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I know that not all of my readers attend church.\u00a0 Even if you don\u2019t attend church of any kind, there is good information here that can be applied to other situations and locations.\u00a0 I’m not going to get preachy, but there is some church-talk in here.\u00a0 Regardless, I’d encourage you to read it to pick up some easy to find, but little known things that the Bible says about self-defense.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s been a lot of talk since the 2017 shooting in Sutherland TX about church shootings and church security.\u00a0 Especially now since the FBI threat level for churches is at it’s highest level.<\/p>\n
Well meaning people have said that guns don\u2019t belong in churches.\u00a0 One ignorant, yet prominent politician even said churches are the last<\/em> place for guns.\u00a0 I disagree based on what the Bible actually says and furthermore I believe that peace-loving, gentle people are the ones who benefit the most from guns.<\/p>\n In addition, I believe the Bible says that it is appropriate to have an armed congregation.<\/p>\n Church security has been a passion of mine for the last two decades and I have had to wrestle with several issues regarding the place of guns in church, stopping evil vs. turning the other cheek, carrying when it’s less-than-legal, and the balance between people who abhor violence of any kind and people like me who train to use violence to be able to stop aggressors from preying on innocent people.<\/p>\n One of the biggest problems is that people misunderstand the Bible’s stance on killing vs. murder.<\/p>\n This understanding muddies the waters on the topic of self-defense and church security as a result.<\/p>\n Take it 1 step further and there’s a very serious issue with warriors coming back from war feeling like they don’t have a place in church anymore because of the fact that they took life or were willing to take life.<\/p>\n Simply put, the Bible DOES NOT say, “Thou Shall Not ‘Kill'”<\/strong>\u00a0 and any time you see “thou shall not kill,” it is a mistranslation that is incredibly easy for modern readers to confirm.\u00a0 Let’s start by going back to the 10 Commandments.\u00a0 The word used for the 5th\/6th commandment translates to “murder” and not “kill” as many translations of the Bible have mis-translated and well meaning people have misquoted.<\/p>\n “Thou shalt not kill” is incorrect and unbiblical.\u00a0 “Thou shalt not murder” fits with the rest of the Bible.<\/p>\n The word for kill applies to humans AND animals…possibly even insects.<\/p>\n If the commandment was not to kill, God wouldn’t have killed animals in the garden to clothe Adam and Eve (Gen 3:21),<\/p>\n He wouldn’t have taken sides in war (Gideon-Judges 7, David & Goliath-1 Samuel 17, etc),<\/p>\n Animals wouldn\u2019t be listed as food (Genesis 9:3 and<\/p>\n He wouldn’t have instituted killing animals as part of the atonement process (Leviticus 3:45).<\/p>\n Jesus wouldn’t have told the disciples to sell their extra cloak and buy a sword (Luke 22:36-38), and<\/p>\n He would have told Simon to get rid of his sword instead of telling him to re-sheath it when he cut off the Roman guard’s ear (22:50-51).<\/p>\n The misinterpretation has long caused guys who have legitimately killed and guys who have switched their brain to be able to kill bad actors to protect good ones to feel a disconnect with the Bible, church, and with other Christians who haven’t dug into what the Bible actually says.<\/p>\n What about the need to turn the other cheek?\u00a0 Matthew 5:38-40.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not a Biblical scholar, but a couple of ways that I can find to make that mesh with the rest of scripture is to interpret it as saying that we\u2019re not supposed to take revenge, be a vigilante, or be Frank Castle from “The Punisher,” no matter how appealing the storyline is.<\/p>\n We have a system in place called due process to institute justice after the fact.\u00a0 It\u2019s not perfect, but it\u2019s probably better than everyone serving out justice individually on their own terms in the heat of the moment.<\/p>\n Another possibility for turning the cheek is when a Christian is being slapped FOR being a Christian…not when a Christian is being mugged or assaulted or when someone is trying to kill that Christian.<\/p>\n Let’s get personal…even if my wife would happen to believe that she should turn the other cheek if she was being attacked, it doesn’t say I should stand by and do nothing.<\/p>\n Stopping violence is different than getting revenge.<\/strong><\/p>\n Along with not being a vigilante, the Bible tells us that life is precious, that we\u2019re to rescue the weak and needy & deliver them from the hand of the wicked.