"Self-defense, family-defense, and defense of other innocents is allowed and even commanded in Scripture"

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/11/14/homeowner-fatally-shoots-intru…

A Pine County man shot and killed an armed intruder breaking into his house early Thursday morning. A second intruder fled on foot and for much of the morning a manhunt was underway for him

The shooting happened at 2:30 a.m. at a home in rural Sandstone, 90 miles north of the Twin Cities. Authorities believe the homeowner truly feared for his life.

The homeowner who is in his seventies was sleeping on a couch downstairs, a houseguest was asleep upstairs. The homeowner woke to find two intruders ransacking his home.

“The elderly man got up, confronted these two parties. One of them produced a handgun and threatened the elderly man,” Sheriff Robin Cole said.

People are the problem…not guns or any other weapon.

But theres a difference between maintaining weapons for self-defense and (as some Christians have done) say that we need to revolt against governments that regulate (not take away) certain weapons…

At the end of the day, the responsibilities of a Christian require them to be a law-abiding citizen…and that’s far clearer than the biblical support for self-defense.

The article by itself is ok (the “Peter sheathed his sword” is a shaky support for personal defense); but the title and the implied message is open to interpretation.

May Christ Be Magnified - Philippians 1:20 Todd Bowditch

[Todd Bowditch]

People are the problem…not guns or any other weapon.

But theres a difference between maintaining weapons for self-defense and (as some Christians have done) say that we need to revolt against governments that regulate (not take away) certain weapons…

At the end of the day, the responsibilities of a Christian require them to be a law-abiding citizen…and that’s far clearer than the biblical support for self-defense.

The article by itself is ok (the “Peter sheathed his sword” is a shaky support for personal defense); but the title and the implied message is open to interpretation.

I think the author of that article would also believe that we have the responsibility to be law-abiding citizens, and not “revolt” against the government. However, don’t forget that if the agents of the government are violating its own laws, resistance to that (it could be argued) is law-abiding.Also, you left out the scripture, also mentioned in the OP, where Jesus told his disciples to go get swords. While the “sheathing” argument by itself would be weak, together with Jesus’ statement that they should buy a sword for protection, there is a pretty strong argument for self-defense.In one sense, I agree with you, though. If the 2nd amendment were ever to be repealed (God forbid), and laws passed outlawing private ownership of firearms, then as a Christian “subject to the higher powers” I would, however reluctantly, give mine up for testimony’s sake.

Dave Barnhart

On the positive side, you have the gospel. On the negative side, you have the death penalty. That is some effective biblical “murderer control”.

[Dave Gilbert]

Todd said, ” At the end of the day, the responsibilities of a Christian require them to be a law-abiding citizen…and that’s far clearer than the biblical support for self-defense.

Agreed, sir, very much agreed.

Agreed, but in the U.S., it’s entirely possible to both be a law-abiding citizen and a strong supporter of self-defense. Where this will matter is if at some point in the future, those two are in conflict, as they would probably already be in some parts of the world.

Dave Barnhart