Christianity and the Secular Point of View of Gun Violence - Essay Example

Christianity and the Secular Point of View of Gun Violence/School Shootings Introduction In the past few years, certain issues have been contentious in the Unites States; school shootings and gun violence. The mass shootings are bringing into limelight the problem of gun violence. An event is classified as a mass shooting if more than four people are killed. According to the police department, more than 283 million guns are in the hands of civilians. One in three persons in the Unites States has knowledge of someone who has been shot. Averagely, about 31 U.S citizens are killed by guns every day and more than 150 are treated for injuries. More than 110,000 people in the U.S are shot in suicide attempts, by police interventions, murders, and assaults, as well as accidents. Of this population, there were 48,297 incidents of gun violence that resulted in 12,219 deaths, 24,716 injuries, and 3,062 deaths/injuries in children aged 0 to 17 years. Also, statistics further indicate that 8 children and teens are killed as a result of gun violence; six are killed while 2 commit suicide with the gun. In the same way, 41 children suffer injuries related to firearms. As of 2015, the Gun Violence Archive reported that there have been more than 310 reported and verified incidents of mass shootings. This translates in a shooting per day. In October this year, nine people lost their lives and seven more were injured at an Oregon school (Cefrey 67-68). The increasing statistics of U.S gun violence demonstrates that mass shootings involving firearms has become a routine. Gun violence is way too common in the United States compared to other developed nations. A research by Politifact found that every year very many people die from gun related incidents in America compared to the Revolutionary War in Iraq. Even though mass shootings have happened on an increasing rate in the recent years, the support for gun rights is very resolute in the United States. A political debate has also been sparked by these mass shootings over gun violence and gun control. In this perspective, the church has adopted a secular view with regard to these shootings. Drawing on variety of literatures, the paper will discuss Christianity and the secular point of view of gun violence/school shootings. Discussion The American Secret Service defines school shootings as the deliberate selection of a school as the location of the attack. The number of mass shootings and gun violence in the U.S is as rampant as the number of people living in America. According to figures from the US Department of Justice and Council on Foreign Affairs, there have been 60,000 people affectd by gun violence and mass shootings in 2015 alone. As a result of the magnitude and effects of gun violence and mass shootings, the Church has adopted a secular view to the issue. Conversations about mass shootings often devolve around emotions. In the recent times, the Christians are agitating for their right to bear and own firearms. There is still debate on the effectiveness of guns used in personal defense. A survey carried out by the U.S Department of Justice placed the rate of using guns for personal defense at 1.6 million. However, this is twice the criminal rates. The Christians share the view that the Bible was authored long before the gun was invented. It however mentions the use weapons in battles and wars. War is portrayed as something that is part of a fallen world (Mark 13:7; James 4:1). To that effect, weaponry is a necessary requirement in warfare. Furthermore, the Christians posit that weapons in the Bible were utilized for personal protection. Robbers were common in certain parts of Israel and the people carried weapons in self-defense (Luke 10:30). It is shared that the Bible does not condemn the carrying of a weapon for self-defense. In actual fact, on one occasion it was mentioned in a positive way by Jesus Himself (Luke 22:35-39). Proponents of people possessing guns argue that it offers protection. However, some of the Christians are of the view that guns are aimed at protecting life. The pro-life Christians argue that they also need to own guns. The film The Armor of Light by Abigail Disney informs the evangelical Christians to re-examine their views on gun ownership on a moral perspective (Lachman). It has been argued that the current society is faced with escalating fear as a result of home invasions, terrorist attacks, and even robbery. As a consequence, most of the people are purchasing guns with the aim of protecting themselves. In other words, people are looking forward to the conflict. The other secular view is that guns result in civil peace. Romans 14: 1-3 illustrates that when the Scripture does not concisely address a certain issues, the Christians have the freedom to make choices. For numerous decades, the United States has embraced the idea of personal freedom that resonates with this principle. In this regard, the original document gives freedom about firearms. Also, there is a point where Jesus himself gave blessings to those who maintained peace (Mathew 5:9). Therefore, the same applies to the issue of gun control in curbing mass shootings and gun violence. The same guns that create peace can also