"Horrific mass shootings aren’t the only sign that the world is pining under the effects of sin and darkness."

Shaymus,

Having left school at 13 yrs with no qualifications it is an amazement to myself and most other people that I am self employed as a consultant in legal services. My field of expertise includes trust, estate administration, probate, wills and so forth. I know for a fact that this job was prepared for me as the company that provide me with clients are over 124 miles away. The facts running up the my meeting them, being interviewed, and them offering me to be a part in the company, at the interview, would have been impossible without Devine intervention. The training I’ve received and the rewards I receive are nothing but mercies. Ten years of trusting, waiting and receiving at his hand is an experiance that enables me to say, you can keep the big E, whatever that is.

I notice you people always ask what denomination/church a person belongs to and not when, where and how you were converted. I always ask the later because membership of the former is no proof of conversion. I never, ever call a man brother without being sure he is.

Believers have for the most part always considered armed law enforcement and the military open to them.

Rob,

I take ‘believer’ to mean someone who believes in the existence of the Almighty. No big deal, even demons believe and they tremble.

but I am casting a much smaller net. By “believer”, I include all born again saints, whether Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian, or Lutheran. The most clear cut example I can think of is holder of the Medal of Honor (VC equivalent) Sergeant Alvin York.

[Huw]

Rob,

I take ‘believer’ to mean someone who believes in the existence of the Almighty. No big deal, even demons believe and they tremble.

I’m sorry,but I do not and will not accept any man outside of the canon of scripture as an example of what is right, good and true.

On that point, you are well within your rights and prerogatives. However, Alvin York is seen by many American Baptists as a good example of how born again Americans deal with such matters. I fear my brother; you are dealing with a transatlantic conundrum.

[Huw]

I’m sorry,but I do not and will not accept any man outside of the canon of scripture as an example of what is right, good and true.

I think martyrdom(dying at the hands of the government because of our faith) and death by the hands of criminals are two different things.

I am sure that if an armed man were trying to break into your house, you would call the police. You would not just sit there, wait for the man to come in, and as he walks up to you with a knife, thank him for releasing you from this life, and into the hands of God.

”I am sure that if an armed man were trying to break into your house, you would call the police. You would not just sit there, wait for the man to come in, and as he walks up to you with a knife, thank him for releasing you from this life, and into the hands of God.”

If you want to play mind games of ‘what if” then that’s up to you ( breeding ground of fear) but don’t try and involve me in your silly games.

I have Psalm 23 as my weapon of choice.

By the way. My next door neighbor is a schizophrenic. On the other side I have a manic depressive who has a drink problem. Further down I have a mix of thieves and burglars, drug dealers and various kinds of misfits. This is where the Almighty has placed me and has done so for a reason. I’ve been assaulted, threatened and had a lot of vandalism to my car and had drunks just walk in through the door by mistake.

I don’t need to play silly mind games, because the reality is enough.

Thanks for answering:

1. If it is legal to own a handgun, is it a sin for a Christian to own a handgun?
2. If it is legal to protect oneself with a handgun, is it a sin for a Christian to so defend oneself?

Comments:

• I know handgun rules vary by country (and in the United States even by State). In the US State of Minnesota, it is legal to own a handgun if one is not mentally ill and not a felon.
• Where I live there is a process in place to legally purchase a handgun.

Huw,

I answered your silly question to let you clarify where you were gong with it so I wouldn’t have to assume. If you really apply your silly question universally the way you are trying to apply it here, it will have significant ramifications in every area of life. If you don’t apply your silly principle universally, you are nothing but a hypocrite. Using your logic, why would a Christian ever go to see a doctor, after all the Almighty Sovereign of the universe can keep you healthy or heal you if He wants; going to the doctor is nothing but an effort to avert the Sovereign will of God in your health and displays a terrible lack of trust in God.

Furthermore, if indeed it is sinful to bear arms or take another life for any reason, God would never condone it. We could look to the OT where God ordered Israel to clear Canaan by the sword of every man woman and child, but we really don’t need to go that far back. Jesus, the same one you have tried to misquote and abuse in this discussion, authorized a Roman soldier to remain in his profession (Luke 3:14). No healthy Roman soldier was ever given a desk job; Jesus knew that soldier would be required to wield his sword with deadly intent. Of course, Jesus would not give the soldier permission to sin. Your hermeneutics remain horrifyingly and disturbingly unorthodox, and you place yourself in the dangerous and unenviable position of falsely putting words in the mouth of God, for God has not said anything remotely similar to what you have attributed to Him. This is the epitome of using God’s name in vain.

I’m folding gentlemen.

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;” 1 Tim 4:7

Huw, I’d like to exhort you one last time to come under the authority and teaching of a local church. You’ve repeatedly twisted the words of those in this forum, taken cheap shots, and not listened.

folding too, Huw.

Yes I do apply trust to every area of my life and can call it life, not existence. ”The just shall live by trust”. You must possess it, before you can exercise it.

As for your medical query I have be advised to take life prolonging drugs, but have refused.

The reason I have called the hypothetical questions silly is they are not based on fact. They are the wicked imaginations of some ones mind and are based on the premise that my heavenly Father wises me harm, He doesn’t. If you think that the Almighty wises you and your family harm and live in abject fear I suggest you cast aside your proclamation of trust in him.

You started your statement with’’ in the US’’. (Post 93) This provoked me to consider what manner of influence living in the US could have on a man that he would be driven to arm himself to take the life of his neighbor when the act flies in the face of what the scripture says we must do.

Historically the US has glamorized and glorified firstly gunslingers. Notorious outlaws had illustrated books or small magazines published about them and the outlaws became legends.
Later we had movies and the same thing began to happen. Same with TV, videos and DVDs. Computer games also glamorize and desensitize lawlessness, murder and mayhem. In the midst of all this we have people who are influenced by these media.

Bearing in mind we are talking about spiritual influences and certainly not the Spirit of Peace. It seems reasonable to affirm that people prefer darkness to light and so the verse, ‘by their fruit ye shall know them’, springs to mind.

Add the spirit of violence found in ice hockey and football and educated into the population that thrive on violence and you have the ingredients for a lawless society filled with violence. ‘’And Elohim said to Noach, The end of all flesh is come at my face; for the earth is filled with violence’’.

Scripture gives us recourse to question people and discover whether they are true or false brethren. The level of violence a person enjoys or approves of is a measure of his lack of mercy, grace or peace.

We either, walk and talk with the world, or we are holy (set apart) we can’t be both. The world loves weapons, loves talking about weapons, loves using weapons and trusts weapons to provide security and safety the world have made the gun an idol.

I am under authority. The authority I’m under provides for all my needs, including safety.