And see, herein lies the dilemma... If you believe in God, then it is assumed that you believe in the covenants of "You will not murder" and "Love your neighbor." This means NO KILLING (except in the most extreme of circumstances, and then even that is wide open for Biblical debate.) Guns were originally developed for the sole purpose of taking human lives in warfare. They did NOT start out as animal hunting weapons.
However, we as Americans (particularly) are a Gun Culture. We built this nation of the backs of Colt, Smith, and Wesson. We LOVE our guns. We love showing off our guns. We love bragging about our guns, and we love shooting our guns. What's not to love? They are cool looking, they go BANG, and they instill us with a sense of power that we would not otherwise have. The power to take another life with minimal effort. The power of, in short: GOD.
Yet, we gun owners don't often think of our guns in that way. We tend to think of them as expensive (and dangerous if not treated with respect) toys. Not really any different than a motorcycle. But the fact remains, and we know it at least at a subconscious level, that they are killing machines.*
So no, owning a gun is not a "God given right." It is, in fact, entirely contrary to God. There is nothing about a gun that says "Love, peace, or brotherhood." That we use the justification of self-defense or even civil-defense, does not change the fact that guns are contrary in every way to the love of God. That we live in a world that is so contrary to the love of God that we need these devices is the real crime, and the real issue. It is that issue that needs to be addressed first. When it is solved, there will be no more "need" for guns.
That being said, I think I will clean my swords today.
*I am specifically talking about hand-guns and assault rifle, not hunting rifles.
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