Posted on 01/18/2013 4:36:29 AM PST by ducttape45
My daughter-in-law asked me a question today. She asked me:
So I'm curious- COMPLETELY disregarding Obama, terrorism, muslims, etc- what do you think would be a solid solution to reduce gun violence?
This is my answer. It's long, but I hope you take the time to read it.
This is going to be a very difficult question to answer, mainly because there are no simple answers. But one thing is certain: guns, and the availability of them, are not the problem. I’m going to reach into the Bible tonight because the only answer(s) I can give you are found in the scriptures and nowhere else.
The problems with guns, and all forms of violence, all boils down to one inescapable truth: Man has a sin problem. Now before everyone says “oh there he goes again” please read what I have to say.
There are many passages in the Bible that talk about the condition of a man’s heart.
Proverbs 12:20, “Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.”
Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”
Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jeremiah 23:26, “How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart”
Matthew 12:35, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
Matthew 15:18, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies”
Mark 7:21, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders”
Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
You’re all probably asking yourselves, “Why is he bringing this up?” I’ll tell you. The founders of our nation built the Constitution upon one immutable principle, “A free people cannot survive under a representative republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.” They also maintained that “without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.”
Up until the early 1960’s these principles were maintained. Sure, there were, and are going to be, people who did not follow biblical teachings, but on the whole the society was maintained at a level of morality and spirituality that was in keeping with basic Judeo/Christian values, and that in turn kept society strong and vibrant.
However, in the 1960’s all that changed.
1. In 1963 Madalyn Murray O’Hair brought a lawsuit that was called “Murray vs Curlett” which led to the end of Bible reading in American public schools. God got kicked out of school.
2. The legalization of abortion in 1973 has led to the deaths of nearly 50,000,000 children.
3. Pluralism and tolerance for anti and non-Christian religions, teachings and institutions have reared a generation who do not hold to the teachings of the Bible regarding salvation, holiness, love of their fellow man, intolerance towards evil, the concept of hell and a future judgment of man’s souls.
4. Teaching that everyone is right in their own eyes and using a Bible passage out of context “judge not lest you be judged” have given us a culture that would tolerate even someone like Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin, two people who killed millions of innocent men, women and children to further their socialistic agendas. (Communism killed over 500,000,000 million people in the 20th century alone)
Since the 1960’s a generation of people have arisen who “know not the Lord.” 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4 says;
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
The falling away spoken of in this passage directly correlates to Matthew 24:24-25 where it says, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.”
That falling away has manifested itself, today, in a generation of people characterized by the following passage from the Book to the Romans, 1:18-32. It says:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Now notice what it says. They did not “retain God in their knowledge.” Think of it this way. They chose not to acknowledge God. It was not because they could not, but because they were displeased with God, and chose to forsake him, and follow their own passions and lusts. This was the true source of their crimes.
Now we can start to arrive to an answer to Kayla’s question. “What do you think would be a solid solution to reduce gun violence?” With the class of people described in the passage above, there is not a single thing that can be done. These kind of people are “full of unrighteousness, wickedness, murders, inventors of evil things……” These are the people of today (granted, this doesn’t apply to everyone of course, but the ruling elite to be sure and many others). These are the people who rule this nation right now, and many others around the globe. Without the restraining influence of the Spirit of God in their lives, which came about because God was taken out of the schools and immorality was allowed into the vacuum that resulted, this country is now led by a class of citizens who have no real regard the well-being of the people they govern.
Oh, to be sure, there are people who do not fall into this group. There are many, thankfully like you kids and many of our friends and family here on Facebook, who still have a knowledge of God and sensitivity to His Spirit and who have not chosen to completely disregard Him, and to those belong the salvation of the nation if they so chose to rise up and bring about the right kind of societal change. But you see the problem?
Unless the condition of the heart is changed, there is no gun law in the world that will stop someone from killing another human being with it, or by any other means for that matter. So for politicians, college professors, liberal elitists in the media, and so on who say that guns are the problem, they are completely wrong!
The problem is the human heart. Remember what Mark 7:21 said above? “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders.” It’s what is within a man’s heart, his soul, his very being, that commits the crime, not the instrument he chooses to do so with. You solve the “heart problem” and you arrive at the answer to your question.
And there is only one true solution to the problem of the heart. If there were others then this nation wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in now. But since all the others failed, that is proof enough that they don’t work, no matter how much it is argued otherwise. In Matthew 22:36-40 it reads as follows:
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Notice the words “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” The word “thy” is singular. Jesus is speaking directly to the individual. And the word “love” is from the Greek word “agapao.” It’s where we get our word “agape” which by translation means “love that is affectionate, benevolent.” If the people in this nation once again had this type of love in their hearts, there would be no need for gun laws. That would be the solution. That would be the answer to your question.
