Right to Bear Arms a God Given Right?

I’ve read many articles in the past week regarding the recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruling which stipulated that the right to bear arms was an individual right which existed before the Constitution or the Bill of Rights (link to Foxnews article via title bar )

I read an article by Proligo, “The Joy of…”, where he questioned the sanity of a citizenry determined to arm themselves in such a way as to invite mayhem. One of the comments added to the discussion holds a clue in understanding some of the complex issues, “I have abandoned all debate upon the God-given right of Americans to possess the means of murdering their fellow citizens.” He finished off his thoughts with something that should give us all pause, “I am at a complete loss to understand why God should give the right to carry weapons, but then to put God and I in the same sentence is an oxymoron at best.”

http://probligo.blogspot.com/2007/03/joy-of.html

Ghandi, explained that the Jews should not have resisted being destroyed by the NAZI regime, that Europe should have fallen prostrate to the ground and let Hitler’s troops roll across them rather than lift up arms to defend themselves. While this runs contrary to human nature, there are examples in the scriptures which tend to reinforce the notion.

In the Book of Mormon we read, “Now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not.” Alma 24:6

“Now when the people saw that they were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.” Alma 24:21

Read the whole chapter to grasp the entire message, that those who would not pick up their swords had, at one time, been guilty of murdering their fellow beings and that they did not want to take a chance on their previous sins being restored unto them. Never the less, their decision to stand firm in their resolve never to take up arms serves as a lesson that covenants made with the Lord should not be taken lightly.

If this were the only example in the scriptures we would be left with little if any room to boast that we have a God given right to bear arms; however, there are lessons which also explain that we are to defend our families, even unto bloodshed, from our enemies.

“And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.
And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.” Alma 43:46,47

It would seem a little childish to boast about the right to kill; and that would be so if boasting and killing were the reasons for defending the right to bear arms. The Lord expects each of us to live the highest order possible while at the same time He has not tied our hands behind us leaving us helpless in front of our enemies. We do not boast, we only acknowledge the need for preserving righteousness in the face of evil.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Matt 5:9

Peacemakers are not those who apologize to the enemy; but those who have sufficient power to force their enemies to withdraw their threat. I’m sure that those who lie down and die before their enemies enjoy the promises of eternity as found in Alma 24; however, I am just as certain that those who provide a safe environment for the righteous by holding onto their weapons and standing up to those who would do the works of evil are also the children of God.