Quote:
Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!
So if the government comes for our guns, should we give them? As much as I want to rise up to loudly say "NO!", since it's clearly my constitutional right to own guns, is this something that is going hurt my Christian testimony? In this case there would likely be many unbelievers who also would resist giving up their guns, but nothing of Christ is testified there, right?
|
My study of church history has shown a vast array of responses to government persecution and concerns for their Christian testimony. Some simply took the pattern of the Lamb of God and bravely faced torture and death. Some, like the Waldensians, formed community armed militias to protect their families and defend their homes.
Whether it is an unruly mob, or official agents of some corrupt authority (e.g. the Pope), the Christian victims must face the inevitable -- what will I do when they come to destroy my home and kill my loved ones. Each of us have some "line in the sand" which determines how much we will endure. An individual Christian may act differently when confronting violence alone than when evil comes knocking on his door wanting his wife and children too. An individual Christian may also act differently after witnessing how other Christians have been hurt, so his "line in the sand" may change over time.
I don't think it is fair for us to judge the actions other Christians when facing danger and death simply for their faith. Each Christian is responsible to his/her Lord. Obedience and faithfulness to the Lord produces the best Christian testimony.