January 28, 2013

What works (much) better than gun control?

by Clint Archer

South Africa is the violent crime capital of the world. It’s nice to be known for something other than Apartheid. Indiscriminate rape, murder, and armed robbery may actually be a step in a better direction.flamethrower

Most foreigners I meet can’t comprehend the milieu in which South Africans conduct their everyday lives. Jaws drop when they hear of the presidential candidate whose campaign became more successful with every revealing news cycle of his ongoing corruption cases, rape trial, and other criminal antics including polygamy.

The watching world shakes its head in bewilderment at stories of flame-thrower car defense systems and armed response teams patrolling barbed-wired neighborhoods. For us, the denizens of urban South Africa, it’s normal to make an appointment to visit friends by contacting their housing complex’s security team. Everyday routines like drawing cash from an ATM in broad daylight have become an adrenal adventure; public benches not bolted to the floor are mythical relics of a bygone era.

With the strictest gun laws in the world (which, incidentally have only increased gun-related crimes exponentially, since criminals for some reason seem unperturbed by legal restrictions; quelle surprise), a desperate populace resort to paintball and pellet-gun arsenals, krav maga classes, and defensive driving courses.

Every family in my church have either personally or in their extended family experienced robbery at gunpoint, sexual assault, and/or nocturnal intrusions (the best defense is to pretend to still be asleep, so the burglars empty your home without needing to tie you up).

What this constant level of fear does over time is to create an environment, even among believers, where people are always talking about:

a) what new strategy to enact in a life-threatening situation,

b) what the latest self-defense laws permit you to do to an assailant (not much, if you harm an armed attacker using excessive force you may end up with a stiff jail sentence yourself), or

c) how to immigrate to another part of the world where the grass is less blood stained.

Krav documentaryAs a Christian in this country, it is a constant challenge to not get sucked into the vortex of water-cooler discussions about this or that latest atrocity so-and-so’s sister survived.

The defense against defense talk is to recalibrate our thinking daily and realign it with Scripture.

The Curse is everywhere in full effect. We fear crime, but we are not haunted by the threat of mass shootings or terrorism, we don’t live in the path of hurricanes, on a fault line, or in the shadow of a volcano. We aren’t persecuted for our faith by the government, or anticipating a sudden coup d’etat.

The grass may be greener elsewhere, but it’s still cursed grass, sick with some or other deadly malady.

Everywhere on planet Earth the death rate is holding steady at 100%. Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chillion learned this the hard way: escaping the famine in Israel, only to find that Moab was not their final destination (Ruth 1:3-5).

Statistics don’t apply to us in the same way. We have a Father in heaven that knows and loves us, hears our prayers, and is strong to defend and deliver us from all evil.

The believer’s hope is in a better country (Heb 11:16)

The believer’s victory over death has been won by a conquering Savior (1 Cor 15:54).

The believer’s treasure is laid up in heaven where thieves cannot break in and steal (Matt 6:19-21).

What do you fear? Do you dread the delayed but looming fiscal cliff? Are you nervous about the big quake that will turn Arizona into seafront property? Is your annual doctor’s visit a source of uncontrollable anxiety? For everyone the temptation to fear will bare it’s teeth in different arenas. But there is only one cure for fear: God.

The sole remedy to the poison of anxiety is to think on what is true (Phil 4:8) and saturate your heart with Scripture’s promises of God’s love and power. Keep an eternal perspective and spend more time reciting memory verses than you spend scrutinizing your investments or practicing your krav maga gun defense moves.

What works better than gun control, or any other human measure to bring safety to society?

Simple: God’s control.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:1-5).

in Shepherding with 23 Comments
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Clint Archer

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Clint is the pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church. He and his expanding troop of Archers live near Durban, South Africa (and pity anyone who doesn't). When he is off duty from CGate, his alter ego blogs at Café Seminoid, clintarcher.com

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=530131753 Jay Stigdon

    So, your response to an armed burglar or rapist(s) having their way with your wife and/or children is simply to be content in knowing that the believer is destined for a better world? I do not accept this, nor do I believe this accurately reflects Jesus’ teachings or those of the Apostles. Although God is absolutely sovereign, there is still a large degree of personal responsibility (and common sense) that must be engaged. While I understand that I cannot prevent every mishap that befalls my family, I know that by planning beforehand (1 Tim 5:8), I can slim the odds considerably.

    • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

      That’s not exactly what I said, is it? For the record, I take krav maga, karate, and own self-defense weapons. My house is gated, electric-fenced, alarmed, and connected to armed response units. But I don’t put my trust in any of it. That was my point.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=530131753 Jay Stigdon

        Aha. That certainly did not come out in the article, but I do appreciate the clarification.

        • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

          Glad we’re on the same page Jay, or I’d have to put you in a head lock (which I know how to do!)

        • http://twitter.com/KarenJewel KarenJewel

          I’m surprised that you would say that did not come out in the article. It seemed very clear to me.

  • http://www.facebook.com/karl.heitman.5 Karl Heitman

    It’s always good to be exhorted to put our doctrine into practice. However, I think Jay has a fair point, Clint. I affirm the absolute sovereignty of God just as much as any good Calvinist, but that doesn’t mean we should not be prepared for possible (or likely) physical danger, does it? To tell a Christian woman who lives in the ghetto to sell her 12-guage and just “fear God” after her home was broken into kinda misses the mark in my thinking…. I fail to see taking proper precautions for self-defense as unbiblical or not trusting in God’s sovereignty.

    • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

      See, my comments to Jay. Karl seems to be a skim reader too. :)

  • Dan Leake

    Clearly you weren’t arguing for no preparation or for a “let go and let God” sort of theology, nor were you arguing for a distinction between the spiritual and the physical such that we can act as if the physical does not exist. You also never once say that we shouldn’t prepare ourselves physically, and so that criticism is lost on me. I think your point, Clint, was very clear and is abundantly edifying to me. It compels me to go memorize some scripture this very evening and elevate my own view of God’s majesty and might through verses that display Him accordingly.

    Some of us can take karate classes, and that is fine. But what about those confined to a wheelchair? We could learn to shoot a gun, but what about the blind? It is clear that scripture’s answer here is not confined to a certain person’s ability to react to the environment around him, but encompasses all people because all have the ability to believe on God and look to Him as their light and salvation. Anyone can be overcome physically, no matter how strong you are. However God cannot be overcome, and that seems to be the point in this post here.

    God bless,
    Dan

    • http://www.facebook.com/karl.heitman.5 Karl Heitman

      My! aren’t we sensitive, Dan! Sorry if the post wasn’t so clear to me. I just fail to see the balance in this post, especially in the current wake of our precious 2nd Amendment rights slowly disappearing before our eyes….

      Since it’s so clear to you, please explain to me the practical implication of Clint’s point: “God’s control.” If you say, “Just trust God and hope in Heaven and everything will be OK,” then, clearly, you are implying a “Let-go-and-let-God” mentality. Scripture memory and meditation is obviously a given for any Christian, but I can tell you that if i lived in a country (I.e., South Africa) where my wife would likely get robbed at her next ATM visit, you better believe I’d be going out of my way to find some sort of self-defense tool. Again, the practical implication of the theology is not clear to me. Please help me understand.

      • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

        I’m going to let go and let God answer this comment. :)

      • http://twitter.com/KarenJewel KarenJewel

        In reading Clint’s post, I can see, as far as practical matters go, an argument both for and against gun control. Certainly his description of South Africa embodies the argument “if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns”. But, his bigger point, as I understand it, is that yes we can do practical things to try to protect ourselves, but there are dangers everywhere in this fallen world. That being the case, we could live in abject fear, while frantically collecting guns, or self defense classes or whatever. Or… we could use our best judgement to protect ourselves and our loved ones while always remembering that God is in control. He has a plan that is beyond us at this time. But, the part of His plan we do understand is that we can go to Him every second of every minute of our lives. And, we need to. Speaking for myself, knowing this has allowed me to have peace in some very scary times. I found his post incredibly encouraging, and a powerful reminder. We Christians have a “self defense system” in God’s presence and yet we frequently forget that we turn that “system” on by praying and turning to His word.

        • http://www.facebook.com/karl.heitman.5 Karl Heitman

          I completely agree. I was looking for the balance you presented here and what Clint added below.

    • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

      Thanks Dan, your defense is most appreciated. You read the post.

  • Suzanne T

    All I see as I read this is excellent exhortation and pastoral wisdom to the Church. And, as I read this I realize all the more just how blessed I am to have been born in a country where I don’t have to worry (so much) about the terrors that some people do in other parts of the world-every day of their lives (!)

    What never once occured to me though, as I read, (and please forgive me if I’ve misread the comments intoning this) is that Clint was making some kind of a statement on ‘pacivism’ nor calling anyone to put away their guns (so to speak) but rather was pointing out that, as men and women who have been born again to a new and living hope we should not “fear” man or be so utterly consumed with these things that it renders our faith useless, or our God smaller.

    From what I can tell by the whole context of Clint’s post, he’s done well to ask and answer rightly: “What works better than gun control?” without negating the respondsibility we have to protect ourselves and our families in whatever ways we may need to, whether they be “creative” in nature or, well, blunt. Each according their own conscience I say.

    ~Respectfully

    • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

      Who needs self-defense when you’ve got Suzanne’s defense! Your comments are spot on, thanks.

  • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

    It seems one of my subtle sub-texts was too subtle for some. Part of my point is that gun control laws that take self-defense weapons out of the hands of victimized law abiding citizens, is not the answer. To be clear: expecting those victimized, unarmed people to just sit passively by as they are attacked, is also not the answer. You do what you can, you do what you must, within the bounds of what God allows, but ultimately it is not your krav skills or how quick you are on the draw that you should put your trust in. It is not your 2nd Amendment rights, or your personal arsenal of handguns, either. It is God who is able to protect you, whether your efforts are adequate or not. Sometimes he uses your preparation, sometimes He doesn’t. I’m all for preparation. I’m just against trusting in horses and chariots. I hope we can all put our blog guns down now. Thanks for the interaction.

    • http://www.facebook.com/karl.heitman.5 Karl Heitman

      Thanks for clarifying. My door is left unlocked tonight…trust in God and not in dead-bolts! :)

      • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

        Sleep tight (and with one eye open).

  • Michael Delahunt

    Amen Clint! We must trust in God for our protection, and not merely our own wits and defenses. We’re talking about a God who will unleash such wrath that sinners will call for the rocks to fall upon them to kill them. The takeaway seems to be this…preach the gospel always and if necessary use Krav Maga.

    • http://www.clintarcher.com/ Clint

      Funny. And true. Thanks for chiming in.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bonk1971 Bill Noonkesser

    “Fear God for not to fear him is to fear everything.” -Thomas Wilcox

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