out of pocket) before the ins. pays anything, have become even higher. My son in law's private coverage has a $5,000 family deductible. They don't like it but that is the policy that they can afford the premiums each month, which aren't cheap. My grand daughter broke her arm over the summer and the ins. paid something like $100 the rest was out of pocket.

That's all rather interesting as I had no idea how things worked in the US regarding the health system. Here in Australia anyone can walk into a public (not a private) hospital after hours and receive emergency medical care at no charge. If they figure that you aren't really a serious case you might want to bring along a copy of War and Peace as it could be a long wait but urgent cases, such as with heart issues will be triaged on the spot. Quite often when those who have even a high level of insurance go to a hospitals after hours emergency service, they will avoid saying that they have any private health insurance as most hospitals will find a way of slogging us with some extra bills, so no tell -- no expense!

As far as I know, for those who qualify for a low income Health Care Card visits to the doctor are free and I believe that if the doctor prescribes medicines that are on the health care list then the maximum (?) is only $12, whereas you could pay quite a lot for some medicines as most would undoubtedly be aware of. To my knowledge, there is no limit to the number of visits that you can make each year and there is no limit for hospital services as well.


Earlier this year they did try to implement a $5 fee for doctors visits for those who are on Health Care cards but the public quickly slapped the politicians on their wrists saying that they were a heartless bunch. I would not be surprised to see in maybe another couple of decades that this system will collapse due to the cost of the program.

 

[Svt4Him]

Yes these things happen, but truly when you look at it, you say 'a wise man leaves an inheritance for children', do you say that money from an insurance firm is an inheritance? I disagree. I see nothing in the bible that says He blesses us with insurance money. Men who walked in His ways were blessed with land etc That family could be blessed by walking with Him and it's no shame to be poor
Debt is a big problem these days. People take on too much. When they sell their homes they don't get enough to cover the loans.

Ummm...yes, leaving money through an insurance plan is an inheritance. To say it's not means you will have to redefine the word, as it is allocated with the estate in a will, or if probate, the state, but an estate is what you inherit. You can tell me how blessed the family was, but it's a naive comment. It's like me telling you to not eat anymore and let Him be your food. Let me know how that works for you.

 

[Hoghead1]

I don't think there is anything particular Christian or unChristian in owning a gun. I have friends who have guns and they are Christian and they believe God has led them to have the guns. I personally have considered it, but as of yet don't really feel God is leading me to own one. That could change. Either way, it does not make me a better Christian whether I do or don't.

We are to seek God and do what He tells us to. Scripture does not say anything on the specific issue. I know in the garden that Peter rose up to defend the Lord and Yeshua answered with "if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword". I believe He was addressing Peters impulsiveness to act with violence, not just Peter having a sword, otherwise I believe we'd see Yeshua telling Peter at an earlier time to rid himself of the sword, but He didn't.

I believe it's a personal decision. We should not look down on any who have guns, nor should anyone look down on those who don't. Just my opinion.

 

[Svt4Him]

Read the Bible, not just the parts the unbelievers like. God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, told His people to not only defend themselves but to utterly destroy whole cities. That same God is love. We don't understand it, but it is all true. I would argue that it is unchristian to not be willing to use whatever force is necessary to defend the defenseless, not just myself, but my neighbor as well. If someone broke into one of my neighbors homes and attempted to harm their children it would be evil of me not to do whatever it took to stop the aggressor. Somehow people have forgotten what the Bible has to say about innocence and guilt and perverted it to where they claim that the guilty have more standing with God than the innocent, and that is calling good evil and evil good.

The Jewish mindset when they read a prophecy is to see how they'd get involved to fulfill it. By that I mean if there is a prophecy that says God will return and the mountain will break in two, we'd all think how amazing it will be to see the mountain break in two when God returns, were as a Jew will take a shovel and go dig the mountain in two, believing that when he's done, God will return. You see this happen in the lives of the prophets and kings, where people would enact revenge according to a word of the Lord.

