Sword in one hand, holy book in the other
If social media and popular perception are to be believed, there is a strong correlation between conservative Christianity and gun ownership. This is visually summed up in the meme of Republican Jesus, with a tactically bearded Nordic face and his hand on a Winchester rifle. The reality is more complex in that evangelical white Protestants are more likely than members of other denominations or religions to own firearms and to oppose stricter laws regulating the same, at least one study by David Yamane has found that greater involvement in one’s religion, even for the stereotypical group, tends to make ownership less likely, at least for handguns.
The impression created by social media is probably the result of that medium’s characteristic of amplifying the most opinionated voices, regardless of how well informed they are on the subjects under discussion. In my own observation, the loudest white male Protestant Christians will declare their submission to Jesus, their opposition to abortion, and their possession of a variety of firearms, along with their willingness to use such weapons. If Yamane’s study is correct, it may be that said believers spend more time on-line than in church, and it is interesting to wonder what relative values they place on prayer vs. shot placement or other such comparisons. Put “Christian doctrine of self-defense” into a search engine and up will come a variety of articles that cover a spectrum from passive notions of turning the other cheek to receive a second punch to active resistance against evil—in other words, exactly what one might find by asking about how political affiliation is associated with the same question.
A passage that gun-owning Christians will often quote comes from the 22nd chapter of Luke wherein Jesus at the Last Supper advises his disciples to acquire a sword if they do not have one already, even if they must sell a cloak to afford it. They then show him that they have two swords, which he judges to be sufficient.
What, exactly, is going on here is not clear. Jesus reminds the disciples that he originally sent them on missionary endeavors without any provisions—purse, bag, or sandals—and to no ill effect. Perhaps practical matters will become more important for them once he departs the Earth. How one or two swords among a dozen disciples will be enough is not explained, but I will leave that to theologically minded tactical trainers. It is worth noting that one of the swords displayed at the table apparently shows up in the Garden of Gethsemane when some armed follower—Peter in the Gospel of John—cuts off the ear of one of the men who have come to arrest Jesus, only to have the latter heal the injury and, in Matthew, say that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.
Add the matter of appropriate moments for believers to use weapons to the curriculum of Christian tactical training.
But there is a better passage in the Bible, albeit from the Hebrew portion, namely in the 4th chapter of Nehemiah. Therein, the people of Jerusalem, at the time subject to the Persian Empire, are rebuilding the walls of their city, despite the opposition of political leaders from surrounding communities. The narrator of the text reports that under these circumstances, “half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” The word, weapon, there is in Hebrew, shelach, which in this context implies a spear, throughout history the infantryman’s primary arm. Today, this would be a rifle, the sword being the equivalent of a handgun.
This passage, while not a commandment, does illustrate the principle that when violence is possible, it is a good idea to have on one’s person the effective tools of resisting attacks. Does it square with the pacifist bits in the New Testament? That is more than I will insist on, but for a believer, the lovely thing about the Bible is that it can be made to say whatever is needed.
In any case, there is a better book to choose from, if we need a theological defense of being armed. The Hávamál, the Saying of the High One, purports to be a collection of proverbs from Odin, bits of advice for how to get by in a variety of situations. The 38th verse recommends the following: “Let a man never stir on his road a step without his weapons of war; for unsure is the knowing when need shall arise of a spear on the way without.”
This has none of the obscurity of the verses in Luke, and taken with the context of other verses that advises being careful with one’s finances, it does not even need to suggest pawning any clothing to afford weapons.
It is thus a better text to consult for religious counsel about going armed, especially if the gods do indeed help those who help themselves.