Oct 10
5
Lordship of Christ requires abolition of gun control
ChristianGovernance – A new standard for Christian reformation
ChristianGovernance was in Orillia and Toronto this past Saturday. We talked about the necessity of having a worldview. Actually, that’s not quite true. It’s not a matter of necessity, it’s simply a matter of what is: all people have a worldview. The issue is whether you possess your worldview by DESIGN or by DEFAULT. We pointed out that those who DO NOT know what they believe and why over against what they do not believe and why will always be led by those who do. In other words, a leader possesses his worldview by design.
This remains a relatively rare concept among Christians today – which is why we lose so many of today’s culture wars and political battles. We listed several reasons why holding to an intentionally developed Biblical worldview is important.
We also presented key principles of Christian governance, explaining key components of a robust Biblical political and social theory.
We believe that a primary reason for the positive response we are receiving from our Biblical message is that it shows Christians how we can be openly and explicitly Christian in the public square. We are taught not to be bold in our personal witness to Christ and our salvation. We are taught not to compromise in that aspect of our message to others. But we are told that compromise and subtelty in the Christian aspect of our message is necessary when it comes to politics and other interfacing with non-Christians in the public square.
With that kind of inconsistency – some would say hypocrisy – it’s not surprising that most “unsophisticated” Christians back away from any interest in politics. They can’t reconcile the two contradictory messages they are given about how to live before others. And rightly so.
We, on the other hand, have developed a thorough understanding of the rational and winsome nature of explicitly Christian governance and social theory. We are taking back popular aspects of Christian law and political theory that have been stolen by today’s humanists. Other Christians have surrendered in these areas and allowed themselves to be marginalized. These principles, however, are Christian – and they have broad appeal among the general public (which is why the humanists want to lay claim to them) – so we are not prepared to surrender to the fraud and deception of those who want to gut Christianity of its superior position in advancing justice in this country.
Some of these Christians principles that we are reclaiming are: the rule of law, equality before the law, division of authority and diffusion of power. These are powerful Christian principles which, when used in a Biblical fashion, will come crashing down like an anvil on the neck of the socialist beast.
ChristianGovernance is receiving very enthusiastic feedback from the way we can articulate a bold, explicitly Christian message for mainstream Canada. ChristianGovernance’s message is about how Christians need not be ashamed in the public square any more than they need to be when it comes to personal evangelism. This message is striking a chord among Christians who never could understand why they had to hide their faith when they stepped out of their house every morning.
This message by ChristianGovernance also appeals to Christians who want to feel free and comfortable about exalting Christ in every area of life. ChristianGovernance’s motto is “the Lordship of Christ and the abiding relevance of God’s law.”
We know that law and morality have direct relevance to politics because politicians make laws. But how can you talk about the Lordship of Christ in government? Such a question hardly even appears on the radar of most Christians today because we have been taught that such a notion is absurd, maybe even unchristian, especially in a “pluralistic” or “multicultural” society. We are showing how absurd that idea is and how that kind of weakness emboldens our enemies and fuels our demise in the culture. And Canadian Christians are getting excited about a message that enables them to see the relevance of the Lordship of Christ even in civil government or politics. They no longer have to wrestle with the tension of affirming belief in a personal God while living part of their lives as operational deists. God, even the Lordship of Christ, is very personal, even in law and politics.
One of the examples we used on the weekend centres on the controversy around gun control.
Most Canadians who oppose gun control argue against it on the basis of the rights of hunters and sports shooters. In Canada, the self-defence case for owning firearms is almost non-existent. The federal government could loosen Canada’s gun laws enough to make most hunters and sports shooters content without allowing sufficient freedom for firearms ownership for the purpose of self-defence. Such a development would be consistent with some of God’s law, and if God’s law alone was our criteria for law and public policy, we could probably satisfy a lot of Christians with the reforms necessary to make hunters and sports shooters content. At least at that point, the enthusiasm and motivation to push for further freedom would probably decline.
In terms of a vision for the Lordship of Christ, this is wholly inadequate. How is the Lordship of Christ realized in human society? To a large extent it is realized through the vice-regency of men – the subordinate leadership that men are required to exercise under God. One fundamental area of such leadership is the responsibility that husbands/fathers have to protect their families, their property and themselves – self-defence. In a world in which one’s enemies have access to firearms, a right or responsibility of self-defence requires access to firearms as a tool for protection. This responsibility for self-defence is directly derivative of the Lordship of Christ, and it personalizes the reality of the Lordship of Christ in human society. (The Lordship of Christ is not simply relevant to our private lives.)
Because ChristianGovernance is committed to the Lordship of Christ (as well as the abiding relevance of God’s law), our position on firearms ownership emphasizes the importance of self-defence. We won’t be satisfied until Canadian governments once again surrender their claim to regulate the responsibility parents have to secure the necessary tools to fulfill their responsibility for personal protection and self-defence.
How might the Lordship of Christ impact someone’s position on other issues?
ChristianGovernance invigorates Christians with a grand faith and vision. How can your vision be larger than the Lordship of Christ; the personal, active rule of the King of Kings in the life of your community and your nation? This is a real faith and vision; a reason for living and a reason, if necessary, for dying. It’s a vision for marching, not for retreating. It’s a vision for the idealism of youth. It’s a vision that’s rooted in the real world and God’s truth. It’s an optimistic vision, reflecting a conviction that God has great plans for Canada. And Christians are beginning to get excited about being part of this multi-generational vision for a Christian Canada.
Spend time on our website to learn more about the work and perspective of ChristianGovernance. Contact [email protected] or at 613-496-0091 to learn even more about our projects and plans for advancing a Christian vision for Canada and for training Christians, especially young people, to take hold of this multi-generational vision and to take it into the world that God unfolds before them.