I’ve long felt that the underlying message of the Christian religion can be summed up in one word: Sacrifice.
Indeed, regardless of what one thinks of religious stories like the cross and resurrection — are they literal historical events, mere metaphors designed to teach us spiritual principles, or both? — it cannot be denied that the central idea is clearly that new life follows on the heels of death.
To be more more specific, “death” in the Christian sense of the word refers to a voluntary forfeiture of one’s rights — in Jesus’ case, of course, it was his right not to be nailed to a cross for no good reason. This is why the crucifixion has been likened to a sacrifice: It was willingly undertaken by someone who had every right to be spared such a fate.
With me so far?
OK, on to the gun issue. Pro-gun people, as you can check here, often appeal to the Second Amendment as the basis of their “right to bear arms” (and we’ll leave aside the whole “well-regulated militia” part just to keep things simple), and moreover, that “right” is said to be “endowed by their Creator.”
For the sake of argument, let’s just concede that entire point.
So yes, according to our Nation’s founding document, every single adult human person in America has the God-given right to own as many legal guns and as much legal ammo as he or she desires. And further, any attempt to take away or confiscate these things is an infringement upon the rights with which their Creator has endowed them.
Still with me?
Well, since it appears that the vast majority of gun-owners in this country seem to be “God-fearing Americans,” and since this means that they probably value Christianity and the Cross at its center (hey, you fight to retain religious symbols on public buildings and advocate prayer in schools, right?), I would call upon them to voluntarily relinquish their Second Amendment right, and their guns along with it.
Think about it: Since the right to bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution, those weapons cannot be taken away by force. In fact, any forceful confiscation of people’s guns would not only rob them of their property (to which their Creator has also endowed them with a lawful right), but even worse, it would rob gun owners of their ability to do the Christ-like thing and surrender their guns of their own free will.
So to all gun owners, I would simply suggest that you weigh on the one hand your right to bear arms with, on the other hand, the tens of thousands of Americans who are killed by guns in any given year (whether by accident, suicide, or murder), and just ask yourself the simple question, “Is it worth it? Is my right to bear arms worth the death toll that guns cause in this country?”
I know, I know: You’ve never killed anyone. Illegal guns exist, as do knives. I get it, really. But please understand that it is not violent murderers but “law-abiding citizens” like yourselves who are putting a halt to any meaningful discussion about this issue (the Republicans in Congress just voted against even having a bi-partisan discussion on the issue, for crying out loud).
What America needs is not a mass confiscation of guns or an redaction of the Second Amendment (neither of which is even possible), but a change of culture. And what better way to begin that change than by good, law-abiding citizens voluntarily forfeiting their rights to own guns?
The United States is a “Christian nation,” right? What better way to prove it than by being Christ-like and boldly taking some necessary steps toward a more peaceful and less violent society?
Think about it, America. It’s not only worth it, it’s what Jesus would do. . . .
