Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. I’m sick of hearing guns don’t kill people, people kill people. The logic behind that is so flawed. And the results of people who say it and/or believe it are more and more people dying. People die because people use guns to kill people!
Take a look at the adjacent picture. It’s soldier with an assault weapon. Guess what? He has that weapon for one reason only. Because it kills people. Furthermore, it kills people with a much lower likelihood that the soldier will be injured or killed compared to if he only had a single-shot rifle. Or a handgun with six bullets. Or a knife, with no bullets.
So don’t even go there that guns don’t kill people. These guns were made to kill people. Period.
And people kill lots of people. Especially here in America. Thanks to the gun culture in America, where we have an alleged constitutional right to have guns made for war, Americans can kill lots of Americans with assault weapons in a very short time. Here in America. Supposedly the greatest country in the world.
But what are we really great at? Being the number one country in the world for having more Americans killed by other Americans than any other country’s citizens kill their own citizens? Is that what “American exceptionalism” is about?
Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. That’s a lie!
As I said, I’m sick of the guns don’t kill people – people kill people thing. Guns do kill people, because people use guns to kill people.
But for today, I want to look at the word hanging out there at the end of the title.
“That’s a lie”.
What does this kind of thinking say about us Americans? We are the only country in the world that believes this ridiculous statement! I know we call ourselves “civilized”. But are we? Even those countries we consider “uncivilized” don’t have the mass murders with assault weapons that we do. So, just how “civilized” are we?
Or, have we reached a point where we no longer value life? The point where a life means so little, that we have half our leaders saying, Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. And even more sadly, half the population in this country even believes that lie.
A beginning algebra student can make the connection. People use guns to kill people, therefore, guns do kill. When’s the last time you read about anyone killing someone by throwing a feather at them? Feathers don’t kill. But guns. Guns kill. Guns kill exceptionally well. That’s why people use guns to kill other people, rather than trying to kill them with feathers.
But back to that’s a lie.
If we believe this lie that guns don’t kill people, what the heck is wrong with us? Why are we the only country in the world that believes this? How can our sense of right and wrong go so wrong?
Therefore, do we value money more than human life?
The list below came from msn news. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in 2019 compiled a list of Republican senators who have accepted the most cash from the NRA. Here’s the list.
- Mitt Romney (Utah) $13,647,676
- Richard Burr (North Carolina) $6,987,380
- Roy Blunt (Missouri) $4,555,722
- Thom Tillis (North Carolina) $4,421,333
- Marco Rubio (Florida) $3,303,355
- Joni Ernst (Iowa) $3,124,773
- Rob Portman (Ohio) $3,063,327
- Todd C. Young (Indiana) $2,897,582
- Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) $2,867,074
- Tom Cotton (Arkansas) $1,968,714
- Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) $1,475,448
- Josh Hawley (Missouri) $1,391,548
- Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee) $1,306,130
- Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) $1,269,486
- Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) $1,267,139
- Mike Braun (Indiana) $1,249,967
- John Thune (South Dakota) $638,942
- Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) $341,738
- Richard Shelby (Alabama) $258,514
- Chuck Grassley (Iowa) $226,007
- John Neely Kennedy (Louisiana) $215,788
- Ted Cruz (Texas) $176,274
- Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) $146,262
- Steve Daines (Montana) $123,711
- Cindy Hyde-Smith (Mississippi) $109,547
- Roger Wicker (Mississippi) $106,680
- Rand Paul (Kentucky) $104,456
- Mike Rounds (South Dakota) $95,049
- John Boozman (Arkansas) $82,352
- John Cornyn (Texas) $78,945
- Ben Sasse (Nebraska) $68,623
- Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma) $66,758
- Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) $55,961
- Mike Crapo (Idaho) $55,039
- Jerry Moran (Kansas) $34,718
- John Barrasso (Wyoming) $26,989
- John Hoeven (North Dakota) $22,050
- Susan Collins (Maine) $19,638
- James Lankford (Oklahoma) $18,955
- Jim Risch (Idaho) $18,850
- Tim Scott (South Carolina) $18,513
- Kevin Cramer (North Dakota) $13,255
Wow. 13 million dollars for Mitt Romney at the top of the list. I was initially surprised to see Ted Cruz way down at number 22, with only $176,274. But I wonder, is that because it didn’t really take much to get him to sell out?
I also wondered, how much other gun money, blood money, did they accept from other sources. I mean, this is just the NRA. What about the gun makers and others involved in the industry of making war weapons for American civilians?
And one more thing. Since this is a site about Christianity, I couldn’t help but wonder, how many of these senators, who accepted money from the NRA, to protect their right to make and sell military weapons, made with the intent to kill people, are also claiming to be Christians? I wrote something the other day titled, What makes someone a self-proclaimed Christian? I urge you to check it out. See if this claim to be Christian is real. What will they hear, from God, at the end of their lives? Well done, good and faithful servant? Or, I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.
The first one – well done is from this passage.
The Parable of the Talents
25:14-30 Ref—Lk 19:12-27
Mt 25:14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Mt 25:19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
Mt 25:21 “His master replied, ’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Mt 25:22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’
Mt 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Mt 25:24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
Mt 25:26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
Mt 25:28 “ ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Why do I include this passage? When a Christian does something, we’re supposed to do it for God. When a Christian runs for public office, that Christian should be taking care of God’s creation. As such, that Christian person in public office, like a U.S. Senator, is a servant of God, living their life for God, taking care of God’s creation.
