MicroBalrog
member
Here's my letter exchange with a Washington Post Journalist.
His answer:
He has replied yet.
The article discussed can be found here
If you want to drop him a kind word - [email protected] is the ticket
Dear Sir!
I have read your article with deep care. Even though I am not Christian myself, I am deeply concerned with your statement:
"And so now, in Hyattsville, because some people cannot get beyond their fascination with guns and some people actually believe the words of their faith's commandments, Sunday is a day for staring across a deep divide."
Please explain where does the Bible (New or Old Testament) say it is wrong to own a weapon? The only relevant part is in the Last Supper, where Christ warns his disciples to buy various life necessities (a sword is one of them). At least wo of the apostles were routinely armed.
Also, the Gabriele Possenti Society disagrees ( http://www.possentisociety.com/ ). They are not some random nutcases, they are endorsed by the Pope. According to the Pope's official statement, self-defense is not only a right, but a duty. So if you're a Catholic, and you're against guns, well, sorry, the Pope does not agree.
An interesting article on the topic: http://www.2ampd.net/Articles/Marshall/god_and_M-60.htm
**** ****
Bat-Yam, Israel
http://www.a-human-right.com/introduction.html
His answer:
And MY answer:Thanks for your note. Thou shalt not kill is pretty clear. Guns exist to
kill. No civilized society except the United States permits private
individuals to own guns outside the purpose of a militia. Thanks for
reading the column.
Best,
Marc Fisher
The Washington Post
> Thanks for your note. Thou shalt not kill is pretty clear.
Hi!
Actually, that is NOT that clear. The original hebrew text of the Bible
(which I can read, being Israeli, in Hebrew), says "Al Tirz'ah", which is
"Thou shalt not Murder". Murder is then described in the Bible as an
intentional killing of an innocent person.
Most guns exist and were designed for self-defense (except a few "sporting:"
ones). Self-defense is not murder, which is specifically said in the Bible
several times. In fact, one of the most respected rabbis in Israel has ruled
recently, that if you own a gun, it is your Jewish duty (if you are Jewish)
to carry it all the time. He instructed his disciples to be routinely armed
in synagogues.
Self-defense, as I pointed out previously, is also your Christian duty.
What civilized societies do is beside the point, first of all, because
"civilized societies" have so often been wrong, second, because no proof
exist they are right, in fact, in some countries violence rates increased
after introduction of gun control (read Colin Greenwood, a british ex-police
officer working for Cambridge university - British crime rates where rising
after banning guns), and third, because we are not talking about gun
control - we are talking about whether or not it's proper for a religious
man to own a gun.
SY,
*****
Bat-Yam, Israel
He has replied yet.
The article discussed can be found here
If you want to drop him a kind word - [email protected] is the ticket