| No human being has the right -- under any circumstances -- to initiate force against another human being, nor to threaten or delegate its initiation. The Zero Aggression Principle |
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02/09/10
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February
18, 2008 The only way that clear fact can be denied is by willful blindness, or even worse, an indifference to the lives and happiness of others. There is simply no excuse possible for those who deliberately peddle fear and misinformation about armed self defense. Some Christians I know have seriously questioned why I would wear a gun or train with it, insisting that I should trust God to take care of me instead. As sincere Christians, we must trust God for everything. But does trusting God mean we sit back and do nothing, expecting the food, clothes and shelter to appear by magic? Or do we work with our hands as St. Paul did, providing for ourselves so that we may not be a burden to anyone else? Jesus was our example. Jesus fed thousands with a few loaves and fish the disciples found among the crowd or had on hand. Could He not have created a great banquet out of thin air? Could he not have caused the people to lose their hunger without eating anything? Of course he could have. The possibilities are many, but He chose to use the humble things they already had, and give them the responsibility for using it. St. Paul said that those who will not work should not eat. He admonished everyone to live quietly, peacefully, as long as it depended on them. He wrote a great deal about what it means to love your neighbor and the grace of hospitality, charity and hard work. So, if we "pray for someone," we are asking God to help them - trusting Him - but if we do not offer anything of ourselves with it, what does it mean? Do we pray and then forget them? Or do we also visit the one in the hospital or the jail or the nursing home? Do we only pray for a family having a hard time, or do we also show up with a box of groceries or to help fix the roof? There seems to be a great deal more to trusting God than just wishing for everything to be good and ignoring our own part in it. We know that God will provide food, yet we don't sit around an empty table expecting the food to appear like magic. Instead, we work at our job, use our money carefully if we are wise, buy what we need and give what we can to help others. We don't drive down the road with our eyes shut, trusting in God to take care of us in our foolishness. We drive carefully and avoid doing those things that we know will cause problems. We don't thereby trust God any less, do we? We know that our life could end at any moment, whether we're at the wheel of the car, at the dinner table, or asleep in our beds. And so it is the same with defending ourselves and our families, community and friends from criminal attack. Why would we fail to prepare for self defense any more than we would drive with our eyes closed or wait for food to materialize out of the air? Jesus said: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34 -35
Links from
the previous articles: Self ownership essay: http://www.mises.org/rothbard/ethics/eight.asp The Ludwig von Mises Institute: http://www.mises.org/ What about the "poor?" - Reinventing America: http://www.mises.org/freemarket_detail.asp?control=289 Advocates for Self-government: http://www.self-gov.org/home.shtml Second Amendment Sisters -- Self defense is a basic human right. Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership -- Learn more about the real meaning of the Bill of Rights and the people who have fought to preserve it. Keep And Bear Arms -- a grassroots movement of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is a call to action, a call for self-education, and a 21 gun salute to the many good men and women who fought and died to bring America into being. Gun
Owners of America -- "Gun Owners of America was instrumental
in mobilizing the grassroots to fight the crime bill." Opencarry.org - Great forum for those who open carry. These will lead you to many others. |
Letter
From The Editor Reclaiming Ownership Of Our Lives Open Carry - Mama's Got A (BIG) Gun! The Price of Liberty is Three Years Old Some Truth About Narcotics and "Addiction" Open Carry - For Better or Worse Is WalMart The Next Disarmed Victim Zone? Land of the free and the home of the brave.. The Bill of Rights - Book Review Open Letter to Ron Paul Supporters Open Carry, A Reader's Feedback Complete Archives for The Editor
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