Register … or Rebel: How Many New Yorkers Will Defy The New Gun Law?

Pajamas Media ^ | 01/28/2013 | Bob Owens

[showme_the_Glory]

Could you lose your salvation for surrendering your gun? How about if you kill someone that is infringing on your ability to defend your home or family? I don’t think so. Although we will be judged, in neither case would we lose our salvation. We always have a choice. My God cares more about motives than actions.

[Ouderkirk]

Form 4473 page 3 section D

Box 26

Manufactuer or Importer

Box 27

Model

Box 28

Serial Number

Box 29

Type ( pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc)

Box 30

Caliber or Gauge

[old republic]

Romans 13 and 1 Pet. 2 tell the believer to obey government. It's a real dilemma for inerrancy advocates, literalists and Sola Scriptura followers, isn't it.

Just a little food for thought.

The Bible is pretty clear that the believer is not bound to obey the government no matter what. The Bible clearly expects obedience to the government, but also sets due limits upon what a believer can demand from a Christian.,p> Acts 5:29

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

There is also the famous incident of the tribute money from Mark 12:17 which Jesus declared:

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Both of these citations expect that we are to obey the government within certain divinely set limitations. However,The primary question is "What are those divinely established limitations?" That's where things start to get a bit sticky.

The circumstances of governmental ideology has changed quite a bit since since Paul's time so its not always clear if the Pauline admonition holds up. Paul was living in a monarchical system in which the will of the Emperor and magistrates was law. The US is living in a system in which the will of the officials are supposed to follow the law, not be the law. When the command of St. Paul to obey the government was given, there was no such thing as a written Constitution establishing limits to governmental power. Our form of government did not exist in Paul's time, and there were no legal limits on the power of magistrates. The will of men was law back then and oaths of loyalty were taken to the emperor, not to the any principle of government.

However, what if the government itself commanded that there be limits to its power, but then tried to violate those limits? Is the government not bound by to obey law? So does Paul's admonition to obey the governmental require us to obey governmental officials acting outside of the law in violation of the law, or does it require us to obey the authority of the government as created by the Constitution? Do you obey illegal orders to violate the constitution established by the government or do obey the command of the government official? if you obey the constitution rather than the official are you obeying Paul's admonition to obey he government or are you violating it?

Moreover, if you have taken an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution are you not violating that oath to God by obeying the magistrate's order?

The government made a promise to the people via the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution and that was that the government could not infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms. Many Christians have sworn to uphold that law. If Christians accept the principle that Christians should obey the men in government over the laws, then the Christian is essentially saying that government by Constitution does not exist because the government is allowed by God to do whatever it wants as long as it can get away with it. They would be teaching that Christians believe in the rule of men not in the rule of law.

So what does God want here, does He want us to obey government commands that are obviously illegal to any honest observer? Does He want us to obey the law contrary to the magistrates of the government, does God expect men to keep their oath to uphold the Constitution even if it means disobeying government officials?

These are some complex and tough questions, that all Christians may have to face.

[JimRed]

The term rebel signifies an open defiance of the authorities. The rebellion against this unconstitutional law is more likely to take the form of quiet non-compliance.

Lots of boating accidents...

[JimRed]

The government itself is breaking the law by abridging citizens’ Second Amendment rights.

Any registration requirement or even a background check is an infringement on out Second Amendment rights. Even foe criminals. Anyone who can't be trusted to own and carry arms should not be running around loose.

[backwoods-engineer]

4473’s are paper are they not? Some incendiary devices could find their way into those filing cabinets, I’d say...

James Wesley, Rawles and I propose more than that:

Coming Soon to Your Neighborhood Gun Store: 4473 Burn Parties?

[Chode]

most of rural NY that believes in God and never votes for RATS...

[Hugh the Scot]

From a purely theological perspective, disregarding the current violatons of constitutional law; that’s not what Romans 13 says anyway. This text is specific to “powers” ... “for there is no power but of God”. If you choose to believe that this government has POWER over the PEOPLE, then you’re actually in the wrong book. You should be reading the charter for this nation, the Constitution, instead. Romans 13 is very clear that this tribute is to be paid “to whom tribute is due”. 1 Peter 2 must be read in context as well; it is specific to submission to your “masters” , which isn’t the way this country is organized.

[CynicalBear]

>> It's a real dilemma for inerrancy advocates, literalists and Sola Scriptura followers, isn't it.<<

Not really. Jesus disciples carried swords. And then let’s look at Romans 13.

Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.

Would you say the this administration falls under “For rulers are not a to terror to good works, but to the evil”?

Yeah, I don’t think so either. So the passage cannot possibly be talking about this administration.

Then let’s look at 1 Peter 2.

1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

Once again. Is this administration punishing the evildoers and praising those that do well? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

See, there are criteria by which we know that leaders are sent of God. Either look at the whole passage or none of it.

[steve86]

I fully agree with you.

[Gritty]

This is a tough question for the Christian gun owner. Romans 13 and 1 Pet. 2 tell the believer to obey government.

Have you ever heard of the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate?

Our Founding Fathers did, and they used it as the Biblically correct way to throw off the tyranny of the English Crown.