be used to instigate civil peace. According to the Church, gun violence impacts the society in numerous ways, including security precautions even in Churches in the installation of equipments such as metal detectors, and medical costs, as well as people living in fear as a result of gun violence. According to the FBI, gun violence cost American taxpayers about US$516 million in direct hospital costs. The Church’s view with regard to gun violence/school shootings is that the society needs to live in peace. In this regard, they can only live in peace if they have the skills to use the weapons (Psalm 144:1; Psalm 18:34). The imagery of skills and weapon has been used positively in the Scripture. The Bible teaches that Christians have the obligation of preserving their own lives as well as the lives of others (1st Corinthians 6:19). About the issue of gun ownership, the Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi explained that guns can be held as legitimate instruments of defense. The Vatican spokesperson was of the similar view with U.S government in relation to limiting and controlling the use of firearms. The Bible is not in opposition of weapon possession (1st Samuel 13:19-22). A survey carried out by the Public Religion Institute, 55% of the evangelicals reside in homes where at least one person owns a gun. The Bible posits that we as Christians need to care of our bodies because they belong to God. By so doing, there is also the obligation of taking care of the body and life of other people. In Psalms 82:4, it is cited that Christians should protect those that are in danger. Furthermore, Proverbs 24:11 illustrates that Christians the duty to preserve the lives. Ezekiel 33 is a well known passage about protection. It acknowledges that a person is guilty if he hears the watchman’s warning and fails to prevent the danger. There are also some principles in the Mosaic Law that teaches the Christians that if they fail to protect themselves, they are also guilty of harming the victims (Deut 22:8; Exo 21:21-31). It is equally important to note that is a person wanders out of the city of refuge he needs to be put to death (Num. 35:16). All these teachings can be applied in the current society by people owning guns. The guns can as a result reduce violence as well as mass shootings. The Christian defenders of gun rights assert that a weapon of any type with an aim of defending the innocent against conflict is consistent with doctrine of the Church. They are of the view that self-defense is not only a moral imperative, but also a fundamental law of nature. Proceeding further, the Christians are also supporting the government’s initiative to confront the pervasive role of mental illness and addiction in crime. Next, Christians are supposed to submit to the person in power because authority is God-given and thus should obey the laws of the land (Peter 2:13-18). It therefore means that American Christians need to obey the gun laws too. Furthermore, the evangelical Christians posit that a background check needs to be conducted for a person purchasing firearms with the aim of reducing gun violence. It has been demonstrated that about 40% of the gun sales are done without conducting a background check (Webster and Vernick 45). According to the Bible, it is a matter of personal conviction to use guns. In other words, there is nothing unspiritual with regard to knowing the manner in which a gun is used and owning one. The Church argues that there is no problem with law-abiding citizens to own guns. Guns are not the problem, but the sinful individuals are the real problem. Earlier this year, a group of Catholic leaders sent an open letter in Congress in support of the gun control laws. They argue that it is quite impossible to eradicate gun violence because evil is in the human heart. Lastly, some of the Christians argue that the Second Amendment was approved by God. They assert that the authors of the Constitution were inspired god meaning that the Constitution itself is inspired by God. This argument makes a subset of the bigger worldview of the ‘American exceptionalism.’ Conclusion In summary, the Church is of the opinion that gun violence and mass shootings often results in deaths and injuries to people. The secular point of the Christians is that they should also carry guns because the Bible several times mentions the carrying of a weapon to be used for self-defense. The issue of Christians carrying guns is supported by the majority of the church leaders. The Christians agree that self-defense is a moral imperative as well as fundamental law of nature. The Scripture has various verses that support the use of force to destroy the enemy. Also, since Christians are to obey the law; they should also obey the gun control laws. The Church proposes the conduction of a background check for persons buying guns. However, in the long run, majority of the Christians argue that guns need to be eliminated from our society. Works Cited Cefrey, Holly. Gun Violence. New York: Sage, 2015. Lachman, Samantha. 2015. Evangelical Pastor Wants ‘Pro-Life’ Christians To Protest Gun Violence. Accessed on December 3, 2015 . Webster, Daniel W. and ‎Jon S. Vernick. Reducing gun violence. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print. Read More