On Feb. 12, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe (D) signed into law the Church Protection Act, Senate Bill 71, which allows churches and other places of worship to decide if concealed handgun carry license holders may carry a concealed firearm for personal protection while attending services and other functions.
Would Jesus bring a gun to church? Let us examine his own words.
Jesus was a Jew and familiar with the history of Israel and aware of the periods when a lack of weaponry made the Jews vulnerable and overrun, at times, by their enemies.
According to 1 Sam. 13:19, there were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn't allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews.
At one point in his earthly ministry, Jesus is recorded as instructing his followers who were not armed to go out and purchase a weapon, and if necessary, sell possessions to accomplish the transaction.
"‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag, and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one’ ... The disciples said, ‘See, Lord, here are two swords.’ ‘That is enough,’ he replied” (Luke 22:36,38 NIV).
Why did Jesus say that?
Swords in Jesus' days of walking the earth were the equivalent of owning a gun today. Being armed meant one was more likely to be a victor than a victim. Jesus and his associates carried a bag of money and they had to protect their evangelistic funds and also themselves.
How large a role this ancient event played in drafting, revising and ratifying the U.S. Constitution is a matter of great debate. However, the arrest and trial of Jesus is clearly a textbook example of government gone wrong, with the accused not being afforded due process of law;and our founding fathers did not want bad history to repeat itself on the shores of North America.
Doug Linder, University of Missouri at Kansas City law professor, presented an account of the trial of Jesus in 2002. Linder is clearly writing from a perspective which doesn’t accept the Christian belief centered around Christ as the Son of God fulfilling prophecy with his death and resurrection. Nevertheless, Linder states he believes no other trial in human history has so significantly affected the course of human events.
Linder speculates the arrest may have had to do with Jesus overturning the moneychangers’ tables in the temple when he cleaned house as recorded in scripture, but that still wouldn't explain why the Sanhedrin came at night and didn't charge Jesus with a disturbance at the temple.
When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" (Luke 22:49 NIV).
Christ told them to back off, he was set on a course they didn't fully comprehend at the moment. Yet, the disciples were armed and clearly capable of defending themselves as Peter demonstrated by swinging his sword and cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant, with Jesus performing his last-recorded miracle and reattaching it to the man's head - completely destroying the evidence so there could be no charges levied against Peter.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard and the elders who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour - when darkness reigns" (Luke 22:52-53 NIV).
In his book, The Illegal Trial of Jesus, by attorney Earle L. Wingo, available from Chick Publications, Ontario, Calif., Wingo approaches the crucifixion like a trial lawyer, showing, one after another, the ways in which Jesus was illegally arrested and tried, with the Sanhedrin breaking Jewish law 18 times during the proceedings.
Wingo asserts the event was more of a capture than an arrest - stating the Jews seized Jesus for the sole purpose of doing away with him. Wingo says the corrupt men who had agreed to the scheme never intended to conduct a legal trial; therefore, they never bothered with having any charges with which to make an arrest nor did they have an arrest warrant.
Twice in the writings of St. Paul, there are references to warrants of the day - in Acts 9:1-2 and Acts 26:12 - but when Jesus was arrested, there is no mention of any warrants,
What could prevent such a travesty of justice?
Our founding fathers believed a well-armed citizenry could, having been unable to negotiate any level of independence or concessions of liberty from the British crown and, instead, gaining precious freedoms at a dear price - involving years of war and bloodshed.
Only by arming themselves and being willing to engage in a war for liberty were they able to establish a quality of life they longed for as specified in the United States' Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The obvious meaning is: Possessing a weapon gives one confidence, not only in chasing away those who mean harm, but also eliminating the threat, if necessary, and preserving liberty and the right to worship.
Mark Humphrey is a reporter for the Washington County Enterprise-Leader. He hails from a diverse heritage that personifies the unique cultural mix that is American. A native of Montana, Humphrey served as an associate pastor for 10 years and was raised on an Indian reservation as the son of a Korean War combat veteran and a missionary to the Far East. Humphrey has worked in emergency management and drunk driving prevention and served as an administrative assistant to the Big Horn County Commission, the governing body of his home county.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 03/06/2013