With that said, we are told to take care of our families, and protect them. If we simply say we will be amazed at how God protects them in times of danger, we are interpreting the Bible from a North American mindset. Hard to argue with those people, as it's a tough thing to change.

 

[Hoghead1]

I am inclined to agree that Jesus would not have owned a gun. He stands for loving enemies, not killing them. However, one must take into the "hard" or "dark sayings" of Jesus, such as Lk. 14 and Math. 34, where he is credited with saying that no one can come to him and be a disciple unless he hates his father, mother, wife and children; and that he does not come to bring peace, but a sword, that he intends to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, etc. Since I believe we can not know the historical Jesus, only the Christ of kerygma and myth, I am included to view such statements as simply ones put in the mouth of Christ by later authors.

 

[Timdaniel]

Christianity needs to be lived today, not 2000 years ago. Jesus said they could carry swords; if they had guns back then, probably he would have said, "Arm yourselves with at least one 9 mm, and keep a few extra magazines nearby." When the disciples said, "We only have these 2 extra clips" Jesus would have said, "That is enough."

Honestly, Christianity does not mean you live on Mars. It means you still live with all the gangsters who will shoot you for your purse; it still means they will break in and kill someone. I suppose you would have to have a tremendous amount of faith to say that you could fight off burglars with just some words, but it could happen like in the movie War Room.

I think that if you don't want to own a gun and the thought of shooting someone is too much for you, then don't own one. But I know that if I kill someone with a gun, I am not doing it out of murder, but protecting myself and possibly someone else. The Bible does not say that you cannot kill people, just not to murder people. Besides, they will answer to God after that.

 

[Rod Carty]

What exactly would be considered unChristian to collect guns, as opposed to, say, stamps?

 

[Rod Carty]

Jesus made a whip out of cords and used it to drive the sellers out of the temple courtyard. The idea that Jesus is only about love is incorrect. Read through Jesus' conversations with Pharisees and Saduccees. He called them out on their evil in very plain language.

 

[Hoghead1]

I'm not sure I want to use the Bible as a standard for whether or not people should own guns. Many translators, for example, that the Fifth Commandment is most accurately translated as "Thou shall not kill people, rather than "Thou halt not murder people." Also, I believe much of the OT, which does sanctify warfare, was written by what I call the YHWH fascists to justify their extermination of the indigenous people of Canaan.

 

[jacobritenour]

The OP is simply ignorant (unknowing). I cannot deny her sincerity, so I don't think anyone should insult her. I believe that each area of the world usually has a very good reason for the laws they have. When you go there you should respect them. If any of these countries have laws you think you cannot abide, you should not go there. Very simple. Goes both ways. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And, I own two (Mossberg .22 semi-auto and a .308) -- both of these are for hunting and defending myself. Thankfully, I have never had to use them for the latter. If you don't want to own them, then I respect your decision.

 

[jellio]

This question would not be debated in the UK. Only a small number of people have a gun/riffle and it is just for sport. I don't think anyone should have a gun. The right to have a gun is out dated.

 

[Rod Carty]

I'm not sure I want to use the Bible as a standard for whether or not people should own guns. Many translators, for example, that the Fifth Commandment is most accurately translated as "Thou shall not kill people, rather than "Thou halt not murder people." Also, I believe much of the OT, which does sanctify warfare, was written by what I call the YHWH fascists to justify their extermination of the indigenous people of Canaan.

Once you start rejecting what is authoritative or true in the Bible you start down the road to rejecting the whole Bible. I start with the position that God is the author of the Bible, and people are the writers, inspired by God. I start with God being well able to communicate exactly what He wanted through the Bible, and to preserve it from the influences of writers' bias. Thus I reject any ideas that certain passages are not God's message but are only propaganda.

 

[WilliamGoode]

You should be more worried about the youngsters squelching free speech on US university campuses.

There is only free speech there for those they agree with.

A product of the Marxists who are in charge of our universities. Fear them. Marxists take guns away until they are the only ones who have them.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Oh thank you for that. I needed to laugh this morning!