\u00a0 We\u2019re to take care of widows and orphans.\u00a0 We\u2019re to rescue those who are being taken away to death and pull back those who are being taken to slaughter.\u00a0 I’d argue that sometimes that entails being able to take effective action against tyrants who are comfortable with violence.\u00a0 Sometimes, an attacker chooses not to change their behavior until irrepreble damage has been done to them and “stopping the threat” becomes killing.\u00a0 That blood is not on the hands of the killer, because they didn’t choose the time, location, or behavior of the attacker.<\/p>\n But we\u2019re also supposed to love our enemies, be quick to forgive, and if possible, live at peace with everyone.<\/p>\n So, God has a history of blessing warriors, makes provision for killing an intruder at night (Exodus 22:2), Jesus tells the disciples to be armed, but no other mention is made in the rest of the New Testament, and we\u2019re supposed to protect the weak and the sick.<\/p>\n What\u2019s this mean for churches and church security?<\/p>\n A few things\u2026<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 When Jesus tells the 11 disciples to arm themselves, they replied back saying they had 2 swords and Jesus said that was enough.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t tell everyone that they needed to be armed.\u00a0 The numbers work out to roughly 20%.\u00a0 It’s not a command, but it is an illustration of a good model.\u00a0 As a comparison, The Federalist Papers say that roughly 25% of citizens should be armed and, until “police reform,” we had roughly 800,000 credentialed law enforcement officers in a country of 325 million.\u00a0 20% isn\u2019t a hard and fast number, but if ONLY law enforcement were armed, we\u2019d be at roughly .2% or .002.\u00a0 About .7% of the US population is active or reserve military.\u00a0 IF the 20%-25% number is a guide, it means a lot of pastors, staff, and other civilians need to fill in the gap.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Some law enforcement will never switch off\u2026or close their eyes when they pray…even in church.<\/strong>\u00a0 But those who can or need to should be able to and shouldn\u2019t always carry the burden of protecting the flock by themselves.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Not everyone can or should be armed.<\/strong>\u00a0 Current\/past legal issues, lack of training, sickness, lack of temper control, mental state, negative effects of medications, a lack of good judgement, and other issues all make the right choice for many to NOT be armed.\u00a0 I’d argue that some pastors shouldn’t be armed because their hearts are tender and tuned to help the hurting rather than being tuned to stop evil.\u00a0 We’re all wired differently.\u00a0 Some are wired to protect the flock from evil with force…others are wired to protect the flock from evil with prayer.\u00a0 Some are wired to do both, but a focus on either end of the spectrum at the expense of the other is not healthy for a church.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a Christian, your faith and hope should be in the Lord\u2026not your gun.<\/strong><\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe all church ushers or all church security should necessarily be armed.<\/strong>\u00a0 For many people, it\u2019s difficult to think of non-gun solutions to problems when you\u2019re carrying a gun.\u00a0 In an ideal situation, you\u2019d have greeters who are JUST happy and smiling.\u00a0 You\u2019d have another (smaller) set of people who are ready to respond to conflict where lethal force is not appropriate.\u00a0 Finally, you\u2019d have a smaller set of people who are ready to respond to conflict where lethal force is necessary.<\/p>\n The reality of church volunteer programs is that the same people fill multiple roles, but I think it\u2019s important to delineate the roles and know which people are filling which roles.<\/p>\n As an example, I\u2019ve found that when my overall stress level is high, I can still be the guy looking for and ready to respond to threats, but I\u2019m not the best guy to smile and shake hands with a bunch of people.<\/p>\n The point of this is that, when possible, let people serve in the capacity that they\u2019re able to and use the gifts that they were blessed with.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0 A LOT of churches are addressing their security concerns right now.\u00a0 Guns are a very valuable tool to stop violence.\u00a0 So are tactical lights, tactical pens, fire extinguishers, cups of coffee, Bibles, and chairs next to the aisle that you can pick up and ram into an attacker.