God wants you to own guns and swords
Exodus 22:2-3 tells us "If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."
We must also consider what Christ told his disciples in his last hours with them: "...But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a sack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" (Luke 22:36). Keep in mind that the sword was the finest offensive weapon available to an individual soldier -- the equivalent then of a military rifle today.
The Israelite army was a militia army (Numbers 1:3, ff.) which came to battle with each man bearing his own weapons -- from the time of Moses, through the Judges, and beyond. When threatened by the Midianites, for example, "Moses spoke to the people , saying, 'Arm some of yourselves for the war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian'" (Numbers 31:3).
Again, to demonstrate the Biblical heritage of individuals bearing and keeping arms, during David's time in the wilderness avoiding capture by Saul, "David said to his men, 'Every man gird on his sword.' So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword" (1 Samuel 25:13).
Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built (Nehemiah 4:17-18).
Liz Michael
Interesting collection of words. Christians need a jihad of their own.
My people did not need a book to tell them to be armed. Not only swords (considered a nobleman's weapon, sometimes forged out of meteoric iron) but also axes, javelins and spears were widely owned, used, and even objects of religious reverence. Women learned archery to supplement food for their families by hunting and often carried staves and long daggers. The axe was considered the free peasants emblem and crossed axes or double-bladed axes appear on various heraldry. From their early youth, defense was part of their practical education, such as hunting, skiing, trapping animals, making fire, orienteering, navigation, carpentry, self-surgery, cooking, fishing, care of animals, scavenging and forgaging.
ReplyDeleteLike the claymore, the axe is often scorned by modern people as a heavy or unwieldy weapon, usually because they are not strong or coordinated enough to use one in work or combat. One thing any of these non-projectile weapons is not is a cowards weapon.
I cannot say the same for firearms, which are not only long-range and highly lethal, but are often easy to conceal and require no skill, strength or stamina to use and thus are highly egalitarean. An intentionally low complexity of technology but high degree of quality in crafting weapons and the breeding and training of men, fearless and chivalrous men, to wield them, benefitted all of society and made conflicts smaller in scale and much much less destructive compared to the bio, nuclear, and landmine utilizing wholly conscienceless massdysgenic cyberslaughter of modern war.
Paradoxically, and on a related note, because one struck down ones foe and watched him die of a ghastly wound, or perhaps survived one of their own, they were not quite so flippant about violence or manners as a firearms prevalent yet weapon-despising society as the U.S. is for instance. One prepared onself internally to die well, unstained by cowardice and with dignity, and could even trust an enemy to help one do so. Ask a Japanese if the chivalry of Bushido rotted his countries ethics, and you'll see what I mean. To be able to open ones belly without flinching requires values of fortitude, stoicism, composure, detachment and of course selflessness. They also had the partygame of "Matanuki", much like a facial scar from duelling was a badge of honor in Europe.
While the Semitic ethic of the old testament is embodied in the puny shepherd with a sling, the ethic of mine is in the Philistine champion he dishonorably slew with the egalitarean projectile weapon. Ditto the merciless ambushes in the deserts by mounted archers who consider repeated retreats "brave" and plunder, not heroism, as ideal.
Martial customs tell us about a peoples values, just as much as their art or music does. The gangbanger has replaced the Celtic charioteer. How sad.