OPINION: God, Guns, and Bibles

I recently qualified for my concealed handgun carry license. That doesn't mean I can shoot straight, nor that I'm armed. But that's the idea. The bad guys will never know. But a police officer will. They usually spot any gun hidden under clothing. Plus, if I get stopped by a cop, the officer will see my permit in his database. If you have a gun on your person or in your car, tell the officer. He'll find out anyway and then you'll have another problem -- his suspicion. Why not disclose it?

The president of the NRA once said, "Nothing can stop a bad guy with a gun except a good guy with a gun." That's true unless you're Chuck Norris or you drank bullet-proof coffee. I saw a newspaper story a few years ago about an armed robber who tried to hold up a Denny's Restaurant. This was on central Florida's east coast, where a lot of retirees live. It was not the robber's best day. Five old-timers pulled out their concealed handguns and held him until lawmen arrived.

I appreciate what Gov. Mike Huckabee once said on his television show. "When you need the police in a matter of seconds, they're only minutes away."

The state of Arkansas is not a constitutional carry state, as some are, but it acts like one. All of the state policymakers and enforcement agencies have said they won't charge someone with having a concealed weapon unless their intent is malicious.

Still, it's dangerous to handle a weapon without safety training and practicing at an approved range. I've been a hunter all of my life and I've taught my children how to handle guns, shoot targets, and hunt wild game. On a camping trip, cotton-tailed rabbits made some good stew. Deer were much safer. Birds got a free pass.

I told my kids repeatedly, "Every weapon is always loaded!" Never believe that a gun is unloaded until you have eye-balled it for yourself. Then keep it 2-step locked.

What if you need to use a gun for self-defense? That's legal and ethical. The "turn the other cheek" words in the Bible apply first and foremost to when you're being persecuted for the gospel's sake, not when you are protecting your children from someone breaking into your house. Christians don't need to be pacifists.

The great war hero, Sergeant Alvin York, started out as a pacifist. He read the Bible as a new Christian. A casual reading can lead you to interpret it that way. Can there be a just war? Yes, there can. York became convinced it was okay to hurt evil guys who were killing his fellow soldiers. He was the most decorated soldier of WWI.

I recently found some shooting tips from an FBI agent, John Corey, a character in the Nelson DeMille espionage novel, Radiant Angel. This was the advice he gave to a new agent riding with him.

"If you're going into a gunfight, borrow money from the agents with you. It will motivate them to watch your back."

"Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap."

"If your shooting stance is good then you're probably not moving fast enough."

"When approaching a suspect, watch his hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. All others keep your hands where I can see them."

"Use a gun that works every time." I won't finish that one because it gets a bit profane, plus, I don't believe his quote was really from George Washington. There are more, but that's enough.

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Ron Wood is a retired pastor and author. Contact him at [email protected] or visit www.touchedbygrace.org or follow him at Touched By Grace on Facebook. Opinions expressed are those of the author.