Posted on 04/07/2004 1:15:34 AM PDT by kattracks
Most people can’t imagine Christ with a weapon. Therefore, it doesn’t seem right that a Christian should have one. Leftists and their anti-gun laws seem more Christian in their attitude toward guns. But early American Christians would call them cowards, unworthy of the Christian commonwealth.
In 1619, the colony of Virginia had statutes that not only required everyone to attend church on Sunday, but “all such as bear arms shall bring their pieces, swords, powder and shot” or be subject to a three-shilling fine. That same statute was renewed in 1632, and again in 1738.
Connecticut law in 1636 declared that the militia leader of each settlement must have “two pounds of gunpowder and 20 bullets” in his home, and must make sure the other men’s arms were serviceable. A year later, 1637, a fine of five shillings was imposed on anyone failing to meet the law. In 1650, Connecticut required every man above the age of sixteen to possess “a good musket or other gun, fit for service.”
Evidently early American Christians saw the weapon, the firearm, the gun, as an essential element of Christian deportment.
Why? Their social establishments were on a frontier with many enemies, both European and native.
American Indians were a constant threat (since the early Americans staked themselves out on the Indian homeland). They’d certainly better be prepared to defend themselves against the righteous resistance of Indians.
England itself was always a menace to the colonies. The Pilgrims and Puritans came to the new land to be free from the repressions of abused monarchy, and oppressions of ecclesiastical authority of both Rome and the Church of England.
The colonists were prepared to fight, with arms, for every breath they drew.
To the early Americans, a gun was as sacred as the Bible. In fact, in many early homesteads and cabins, the gun was displayed over the family hearth, just above the Bible itself. The gun was a tool of freedom. The gun was an absolute necessity.
The early laws of America are very clear about this. The people were responsible for their own defense. At that time, there was no concept of a professional army, created and paid to defend the colonies. The idea that a standing army would one day exist was never thought of as a reason to revise the Constitution, and disarm the population.
The fact that America does have a professional army now does not mean that it is a sin for the people to have their own weapons. On the contrary, public disarmament is insulting to the very core of American ideologies of freedom and individual responsibility.
Cora Weiss detests such American ideologies. Weiss, career peacenik of world renown, and president of the UN affiliate The Hague Appeal for Peace, said to the UN in June, 2000, “There are only three documents that you need…to be an informed, effective member of an organized civil society: The Charter of the United Nations, the International Declaration of Human Rights, and The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century.” (Notice she doesn’t reference the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution of the United States.)
Of course, these tyrannical world order sentiments eschew the thought that civilians should have weapons. The globalists could never wreak their fascist will on an armed populace.
They want everyone to surrender his weapon, voluntarily, in the name of peace. Like the peace the UN created in Rwanda in 1994 when they disarmed the Tutsis, and then supported the government genocide. Then the lying peaceniks blamed the United States, naturally. But they’ll never live down the personal testimonies of Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire—who exposed them all as the manipulative mass murderers they are.
Demicide is always preceded by public disarmament. Ask the Bolsheviks, the Nazis, or the Khmer Rouge. For that matter, ask the ancient Philistines. They once even confiscated the sharpening tools from the Israelites, “lest the Hebrew make swords or spears.” (I Samuel 13:19. See also Artisans of Exodus.)
But the leftists will never be able to talk Christian Americans out of their guns unless they first remove American history from public knowledge, unless they erase the story of America’s Christian founders.
Take it from a Comanche: turning your weapon over to someone else means only one thing – surrender. It has never meant anything else. It means you submit to a greater power. Do you really want to give government – any government – that power? It’s a poor gamble; take it from an Indian.
Dr. David A. Yeagley teaches humanities at the College of Liberal Studies, University of Oklahoma. His opinions are independent. He holds degrees from Yale, Emory, Oberlin, University of Arizona and University of Hartford. He is a member of the Comanche Tribe, Lawton, OK. For more information on Dr. Yeagley's initiative to teach patriotism in the schools, click here. E-mail him at badeagle2000@yahoo.com. View his website at http://www.badeagle.com.
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Look closely at Rom 13:1-4, the passage where Paul tells us to submit ourselves to the governing authorities. He mentions that their purpose is to do us good. Paul in no way advocates obeying the governing authorities over God's commandments. Jesus told us back in 2Sa. 23:2-7 that, "...when one rules over men in righteousness...he is like the light of morning at sunrise, [etc.]...but evil men are to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie." (NIV)
There is the question of who is--biblically speaking--a "soldier." The biblical model is what our founding fathers tried to emulate in the Constitution. The biblical model of the "army" is a militia. Go back to Torah and you'll see that the "army" was every male Israelite between certain ages who was able to wield a sword or spear (the most effective military weapons of the day that could be carried and wielded by an individual). Our founders modeled the militia after the biblical example. In early and pre-America, it was most often the local minister who would drill the militia after services.
The correct translation from the Hebrew of the 6th commandment at Ex. 20:13 is Thou shalt not commit murder. "Kill" is a different word in Hebrew. The commandment specifically says "murder." If Jesus had meant to say "kill," then He couldn't very well have commanded King Saul to wipe out the Amorites or King David to kill the Philistines without being a hypocrite.
The following two passages speak for themselves about God's view of citizen disarmament:
Ju. 5:8-9 - “When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!” (NIV)
1Sa. 13:19-22 - 1Sam 13:19-22 “Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.” (NIV)
Yes, 2Co. 10:4 tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Looking at the entirety of the Holy Bible, however, I cannot take this verse alone to mean that we are to be pacifists no matter what. I take this verse to mean that we, like the Israelites of old, should seek and consult God before each engagement and to give to Him alone the glory for any victory. Jesus fought at times FOR the Israelites; at times He fought WITH the Israelites. Either way, they almost always had to at least get dressed for battle and face the enemy on the field.
Finally, the God of the Bible is a "legal" God, a God of laws. I.e., He makes a distinction between right and wrong, good and evil. If you want to take a strict or legal rendering of Rom. 13:1-4, then understand that you must obey the laws of this land. Jesus demonstrated that there is a hierarchy of laws (e.g., helping someone on the Sabbath even though it means working). Which body of law in the USA is superior to all others? The Constitution. You don't have to dig far to find the original intent of the founders and framers. Thus, I believe it is a Christian's duty to uphold the laws of this land, the highest laws having highest priority. If you want to uphold the laws of this land, then it may mean watering the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants and patriots...or handling thorns with tools of iron.
Dr. David Yeagley is coming to my neck of the woods on July 13, 2004. He will be the featured speaker at American Indians for Accountability in Sonoma, CA. AIA, a non-profit organization, was formed by a bunch of somewhat conservative American Indians who want to educate the public (and each other) about issues of Indian culture, individuality and identity in and out of Indian Country.
It ought to be interesting.
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