By Jeff Knox
He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. — Isaiah 2:4
He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. — Luke 22:36
Does your church advocate against your right to arms? Perhaps your church doesn’t directly call for citizen disarmament, but what about the denominational hierarchy? How about its most respected scholars?
American culture has displayed opposing trends on this topic for years, even as crime had been falling from the record levels of the 1980s and early ‘90s. That decline briefly reversed during the combined craziness of the Covid scare and the George Floyd “Summer of Love,” then resumed its downward trajectory.
Nonetheless, it is now routine for churches and other houses of worship to post security teams to defend their flock. Even as individual congregations arm up, the largest Christian denominations in the country are among the loudest voices calling for stricter gun control laws. The United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, American Baptist Churches USA, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, all have official positions supporting gun control laws, as does the Union of Reformed Judaism, along with many smaller denominations and independent churches.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the US, has mostly steered away from any broad gun control advocacy. Several resolutions have been introduced, but none has passed, though there has been strong support from some quarters. The Presbyterian Church in America is more conservative than the PCUSA, and does not advocate for gun control. The non-denominational Churches of Christ are independent, but are very uniform in doctrine and practice. Those congregations generally either don’t take a position on guns or are supportive of individual rights. That fellowship includes the West Freeway Church of Christ, where Jack Wilson shot an attacker who had shot two church members. In the video of that horrific event, at least seven guns can be seen being drawn by congregants.
So where does your church stand? If you don’t know, you should find out.
If your local church leadership supports your rights, but the national organization doesn’t, are you and your local leaders actively pushing back against the national organization’s position? Are you actively working to educate your church leaders about the fallacy of gun control laws, and the doctrinal error of pacifism and disarmament?
Regardless of where your local and national church leadership falls on the question of self-defense and individual arms, I highly recommend that you get a copy of “A Time to Kill” by my friend Greg Hopkins and share it with your church leaders, or better yet, get them their own copies. Greg digs into scripture and shatters the myth of Judaeo-Christian pacifism.
If your church leadership insists on advocating against your rights, it’s time to start looking for a new church. And like when dealing with businesses that post “No Guns” signs, I encourage that you don’t just go away mad, but that you make it a point to make sure their leadership knows why you’re leaving and going to their “competition.”
It’s no surprise that many of the same churches that are considered doctrinally liberal, are in the forefront of those advocating for firearms restrictions. This is especially true regarding churches that have embraced women in their clergy, an issue which has divided many churches in recent decades.
The fact is, the gun control movement is dominated by people who know little to nothing about guns or righteous violence, predominantly women. That is also true of the pacifist movement within broader Christianity. Both movements get support and assistance from some men, primarily soft men who have never had to, or wanted to, stand against violence, or occasionally, stronger men who have been broken by war or the pain and grief of not being strong enough to save a loved one.
The combination of technical ignorance, excessive empathy, and an irrational fear and loathing of violence – and those who engage in it, whether justified or not – is at the heart of much of what’s tearing down our country. If a person in a position of influence or control thinks that being understanding and caring is all that’s required to stop evil, if they don’t understand the value of righteous violence and the importance of good men and women (like Jean Assam) willing and able to wield it for the protection of innocents, and if they have no concept of the tools and technology those good people need in order to accomplish their mission, things are not going to go well.
Gun control groups are composed of phobic individuals. Their phobias include hoplophobia (irrational fear of weapons), cainophobia (irrational fear of violence), and androphobia (irrational fear of men or masculinity). The commonality is irrational fear, with emphasis on irrational. These phobic individuals are as eager to proselytize their doctrine of fear as Christians are anxious to fulfill Jesus’s Great Commission. They are actively recruiting like-minded people in your church. They’re weaponizing compassion and fear, and they’re contributing to the destruction – not only of liberty and security, but of Western civilization itself.
The only way to block this pernicious corrosion is for good, strong men – and the wise women who love them – to stand up, take control, and refuse to tolerate this nanny-state nonsense.
Don’t withdraw. Don’t walk away. Don’t surrender. Stand and fight.
Reject religious “leaders” who think turning the other cheek means being passive in the face of violence. Reject public school policies that insist on punishing your kid for defending against a bully. Reject the idea that “violence is never the answer,” because you know damn well that sometimes violence is the only answer.
And when one of them quotes Isaiah 2:4 at you, demanding that you “beat your swords into plowshares,” remind them that Isaiah was talking about the end times, after the Messiah establishes His earthly kingdom, not a symbolic gesture to make yourself defenseless. On the other hand, it was the Messiah himself who instructed his followers in Luke 22:36 to sell their cloak to buy a sword.
You are your and your family’s “first responder,” so be strong, share your conviction, stay calm, and carry on.
About Jeff Knox:
Jeff Knox is a dedicated political activist and the director of The Firearms Coalition, following in the footsteps of his father, Neal Knox. In 2024, Jeff was elected to the NRA Board of Directors, underscoring his lifelong commitment to protecting the Second Amendment. The Knox family has played a pivotal role in the ongoing struggle for gun rights, a legacy documented in the book Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War, authored by Jeff’s brother, Chris Knox.
Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, The Firearms Coalition is a network of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs, and civil rights organizations. The Coalition supports grassroots efforts by providing education, analysis of current issues, and a historical perspective on the gun rights movement. For more information, visit www.FirearmsCoalition.org.