Operation Cosmic Teapot

 

[malvina]

deleted

 

[nomadictheist]

I'm not sure I want to use the Bible as a standard for whether or not people should own guns. Many translators, for example, that the Fifth Commandment is most accurately translated as "Thou shall not kill people, rather than "Thou halt not murder people." Also, I believe much of the OT, which does sanctify warfare, was written by what I call the YHWH fascists to justify their extermination of the indigenous people of Canaan.

That's convenient. Something in the Bible isn't very comfortable for you, so you just toss it out as the propaganda of some ancient radical Jews...

Not that that's anything new. For the past century or so, but especially in the last 40-50 years, people have been choosing which parts of the Bible they want to believe are true. Whether it's those parts related to homosexuality, creation, judgment, the fruit of the Spirit, Noah's flood, or any other account they find uncomfortable and would prefer weren't there.

Because obviously, if it makes you uncomfortable, it couldn't be from God. [sarcasm]

One of the core doctrines of the Christian faith is that the Bible - all of it - is the Word of God, written at the inspiration of His Spirit (all scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, and for training in righteousness (1 Timothy 3:16)). Once we start denying that, the Bible just becomes the Jewish religious ideas of the day, revolutionized in the New Testament by Jesus and a few of His closest friends.

 

[dqhall]

On the Mt. of Olives Peter was armed with a sword and tried to deter the Jewish police who had come to arrest Jesus. They were surrounded and had no viable way out except for Jesus to surrender and ask for the release of his disciples. Peter was forgiven. Judas had gone over to the chief priests and betrayed Jesus for a thirty pieces of silver. Judas was trying to make peace with them. He was not forgiven.

The Muslims in Egypt burned churches, Christian houses and businesses. In Iraq and Syria Christians were crucified. In France they were gunned down at a sidewalk cafe. These things happened due to recommendations of violence in the Koran. To claim this Muslim doctrine is harmless would be a betrayal.

The dove does not hunt for its food like a raptor and they have little means of attacking their adversaries. They are not extinct to this day. Jesus instructed his people to love one another. He did pick up a whip and drove out those selling sacrificial animals in the temple. Mainly he was teaching and healing. Some righteous people will oppose Islam.

 

[nomadictheist]

In terms of the OP...

"If you don't have a sword, go sell your cloak and buy one..." (Luke 22:36)

Did Jesus carry a sword? No. But some of His disciples did, and as He prepared to depart from them He told them to go out and buy swords. I guess owning a weapon for the purpose of self defense isn't really that bad a thing after all.

Jesus didn't need a sword, just like He wouldn't need a gun in today's world. The next time you calm a storm by speaking to it, disappear from among a crowd of people intent on killing you, raise someone from the dead, or spend some time on a mountain talking to Moses and Elijah maybe someone will acknowledge your authority to tell Christians whether or not they should own guns. In the meantime, let each Christian decide whether he or she is called to be a gun owner.

 

[Ecclectic79]

I'd have to fall on the same side as to ask is it Christian to own a hammer, a saw, or a spare tire. You have to size up the world we're given and consider what's generally done and not done on our behalf. Divine will has to be on display to some extent in that schema.

 

[BSO66]

How many times ave you been to the USA? How many days have you spent here. How many citizens do you know and talk to on a regular basis? How many of the 50 states have you visited? How much of your knowledge of the USA is from internet and "videos"? What are the statistics involving crime with firearms committed by legal gun owners in the USA? I just wonder how much your really know about this compared to what you think you know based on what you may see on the internet.

Good for you. A ***** star reply. These people make me sick. I am a Christian also but a lot of these morons haven't the mental capacity to be able to think as individuals who base their opinions and draw conclusions like you said.

 

[liberal.luke]

Jesus would be ashamed if we owned guns. He came to abolish the laws of the Old Testament (eye for and eye). He asks to seeks forgiveness. Jesus didn't even raise a finger when being crucified but instead thought if God wills it. So, no. To be Christian is to be a follower of Christ, not a follower of the second amendment.