I must admit that I am struggling to form an understandable and cohesive response to the recent mass shooting. I find myself trying to process arguments from so many places. The many perspectives on the issues of protecting life, liberty and personal responsibility while upholding freedom are all approached by people of differing worldviews. It is no wonder that debates concerning the safety of our children are so heated and frustrating. Our leaders in law enforcement and health care and government are all speaking a different language.
The general polarization of the nation’s response is the evident reality of two basic worldviews, the secular and the spiritual. But be on guard because those with a secular worldview will always borrow language from the spiritual to move their statist ideas forward.
We all want to keep our children safe. Why is there no call to give our schools the means to secure and protect the life and property under their jurisdiction? Ask yourself seriously, why are many leaders so intent on disarming millions of freedom loving people? The same people that say God has no place in your school will also argue that armed guards and metal detectors are not the answer. Perhaps they fear that they would have to concede that good guys with guns are the best deterrent.
Let us then see clearly the battle before us, is not only political but spiritual. Today’s culture embraces and glorifies all forms of fantasy, and supernatural/sci-fi scenarios. Why then when confronted with the evident reality of spiritual warfare do we shield our eyes and minds and reason? We stubbornly continue to search for a secular solution to a spiritual problem because we do not want to see the spiritual problem is real!
One way in which reform may begin is to recognize the need to build upon the same foundation. This foundation should first of all be a respect for and reliance upon God. We must admit to ourselves that we have lost the way. We must restore the value of life, the value of liberty secured by personal responsibility and a mature spiritually formed freedom. In this manner, both secular and spiritual perspectives are respected and balance may be achieved in securing the safety of our community.
It is obvious that the lack of an honest teaching of spiritual truth has contributed to a culture of moral relativity, jubilant depravity and devaluing of human life. Some will say this is not the time to engage in a spiritual debate. But if this is not the time when is?
You may ask how is acknowledging a need for God respectful of the secular humanist worldview which rejects God? The benefits of a general acknowledgment of objective truth i.e. “God” far outweighs the consequences of denying God. This has been proven through the evident downfall of nations throughout centuries of world history.
Psalm 33:12 says
“blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”
Deuteronomy 11:26 declares
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God..”
What we do not want to become is the nation described in Judges 2:10
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.”
If we are to disarm, let us disarm ourselves of the notion that we will remain a free and blessed nation without God. I choose the blessing.
Momeaning 