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 Historically, the majority of church related attacks have happened during the week, between the church and parking lot or off property\u2026not during service.\u00a0 Most disturbances that happen during a service don\u2019t justify a lethal force response.\u00a0 There\u2019s an incredible book that I recommend called \u201cEvil Invades Sanctuary<\/a>\u201d that goes into more of these statistics.<\/p>\n It\u2019s tempting to focus on preparing for the incidents that are the most dramatic and that have historically received the most media attention, but it may not be the best use of time\/resources.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not saying that you shouldn\u2019t plan for the worst, but don\u2019t do so at the expense of planning for events that are more likely to occur.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0 Just because there are guns in church doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019ll get used any more than having Bibles in homes means they\u2019ll actually get read.\u00a0 Guns don\u2019t shoot themselves any more than Bibles read themselves.<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0 The New Testament doesn’t support the idea that people are supposed to act “more Christian” in church and differently out of church.\u00a0 If you don’t think that guns belong IN church, why would they belong out of church?\u00a0 And, if you’re supposed to protect the weak, both in church and out of church, why would you voluntarily choose to limit yourself to less effective tools when you’re in church than out of church?<\/p>\n 10.\u00a0 A tricky and sticky thing to keep in mind is that “illegal” has different meanings.\u00a0 Speeding 1 mile an hour over the speed limit is illegal.\u00a0 Jaywalking is illegal.\u00a0 I have carried a concealed pistol in churches where it would have been a minor misdemeanor trespassing charge if 1. It was known that I was carrying, 2. They contacted the police and signed a complaint, and 3. I was charged and found guilty.\u00a0 I consulted attorneys and fully understood the law, risks, and potential consequences.<\/p>\n Yes, I know that Christians are supposed to follow the laws that have been established and go through the appropriate process to change them if they’re unjust.\u00a0 In one church, I was asked to carry (still technically illegal) by an elder.\u00a0 If the potential consequence would have been a major misdemeanor or a felony, I wouldn’t have done it.<\/p>\n 11.\u00a0 Carrying a gun without training is like driving a car without air in the tires.\u00a0 Don\u2019t do it.\u00a0 Get training.\u00a0 Practice on a regular basis.\u00a0 Strive to keep improving your skills over time.<\/p>\n Here’s my wish for you…<\/p>\n One of the most effective tools for church security training AND at-home training for engaging threats in a 360 degree environment are these<\/a>.<\/p>\n They’re perfect for under the tree, or even in a stocking.<\/p>\n And they’re perfect for group training…<\/p>\n Here’s a note from a man who’s church group does just that.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what he said, \u201cMy friends and I have incorporated your training into our home\u00a0church\u00a0group. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We do a shooting related activity every time we meet (it is a rather unusual\u00a0church).<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Is it a fit for every church small group?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 But if it\u2019s a fit for yours, it\u2019s a great way to combine studying God\u2019s word with becoming more effective at protecting the flock.\u00a0 Click >HERE<\/a><\/strong>< Now for more details.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I know that not all of my readers attend church.\u00a0 Even if you don\u2019t attend church of any kind, there is good information here that can be applied to other situations and locations.\u00a0 I’m not going to get preachy, but there is some church-talk in here.\u00a0 Regardless, I’d encourage you to read it to pick … Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46,3,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advanced-pistol-drills-performance-neurology","category-brain-based-pistol-training","category-sub-second-draw-stroke"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tMay you live a life worth defending.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
May you be surrounded by people you
\nlove enough to fight for.<\/strong><\/h4>\nMay you live a peaceful life,
\neven though you practice violent arts.<\/strong><\/h4>\nAnd, on that day when violence
\nturns your world upside down,<\/strong><\/h4>\nMay you stop the threat with
\nsuperior skill, intensity, and purity of heart.<\/strong><\/h4>\n