A Biblical Perspective on Gun Control

Last week I was asked to write a blog concerning what the Bible has to say about gun control. With the recent slaughter of children at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, gun control legislation is a hot topic in local, state, and federal politics. The argument is that gun crime is increasing, and if the killer did not have access to semi-automatic weapons he would not have been able to kill all those children. Therefore it is the goal of some people to ban as many firearms as possible, if not altogether.  

But would this help solve the problem? Studies have shown that the previous “assault-weapons” ban, in place from 1994 to 2004, did virtually nothing to stop crime, murder, or mayhem, despite promises by its supporters. One 2004 study by the National Research Council stated that the ban "did not reveal any clear impacts on gun violence."

 
Even the Justice Department explained that it had “no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence, based on indicators like the percentage of gun crimes resulting in death or the share of gunfire incidents resulting in injury.” When the ban expired, anti-Second Amendment extremists claimed murder and mayhem would be sure to follow. Of course, that never happened.

From the FBI web site (FBI.gov), statistics show that in 1992 the violent crime rate was 757 per 100, 000 people. In 2011 it was 386 per 100, 000 revealing a big decline in violent crime. The murder rate in 1992 was 9.3 per 100, 000 and in 2011 it was 4.7, again this is a decline. The FBI statistics state that most of the robberies and violent crimes in the US are in inner cities, cities where strict gun bans already exist. The underlying problems for violence in these cities are broken families, poverty, gangs and drugs. But many politicians do not want to deal with these issues.

It is also asserted that there is very little violent crime in countries that have extremely strict gun laws. This is not necessarily true. In 2011, in England and Wales there were 1, 361 violent crimes per 100, 000! That’s 3 ½ times that of the US. Guns are a very convenient weapon for someone bent on killing. But suicide bombers demonstrate that there are other weapons one can use.  The man who bombed the Federal building in Oklahoma city years ago used fertilizer! If criminals or psychotic people want to harm or kill someone they will find a way with or without a gun.

OK—you’re asking, “What about the Bible, Chuck?” The Bible doesn’t specifically deal with the issue of gun control. But there are principles we can learn from and apply. In Genesis 4 the Bible records the first murder. Cain killed his brother Able (Gen. 4:8). There were no guns at that time. Cain may have used a knife or a rock or even his bare hands. God’s response was not to ban rocks, knives or hands; He banished Cain. Later during the time of Noah (Gen. 9:6) God instituted the penalty of death for murderers. Rejecting God’s commandment, today’s wisdom locks murders in jail for a number years and then let’s them out!

Exodus 22:2-3 declares, “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed.” In other words if someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night you have the right to defend yourself even if it results in the thief’s death by rock, knife or gun. During the day you can punch his lights out but don’t kill him. Judges 5:8 reminds us of what happens to a foolish nation that disarms it’s citizens, “They chose new gods, Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel” God is not against self-defense and the second amendment to the US Constitution gives us the right to bear arms for defense against our enemies—foreign or domestic. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Amin and Chairman Mao all disarmed their citizens.

King David wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).” So we trust God to watch over us and protect us. But this does not contradict David’s praise where he exclaimed “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1).” At one time Jesus told his followers to arm themselves saying, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one (Luke 22:36).” Earlier when Christ sent out his followers they were to expect God to sovereignly meet their needs. But here they were to use normal means for their own support and protection. By the way, the sword was the best weapon a soldier could have in those days; the equivalent of an “assault-rifle.”

The problem is not rocks, knives or guns, it’s the human heart. Jesus declared, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:19).” Nowhere in Scripture does God make any commandment about any weapon used in crime or self-defense. God is concerned about our sinful hearts. People are responsible for what they do; the problem is not one’s weapon of choice. Most gun owners in the U.S. are law abiding and have never hurt anyone. They use their guns for hunting, sport and yes, if necessary self-defense. Banning guns takes them away from law abiding citizens, not criminals. And it doesn’t solve the problem of sinful hearts. Last year more people were killed with a hammer than with a rifle—think about it.