Is being a Christian and liking Guns mutually exclusive?

[BNR32FAN]

Firearms have MANY purposes. And you know it. Let's have list:
1. Self defense of my person: Against individuals larger, faster, stronger or with weapons of any kind.
2. Self defense against home invaison: Happening more and more. Read about it all the time.
3. Defense of my familiy:
4. Hunting: putting food on the table.
5. Sport: Target shooting, skeet, trap, sporting clays, Western Challenge, IPSC steel, etc.
6. Defense of my country: Japanese did not invade our mainland after Pearl Habor because our civilians were so well armed and they knew it. Read a little history.

Notice how many times "defense" is a purpose of firearms? That is a purpose that civil, poilite, law abiding folk have, and must have becuase there are so many thugs in the world. And many of those thugs are bigger, younger, faster, meaner, and merciless. Been there with thugs and I prefer to go armed. It's not happening again.

Yeah I laughed when I heard that Japan contemplated the idea of invading America. They would’ve been doing us a favor and saving us a trip lol. They thought our citizens were armed then? People who didn’t even have guns would’ve rushed out to buy them and the Japanese soldiers wouldn’t have been able to step 10 feet without getting their nose blown off. Yeah that would’ve definitely been a bad idea.

 

[ISteveB]

I once said that I like guns and think of them as a beautiful technical art. I was nearly kicked off of FB and the hate mail was on one reason I left FB. It seems that some people have the impression that if you say that you are a Christian and like guns then you are a hypocrite. Not so. I am also a former machinist and fabricator, a marketing management professional, a 3D CAD artist, and I have built thousands of fixtures for manufacturing engineering of products almost everybody has seen in some form. I do not mean that all guns are beautiful, technical, nor an art. However, I do appreciate those which are made in high or moderate volume manufacturing and have the look and feel of fine craftsmanship. I really appreciate it when I see an older a gun with more tight fitting the parts and which as been around for many years and still shoots accurately and reliably. What about you? Do you think that being a Christian and like guns makes you (me) a hypocrite?

make me/you a hypocrite?
Not that I'm aware of.

I live in western Nevada, and almost everyone I'm acquainted, and friends with are gun owners, some avidly so.
I'm a retired sheet metal worker (both shop/field), who's in a second career now.

 

[ss51]

Lots of machinists, mechanics, people who like machines and mechanical devices, all walks of life, we had 3 pairs of MD students one year at the gun club.
I noticed at the gun glub that participants in the shooting sports were the back bone of society, good citizens who worked, raised families well, and gave of themselves for their community.

 

[Wings like Eagles]

Hypocrite because I own firearms ... by no stretch of the imagination.

I dont golf so instead I shoot in USPSA as often as I can, it is a great sport.

Also - reloading is a rewarding hobby and the science/physics behind putting a hole inside a hole with a bullet at a given distance is a real challenge.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Yes, but can you plow with a gun?

I grew up on a farm; we had both. Why only one or the other? Heck, we also had cattle, pigs and chickens as well as wild game. Variety is a blessing in and of itself.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Very funny!

I thought so! Thanks!

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Just as an aside, is any self-defense legal there?
Can you use any non-firearm weapons (knives, swords) for defense?
How about tools (pipe wrench, ax)?

As long as it is not excessive. Courts have ruled even using a firearm is ok, if you have no other means. Where it is not OK is in a situation like this real one a few years back. Guy walks into a jewelry store and pulls a gun, robbing the store; thief shoots one staff member then flees the store; owner grabs his pistol from below the counter and runs after the thief, and shoots him in the back. Court ruled this was not defense, but retaliatory. Had he shot the guy facing him in the store, it would have been self defense.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I heard that they were so difficult on knives that those who are accustomed to using straight razors were having difficulties getting them sent out for honing.

No, no issues with knives and straight razors here at all.

 

[ss51]

Farmers do much more than plow......

 

[GOD Shines Forth!]

I once said that I like guns and think of them as a beautiful technical art

Guns are beautiful! Many years ago I went to a gun show and when I picked up that Sig stainless .45 it said, "Take me! I’m yours."

 

[ss51]

Yep! Had that experience as well, not with a SIG, still don't know how they can know our name when they call to us!

 

[Darkhorse]

Where it is not OK is in a situation like this real one a few years back. Guy walks into a jewelry store and pulls a gun, robbing the store; thief shoots one staff member then flees the store; owner grabs his pistol from below the counter and runs after the thief, and shoots him in the back. Court ruled this was not defense, but retaliatory. Had he shot the guy facing him in the store, it would have been self defense.

Good to hear that. The case you describe would have been judged the same in the U.S.

 

[NerdGirl]

I once said that I like guns and think of them as a beautiful technical art. I was nearly kicked off of FB and the hate mail was on one reason I left FB. It seems that some people have the impression that if you say that you are a Christian and like guns then you are a hypocrite. Not so. I am also a former machinist and fabricator, a marketing management professional, a 3D CAD artist, and I have built thousands of fixtures for manufacturing engineering of products almost everybody has seen in some form. I do not mean that all guns are beautiful, technical, nor an art. However, I do appreciate those which are made in high or moderate volume manufacturing and have the look and feel of fine craftsmanship. I really appreciate it when I see an older a gun with more tight fitting the parts and which as been around for many years and still shoots accurately and reliably. What about you? Do you think that being a Christian and like guns makes you (me) a hypocrite?

Resurrected thread!

No different than someone admiring swords or crossbows, or other weapons throughout history. All are meant to kill, but can still be admired for their craftsmanship and function.

 

[bèlla]

I'm not anti-gun. We had an amendment to restrict certain gun types on the ballot. I couldn't punch no fast enough!

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[GOD Shines Forth!]

All are meant to kill, but can still be admired for their craftsmanship and function.

This made me think of a poem I recently found again, captures your kill/craftsmanship point:

 

[NerdGirl]

This made me think of a poem I recently found again, captures your kill/craftsmanship point:

View attachment 287875

Wow, that's...blunt I like it.

 

[ss51]

Looking from and engineering, artisan, mechanic, and as many as there are prople, viewpoint, it is a machine designed to ignite a chemical compound that generates a large amount of gas crating the pressure required to expel a lead pellet from it's expendable holder. Nothing about harming anything in any way shape or form.
Most people don't think about about they think about, the devil knows this and has a heyday.
best wishes

 

[SJP51]

As long as it is not excessive. Courts have ruled even using a firearm is ok, if you have no other means. Where it is not OK is in a situation like this real one a few years back. Guy walks into a jewelry store and pulls a gun, robbing the store; thief shoots one staff member then flees the store; owner grabs his pistol from below the counter and runs after the thief, and shoots him in the back. Court ruled this was not defense, but retaliatory. Had he shot the guy facing him in the store, it would have been self defense.

This is where juries come in. The thief was going to rob again, and again, and again until he gets caught. Some where in there some innocent shop owner is going to get shot or killed. Chasing after the thug and shooting him in the back is likely saving the life of an innocent. If I'm on the jury, the shop owner walks and gets a pat on the back for doing what needed to be done.

 

[ss51]

Had that around here some years ago, the miscreant was shot in the back fleeing the robbery he had perpetrated, all of a sudden the news got very quiet and nothing was done, the miscreant had lived a worthless life, the business owner was the good, solid citizen, looked to us like justice was done, to put a good citizen in a position to fear for his life and safety might well cause the citizen stress enough to want to end this so no other person is placed in that position.

 

[Beard Man]

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