Christians and Guns?

[The_Patriot21]

I dont want to see anyone kill anyone unnecessarily.

[~candice~]

guns can be intimidating, especially if youve never been around them. But if your careful with them, once you get comfortable with them their really not that intimidating-once you realize that without someone holding a gun, its just a hunk of wood and steel.

And this is exactly why the gun carrying folk ought to be careful to avoid all the rhetoric they can when discussing guns, like, shoot first ask later. The hyperbole really freaks some people out.

[Fez]

I have been around guns most of my life. Army, police, nature conservation. To me they have always and always will be a tool to use appropriately. There were times where I had a gun room full of stuff, and would chose a gun for it's purpose, almost like selecting a golf club. Anti poaching, a R1 auto (like the Galil), small antelope a .223, Hippo a .458 magnum.

If I had to defend my family or myself, that's what the gun would be used for. God would know my heart in using it, and it would be the very last resort.

If I had to use a baseball bat and it was all I had, I would use it as a last resort. If I had to use a soda bottle, same thing. Knife, fists, feet, same thing.

There is not much difference when inflicting harm on another. What you use is not the point.

How and why you use it, is.

Sometimes words just won't cut it. Then you use a sword?

And through it all, Jesus would know my heart, my motives, my fear, and my repentant heart for having to do it.

[ears]

I can't imagine shooting any living thing but I can't imagine watching one of my loved ones being hurt either. Places and situations are different for us all. My hubby and I love to go biking and hiking and have often wished we had some protection on us. Yes I would shoot someone to protect a loved one or my own life. I know that I may never get over it though if I would ever have to do that. I feel though that I could live with that remorse more easily than the option. Guns are a huge problem in the wrong hands and so are prescription medication, just look at the lives they have destroyed and taken, but the also comfort and save. I have also been anti -guns all my life but my views are changing as the world is changing.

[AnotherSinner]

.

I'm licensed to carry concealed in the State of Oregon; but my preference is pepper spray over of a gun if at all possible. Bullets go a long ways, and most of them easily penetrate walls; so if the shooter misses his intended target, he could injure the next door neighbor or maybe even hit a child down the street.

A spray formulated for bears is the ultimate. The canister is larger than personal pepper spray, and has enough pressure in it to go as far as twenty feet. Bear spray is readily available in most any department store that carries a good selection of outdoor equipment for fishermen, hunters, campers and hikers. Bear spray works on dogs too; and given it's effective range, you can stand back far enough from the dog to avoid getting bit.

The best thing about sprays is that they're non-lethal so the cops won't bust you for assault with a deadly weapon nor even for carrying a deadly weapon; which makes sprays just the ticket for controlling people you don't want to kill; such as a drunk who stands in front of your car preventing you from driving away, or a posse of obnoxious adolescents harassing you and your wife.

Considering the possible legal tangle resulting from using a gun, sprays are an excellent alternative. Collateral damage from a spray is much easier to live with than collateral damage caused by a gun. And anybody can use sprays. They don't require special training and/or certification. Just read the label and follow the directions and you're in business. In my opinion, sprays are the ideal weapon for everyday personal defense on public transit systems or any other place where crowds gather like malls, movies, and sporting events.

Cliff

/

My hubby had me carrying some spray in my purse. Especially if I had to walk to church on Wednesday evenings.

[oldzimm]

I can't imagine shooting any living thing but I can't imagine watching one of my loved ones being hurt either. Places and situations are different for us all. My hubby and I love to go biking and hiking and have often wished we had some protection on us. Yes I would shoot someone to protect a loved one or my own life. I know that I may never get over it though if I would ever have to do that. I feel though that I could live with that remorse more easily than the option. Guns are a huge problem in the wrong hands and so are prescription medication, just look at the lives they have destroyed and taken, but the also comfort and save. I have also been anti -guns all my life but my views are changing as the world is changing.

It is called "The Instinct For Survival", nobody in their right mind wants to kill another human being, but if it comes down to me/my family or the attacker, I'll learn to live with my actions.

[AnotherSinner]

.

My hubby had me carrying some spray in my purse. Especially if I had to walk to church on Wednesday evenings.

Smart man. Though some toughs don't fear guns; it's pretty much a sure thing they all fear spray. And you don't have to be a good shot either. Sprays are quiet, and don't jolt your arm and hand with recoil. Some of them are kind of cute too. I've seen them in pink and small enough to hook onto a key ring or tuck into one of the little pockets in a ladies purse. Talk about girl power!

Cliff

/

My hubby has no fear of guns. He is wanting to get one in the house in fact as well as a permit for one. Then wants me to learn, I am the one not alright with any of those ideas.

[The_Patriot21]

pepper spray is an effective method, my wife carries military grade spray in her purse, however for me personally, I don't because I dont like carrying a lot of excess hardware (such as pepper spray and a gun) and pepper spray doesn't always work-there is a small percentage of people that pepper spray does not work on (roughly 4% so not high) So if Im going to carry something its going to cover all the basis-the appearance of a gun is enough to scare most criminals away, and the ones it don't, well I reckon thats why you carrry ammo in the gun. Now, don't get me wrong, theres nothing wrong with pepperspray-the chances of you running into someone whos immune it it are slim to none, Im just slightly paranoid, I dont want to spray someone, and then have to worry about trying to get my gun out in time if the spray doesnt work.

As far as innocent people getting hit by a through and through, well that is indeed a valid concern, but one thats can be lessoned. They make special ammo for the air marshals, that are designed not to go through and through, though that can be hard to find. They also make in some calibers pellet rounds-instead of a solid round, its kind of like a minature shotgun blast, wont go all the way through someone, and if you happen to miss, won't go near as far as a normal bullet and wont go through a wall. The downside is very limited range. I personally prefer the slower moving rounds, my personal carry weapon is the .40 S& W which is a very slow moving round, combined with Hornandy Ballistic tips-they expand on impact, and even if they go through a target, they slow down very quickly, and even if they go through their intended target will lose so much momentum as to not travel far past it.

There is still the chance of a through and through or a miss hurting someone-which is the reason if your going to carry a gun (or any sort of weapon) you should know how to use it. Pepper sprays not hard, point and spray, but with a firearm one should take it out and practice with it regularly to ensure that they are both comfortable and accurate with it.

[Firelord Lionheart]

I read through all the verses posted and see nothing about allowing your enemy to inflict harm on you in the act of his urge to cause harm. Self-defense =/= murder. So I think guns are fine. Besides, we had and have militaries where the vast majority of its members were Christians.

[AnotherSinner]

An interesting point was made here earlier in this thread: Peter drew a sword...and cut off a man's ear who came to arrest Jesus. Did he do this to protect himself? No.... Could he have done it to protect Jesus? Maybe.... yet...Jesus healed the man, one of those who came to destroy Him. Are we perhaps forgetting an important message here?