Do I personally expect that type of heart change happen? No, I don’t. Can it happen? Yes, it can. One only has to read the Book of Jonah to understand that. Jonah, a prophet of God from Israel, was told in Jonah 1:2, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
He chose instead to head off in completely the other direction, hundreds of miles in the other direction! He said to himself, “there’s no way I’m going to go there.” You see, he hated the Ninevites because of the cruelty by which they plundered Israel and murdered its people. They were a truly despicable, evil people. But we know that God caused him to be swallowed by a great fish and taken to Nineveh, the hard way.
When he got there, and the fish vomited him upon the land, you can imagine the local folks went wild with fear and bewilderment. And for a city that was so huge that it took 3 whole days to go through it, that’s a lot of people to get excited. So when Jonah finally preached his message, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown” they believed him. Everyone from the king down to the stable animals wore sackcloth and sat in ashes in repentence. Jonah 3:10 says, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
So, can that happen here, can the heart of men and women in the USA be changed, and thereby solve not only the gun problem but all sorts of violent crimes, yes, but only if the condition of the heart is cured by the only means that can truly remedy the problem; sin, and that remedy is in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the answer to your question Kayla. Nothing, or no one, else can work the kind of miracle that is needed now. John 3:5-7 says,
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” And the heart change that we so desperately crave will happen!
I have mentioned the day America changed was when we took God out of school and my friends scoff. They can't seem to make the connection. What must a child think when we teach them aborting children is good, or God loves homosexuality, after their Sunday School just told them differently? After decades of abortion, and releasing murderers, how confused must they be? I was struck by the logic of 6 year olds suspended from school for making a "gun" with their fingers because they might grow up to think shooting people is OK, and then going home and playing video games and watching "Die Hard IV". Our country has gone mad over the last 50 years.
I chose to home school my daughter for these very reasons. It's not something you can vote on tomorrow and change back, but a series of crazy ideas from the "Left" that has been foisted on us over decades. Marriage, old fashioned and unneeded. Homosexuals need to be Scoutmasters and teachers. Burning a flag is good. God is a myth. Everyone ties in sports, and for heavens sake, no dodge ball. The list is almost endless and is increasing every day. Now, drugs are legal. If we had drives to stop drunk drivers and smokers are falling off of roofs while they freeze, how smart can it possibly be to smoke a blunt while driving?
It just seems we have gone mad and we expect good results from insanity.
Putting God back in school wouldn't stop the murders tomorrow, but it is a mandatory beginning. Where is the source of wisdom today if not from God? You cannot build a foundation on anything but God. An atheist cannot be forced to believe, but they can be forced to recognize right from wrong if they live in a Godly country. There were kids that didn't pray when we prayed in class and some looked out the window during the Pledge of Allegiance, but they understood that God and America were good, and we expected them to be "good". We also had a paddle down at the principle's office for "unbelievers".
Our Founders knew that freedom comes from God and no people can be free without God. All the laws made cannot change a human heart. Our system was made for a Godly people, otherwise, we would need a dictator. The further we get from God, the more laws we will "need". If you truly want to be free, we MUST have God at our core.
How so? Was the relegalization of the drug alcohol a tell-tale sign that the US Society was heading in the wrong direction?
I checked my facts before posting that number. During the reigns of Stalin, Hilter, Mao, Kim, Castro, Chaves, just to name a few many millions were killed. I’ll have to find my source again but I will post it when I do.
I'm going to rework the piece a bit to include my response to my daughter but if you want a PDF file with the entire thing I'll be more than happy to email it to you. Just send me a Freepmail with your email address and I'll get it out to you. That goes for anyone else who might want it as well!
You cannot reason with 0bamazombies. Their brains are fried from drinking too much 0bama Kool-Aid. All you can do is pray for them and hope they don’t take The Mark.
Forget the daughter. You’re wasting your time.
If she is to learn, it will be by her own life experiences. There ain’t much you’re gonna do to make her change...
Apples and oranges - FReeper Ed is a topic and General/Chat is a forum. (That topic is available only for articles in the News/Activism forum.)
Thanks for straightening me out JustSayNoToNannies! Sorry for the misinformation, ducttape45! ... still a FReeperEd ‘topic’ in my opinion. :-)
You said, "Good is that which is in keeping with our human nature. Evil is that which is in opposition to it." But is that really biblical? Let's break it down.
First, you said "Good is that which is in keeping with our human nature." The Bible directly contradicts that in many places.
1. Genesis 6:5 says, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
2. Genesis 8:21 says, "And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done."
3. Psalms 34:14 says, "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." Psalms 37:27 says, "Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore." To ask someone to depart from evil would have to imply that he was there in the first place.
4. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."
