Christianity and gun violence
BY Herschel Smith
1 year, 6 months ago
If the Church is to make a faithful difference in the evil scourge of unholy and deadly violence against humanity in America, it is vital that the Church turn to a different understanding of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and our faithful role as ambassadors of Christ in the world.
A starting point is a heart-felt and prayerful acknowledgement of the fact that people on all sides of the gun debate share an essential common ground. We all want peace, security, safety, and solidarity. The difference lies in the fundamental disagreement on the role guns play in this shared desire. To some, guns are the guarantee of this goal and to others, guns are the force that makes the goals unobtainable. Tragically, when differences of belief regarding the role guns play in our desire for peace, security, safety, and solidarity dominate the argument, the true goal is lost in our collective defense of passionate belief systems over guns. Ultimately, nothing is resolved because we refuse to speak from the perspective of our shared common ground as we, instead, angry and defiantly defend our own arrogantly passionate presumption of righteousness.
Now, here is R. J. Rushdoony on common ground.
Whether recognized or not, every argument, and every theological, philosophical, political, or any other exposition is based on a presupposition about man, God and society — about reality. This presupposition rules and determines the conclusion; the effect is the result of the cause. “The One and the Many: Studies in the Philosophy of Order and Ultimacy.”
The proper role of the church is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a dying world, not to attempt solutions to social ills based on non-existent common ground.
There is no common ground because in the Christian world and life view, everything has a purpose and reason, God is providential over all, everything must redound to His glory, and must be under the umbrella of His law-word. Finding common ground with the thinking of evil men is a fool’s errand.
On May 15, 2023 at 10:20 am, Ron W said:
We can know from Luke 22:36, that just before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus admonished His disciples to buy a sword. That was the weapon carried by the Roman soldiers, analogous to a military rifle today. On the other hand, by “the liberty we have in Christ”, believers may choose to be unarmed. But to demand the government disarm others is completely opposite of and a violation of “…where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is Liberty.” (II Corinthians 3:17)
On May 16, 2023 at 7:19 am, Latigo Morgan said:
I’ll go even further and say to find common ground with evil is to surrender to evil.
Never compromise with evil.