The apparent rise in
frequency of mass-shootings does NOT indicate a need for more gun laws, but rather
a heightened presence of conceal carry (CC) citizens for the following reasons:
Unless the gun laws
already on the books are actually enforced, it is ludicrous to expect that
adding laws will reverse rising crime rates. Instances of such neglect instead
proves that defending citizens from violent crime has, for such administrations,
yet to be a priority at all.
Jesus’ disciples
carried a weapon (Matt. 26:52, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50, John 18:10-11) indicating
that He upheld the concept of self-protections in non-religious (secular)
contexts.[1]
Since it is obvious that law breakers by definition don’t
respect gun laws, it is utterly futile to seek to minimize mass-shootings by
fixating on the access of firearms for law-keepers. Insofar as the
latter are restricted from either reasonable access to a firearm, or the
freedom to use it for self-defense without fear of lawsuit, whenever unarmed
people are assaulted by a law-breaker with a gun, they will be helpless to stop
his determination to do whatever he wishes.
Even under the best of
conditions, police officers cannot arrive in time to stop a murderer from
carrying out his crime. Indeed, there is little reason to call
police unless a crime is already underway. For this
reason, competent armed people need to be present at the scene in order to stop
the murderer the moment the carnage starts. There is simply no other
possible way to protect innocent bystanders during the precious minutes before
the police can arrive.
Gun control proponents
who have financial means to purchase security with armed bodyguards, are
imposing a double standard by exempting themselves from the
very strictures they force onto vulnerable citizens who, with the vast majority,
can’t afford the same protection.
Since it is obvious
that guns are inanimate objects, they have NO capacity to wantonly kill
people. The cause of murderous rampages is instead persons who
pull triggers, thrust a knife, or wield a hammer or rock (notice the broad
range of potentially fatal objects) by determining in their hearts to
murder others (James 4:1f). In the event that purchasing private firearms
becomes increasingly restricted to the point of being illegal, criminals will
not be deterred from obtaining them, and even if they are hindered, they will
find other ways to kill (Gen. 4:8). The heart of our human problem really is
the problem of morally corrupt human hearts.
This reality
highlights an often-neglected aspect of what is needed in order to encourage
moral uprightness and discourage lawlessness; which is wholesale Christian
revival. Public safety requires more than a sufficiently armed
population. It demands a godly people.[2] The kind of morality which issues in healthy
societies is grounded on the worldview that the God of the Holy Bible is the
author of right and wrong, and additionally that all people will ultimately
stand before His judgment seat at the end of time (Acts 17:31). Doubtless,
some readers will scorn this assertion. Nevertheless, it is
self-evidently true that unless this view is broadly embraced by our culture,
public expressions of morality will continue declining toward chaos.
Research indicates
both that gun homicides have been “10% higher” in states which do not support
CC laws, and that CC permit holders are far less likely to commit crimes.[3]
[1] “Difficult Bible Passages: Matthew 5:39.” www.billmuehlenberg.com/2011/04/20/dificult-bible-passages-matthew-539
[2] John Adams stated, “Our constitution was made for a
moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other.” https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-3102
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