5. Again in Ecclesiastes 9:3 it says, "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."
Lastly on this first point, the words of Our Savior Jesus when He rebuked the religious hypocrites of his day, from Matthew 12:34 where He says, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
Going back to my original post, the only way this condition can be changed, truly changed, is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
John 3:5-7 says, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
On to the second point you raised, "Evil is that which is in opposition to it (our human nature)." Here we have an equation: Evil = opposition to human nature. Is that biblical?
Again, let's go to God's Word.
John 3:16-21 says this, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Can you see what I'm getting at in this passage. Evil is whatever is contrary to "the light." Basically, our equation now looks like this: Evil ≠ Light. So basically, evil is whatever is opposed to the light, Jesus Christ.
Lastly, "the problem." The problem has many manifestations, but the root cause is always the same, and it's same thing that befell Lucifer; "pride." From "pride" comes "sin," and from "sin" we have the problems we have today.
Whew, man, I tell you what, I felt a "preach" come upon me last night and it still hasn't abated. Don't know how much more of this I can take!
If it indeed started back in the 1800’s, then you have a valid point. But at least it was held in check (for the most part) until the 1960’s.
On my FB page, I told her that I've finally come to the realization that she'll "have to figure out the fire is hot" just like she did when she just a little girl. Sometimes they just don't realize the errors of their ways until they get burned. If that's what it takes, then so be it, but I rest in the confidence of my Lord that He'll see them all back to the truth.
Thank you again for your kind and encouraging words. If I may ask, what prayer threads do you have on FR?
Thank you.
And you are correct, if we truly want to be free, we MUST have God at our core. Unfortunately the world now says to believe in God is tantamount to slavery and oppression, and that you're taking away their rights. My daughter's rant is proof of that. She has all the liberal talking points down pat.
We have "blessed hope" to look forward to, but things will certainly get worse before that happens. I pray we're all strong enough to endure until that time.
God bless you sir!
I personally hard the Sheriff of whatever county Sandy Hook is in on CNN state that Nancy Lanza’s guns were properly stored.
I personally hard the Sheriff of whatever county Sandy Hook is in on CNN state that Nancy Lanza’s guns were properly stored.
Both products are not NEEDED by the human body to live. i will say that as a former LE Officer, I’ve seen just as much damage done by both. When alcohol was legalized, US society was changing - but the values stayed because of other factors...those factors are now gone. Whether there is alcohol to drink (beer, wine, hard spirits) would not make or break my day...but when marijuana is legalized on top of alcohol - prescription drug abuse - and the lack of values — then yes - the US is heading in the wrong direction...when alcohol was put in and then taken out - then put back in legally - society changed in the US - but not as fast as I have seen it over the last 15 yrs...but it is changing...those that consume and smoke marijuana come from a lack of values and offer nothing to society - the vast majority of them...because it serves no purpose what so ever...nor does alcohol...but it’s not going anywhere is it?
Jesus answered that question when he asked us to treat others as we would want to be treated. If we would teach our children that golden rule, there would be a whole lot less expression of evil.
Liberals have tried to muck this up by using that sentiment to call for government socialism. Service to God is not service to Ceasar. The constitution is governs Ceasar. People are for empathy, love, forgiveness and mercy amongst themselves.
Probably true of the smokers you saw as a law enforcement officer - but in that capacity you had little occasion to interact with values-holding societal contributors who were smokers (or not interact in a context that let you know they were smokers, anyway).
because it serves no purpose what so ever...nor does alcohol...but it’s not going anywhere is it?
Neither is pot - over 40% of Americans have used it.
One thing I learned early on is when arguing with a non believer, you are wasting your time until they are saved. The old verse about casting pearls before swine comes to mind. They cannot appreciate real wisdom from God if they don't believe God. I've seen people that sit in pews every week that will argue that homosexuality is fine to God and babies aren't people till mom says she wants them.
People that stupid cannot learn anything from Scripture. If she denies what you have said, then she probably has a problem with Scripture in the first place. Many Christians are frustrated when we drop the Wisdom of the ages on someone that denies the Wisdom of the ages. It's silly to waste time. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing in public, but you will NEVER change anything by arguing with them until they accept Jesus as their Savior. Arguing with these people is like pig wrestling. You get muddy and it frustrates the pig. Ask what her relationship is with Jesus and see what she says. That's where I would start.
ping
I liken this incident with her to when my kids were a lot smaller and younger. When they couldn't get something a certain way they would just throw the biggest fit you'd ever seen. After they calmed down and realized that I was trying to protect them, they realized they were wrong and everything was hunky dory.
Granted, this will take a lot longer than a few hours to get through, but she was presented with the Gospel (through other means and not shown in this posting) and now she has a decision to make. She knows that, and only time will tell what path she takes. I know this, she still has a tender heart despite the liberal bravado she puts up. God can reach her. I also reassured her that I would always be there for her, that I would emulate, as well as I can, the love the Father has shown tor me and would love her unconditionally. I think she may have shed a tear or two.
Thanks for your advice. I will definitely take it to heart.
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