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To: nd76
Actually, our rights are given by God, not through a grant by the government. The rights to exercise free will and to defend oneself are most definitely God given rights.

For Christians, our earthly "rights" are received from God through governing authorities.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)

"Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority," (1 Peter 2:13)

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good," (Titus 3:1)

So Christians should submit to civil authority up to the point where it directly conflicts with our obligation is to follow God.

“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men,” (Acts 5:29)

29 posted on 03/18/2022 6:36:21 AM PDT by throwthebumsout
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To: throwthebumsout
If you have a family, or even if you might have one someday, defending yourself so that you are alive and healthy to provide and protect them is part of "your obligation before God".

Ditto for your obligation to prevent your family, and for that matter any innocent party, from unjust aggression.

A deeper understanding of the Bible, and even of just plain philosophy and logic, shows that there is such a thing as natural law and natural rights. These laws and rights pre-existed Scripture and in fact are assumed by it. (Murder didn't become wrong because God declared it to be so on Sinai. It was already wrong. The commandment merely codified the law for slow learners.)

Just and Godly governments protect these rights. In our system, if the government is unjust and unGodly, we should work to change it, since it governs in our name. One such natural right is the right to self-defense.

A right presupposes the means to exercise it, hence, for a law-abiding citizen to own arms is guaranteed by natural law, and it is objectively sinful for anyone to deny such a citizen the right to such ownership.

39 posted on 03/18/2022 7:02:11 AM PDT by Campion (All we are saying is give peace a chance.)
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