Have you ever wondered where Jesus would stand on the Second Amendment? Well, according to National Review, there is little doubt that he would be a pro-gun lobby, shoot-em-up sort of guy.
The Democrats — ever vigilant for improper mixing of politics and religion — opened yesterday’s news conference announcing their proposed “assault weapons” ban with a prayer from the Dean of the National Cathedral, the Canon Gary Hall. As Drudge highlighted yesterday, he made brief remarks before the prayer and said, “Everyone in this city seems to live in terror of the gun lobby . . . but I believe that the gun lobby is no match for the cross lobby.”
I have no objection to the Reverand speaking his mind. In fact, I’m glad for clergy to contribute their thoughts to the gun-rights debate. My objection is to the substance of his position, not his participation in the debate. Simply put, self defense is a biblical and natural right of man, and I fear that his words imply otherwise. There is nothing about the cross that requires me to allow someone to kill my family — or anyone else for that matter. Indeed, I have a moral imperative to come to the aid of those in distress.
Here we go. Another right-wing attack on gun control that is completely baseless and irrelevant. One does not need the Bible to make the argument that self-defense is a natural right. Of course it is…but the type of changes to the gun laws that Dems have proposed have nothing to do with the right to defend oneself or protect family and property. The proposals have only to do with a) the type of guns one should be allowed to purchase and b) restricting gun ownership to law abiding citizens and others who do not pose a threat to society. Arguments don’t get any more rational than that.
That said, the entire premise that Jesus would be in support of NRA sponsored lunacy is ridiculous. One need only turn to Matthew 5:38 and Jesus’ own words to make the point that Jesus would have hated guns.
You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
Jesus went a little too far with his turn-the-other-cheek bit, but it’s quite clear that claiming that he would have supported the gun lobby is a stretch.
But when Jesus’s example is used to defend violence, to celebrate self-defense, to find ways to look away from the mass murder of children, beware. Jesus’ response to unspeakable violence was unconditional surrender and yet more still:
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Amen.
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Re: ” . . .One does not need the Bible to make the argument that self-defense is a natural right. Of course it is…”
Jesus, who is supposed to be the be-all authority and last word of resort for every Christian argument certainly left an idelible example of the techniques God would approve of for self defense didn’t He?
As to self defense being a “Natural” right – - that is correct!
But Jesus is not concerned with “Natural!” Jesus is concerned with “Super-Natural.”
Of course every Bubba who ever twisted a squirrel out of a tree knows that Jesus died so he ( or she) could buy guns, drink beer and sire generations.
I do not remember Jesus ever requiring the disciples to arm themselves – - -
I do not remember anything that Jesus ever said that sounded anything at all like any of the “stand your ground laws.”
But then again, in today’s world where so much that was once the exclusive province of religion has been politicized, I doubt very much that one can find Jesus in too many churches much less at some gun show.
“If Jeebus had a gun, he’d still be alive today”. Homer Simpson
Your illustration of Jesus here goes against everything I’ve ever been taught about the man!
@Karen and John
You obviously were not home-schooled by religious, right-wing, gun-toting fanatics. If you were, a picture similar to the one above would be hanging on your living room wall.
Egg-Zackly! Egg-Zackly!
I didn’t have a Cleaver family childhood, but thank the Lord it wasn’t one you describe!! :-)
I’m pretty sure Republicans have confused Jesus with Ronald Reagan and being a Christian with being a Republican.
@JesusisNOTaRepublican
LOVE IT!!
Mario:
There are several websites featuring Republican Jesus. Here’s one: http://www.quickmeme.com/Republican-Jesus/newest/?upcoming
Enjoy!
I feel a wave of change coming…everyone says it can’t be done…I choose to imagine differently.
How in God’s name did these Bible-toting, self-righteous idiots come to be so very confused, she asks rhetorically?
Those who claim to know Jesus are always reinventing him to fit their own ideology.
Perhaps the reason they need guns themselves is because they lack the same thing that Jesus had in large supply: Faith.
There’s an awful lot of horrendous stuff in the bible – genocide, murder, rape, gratuitous cruelty and violence (mostly in the Old Testament), things that, fortunately most of which are not condoned in modern societies. Moving on to the New Testament, we get a lot about love, compassion and kindness, but only in some parts, parts which most people seem to ignore these days. My many-times-great-uncle* felt that a lot of the bible was unnecessary, so he concentrated on the words of the Christ and excised all the supernatural woo, leaving a slim volume of spiritual philosophy. It seems to me that most people these days give more heed to the spiteful intolerant hatemongering scribblings of Saint Paul than they do to what should be the important stuff – in fact, I would probably categorize most modern denominations (including the Catholics) as Paulist rather than Christian‡.
My uncle was not the first person to try to reshape the bible to his own ends, and he certainly hasn’t been the last. However, he probably stands out as one of the few people who did so with sincere and good intentions of seeing to the core of a scripture rather than bending it to his own selfish goals, as the Republicans and their religious fanatic allies so often do.
If only some of these self-described Christians would actually read their holy book instead of mining it for useful quotes to support their own prejudices, they’d realize how horrible some parts of it are (the ones they usually quote) and how different other parts (the ones they usually ignore) are from the opinions and beliefs they espouse – yeah, like that would ever happen.
*He was a pretty well-known guy. My mother’s family is directly descended from one of his sisters.
‡And that Book of Revelation – wow! Who needs old Furry Freak Brothers mags with that thing around? Of course like those old underground comix, it’s much more entertaining when you’ve got a good buzz on.