If that Christian public official doesn’t believe this, then as pointed out above, are they truly Christian? Or are they merely self-proclaimed Christians, using God’s name as a cover for their own agenda?
And, if they claim they are working for God, a whole other can of worms is opened up. That’s what the second passage addresses.
The second one, I never knew you, is from this passage.
A Tree and Its Fruit
Mt 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Mt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
How many Christian senators take money from the NRA?
Let’s put the list in again. This time, with two new columns, religious affiliation claimed by each person and their party affiliation. This additional information is from the Pew Forum.
You can sort the table on any column. You can also use the search box, for example to find a state or specific senator. I suggest last name, since some first names are formal and others are informal, such as James and Jim.
| Rank, by $$ accepted from NRA | Name (state) | $$ accepted from NRA | claimed religion | party affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitt Romney (Utah) | $13,647,676 | Mormon | Republican |
| 2 | Richard Burr (North Carolina) | $6,987,380 | Methodist | Republican |
| 3 | Roy Blunt (Missouri) | $4,555,722 | Baptist | Republican |
| 4 | Thom Tillis (North Carolina) | $4,421,333 | Catholic | Republican |
| 5 | Marco Rubio (Florida) | $3,303,355 | Catholic | Republican |
| 6 | Joni Ernst (Iowa) | $3,124,773 | Lutheran | Republican |
| 7 | Rob Portman (Ohio) | 3,063,327 | Methodist | Republican |
| 8 | Todd C. Young (Indiana) | $2,897,582 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
| 9 | Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) | $2,867,074 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
| 10 | Tom Cotton (Arkansas) | $1,968,714 | Methodist | Republican |
| 11 | Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) | $1,475,448 | Catholic | Republican |
| 12 | Josh Hawley (Missouri) | $1,391,548 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
| 13 | Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee) | $1,306,130 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 14 | Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) | $1,269,486 | Lutheran | Republican |
| 15 | Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) | $1,267,139 | Baptist | Republican |
| 16 | Mike Braun (Indiana) | $1,249,967 | Catholic | Republican |
| 17 | John Thune (South Dakota) | $638,942 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
| 18 | Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) | $341,738 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 19 | Richard Shelby (Alabama) | $258,514 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 20 | Chuck Grassley (Iowa) | $226,007 | Baptist | Republican |
| 21 | John Neely Kennedy (Louisiana) | $215,788 | Methodist | Republican |
| 22 | Ted Cruz (Texas) | $176,274 | Baptist | Republican |
| 23 | Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) | $146,262 | Catholic | Republican |
| 24 | Steve Daines (Montana) | $123,711 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 25 | Cindy Hyde-Smith (Mississippi) | $109,547 | Baptist | Republican |
| 26 | Roger Wicker (Mississippi) | $106,680 | Baptist | Republican |
| 27 | Rand Paul (Kentucky) | $104,456 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 28 | Mike Rounds (South Dakota) | $95,049 | Catholic | Republican |
| 29 | John Boozman (Arkansas) | $82,352 | Baptist | Republican |
| 30 | John Cornyn (Texas) | $78,945 | Nondenominational | Republican |
| 31 | Ben Sasse (Nebraska) | $68,623 | Lutheran | Republican |
| 32 | Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma) | $66,758 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 33 | Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) | $55,961 | Baptist | Republican |
| 34 | Mike Crapo (Idaho) | $55,039 | Mormon | Republican |
| 35 | Jerry Moran (Kansas) | $34,718 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
| 36 | John Barrasso (Wyoming) | $26,989 | Presbyterian | Republican |
| 37 | John Hoeven (North Dakota) | $22,050 | Catholic | Republican |
| 38 | Susan Collins (Maine) | $19,638 | Catholic | Republican |
| 39 | James Lankford (Oklahoma) | $18,955 | Baptist | Republicab |
| 40 | Jim Risch (Idaho) | $18,850 | Catholic | Republican |
| 41 | Tim Scott (South Carolina) | $18,513 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
| 42 | Kevin Cramer (North Dakota) | $13,255 | Protestant (denomination not specified) | Republican |
You probably noticed, all of the top money recipients are Republican. No, I didn’t cut the list at the first Democrat. The data is straight out of the msn report, from the James Brady organization. Feel free to use the link to view the original article.
People use guns to kill people, and our leaders won’t acknowledge that, therefore …
Yes, anyone who’s even a little bit honest will admit that far too many Americans are killed by people using guns. I mean, it’s not like the guns just go out and shoot people all on their own. There’s a living, breathing, human American pulling the trigger on that gun when the bullet fired from it.
But with assault weapons, made for war, we have people with hundreds and hundreds of bullets shot in such a short time. And our leaders will do nothing to cut down on that. They just say, guns don’t kill people. That lie ranks right up there with when Satan asked Eve, “did God really say?”
I’m here to ask, do you really expect me to believe that the same number of people would be killed, children slaughtered in schools, people worshipping in churches, and so many other scenarios, if they didn’t have assault weapons?
God gave me a mind. That lie just doesn’t work.
Leaders who profess to be Christian refuse to do anything about mass killings in America, therefore …
Here’s a message to our self-proclaimed leaders in this country. And to those of you who vote for them, especially those who also claim to be Christian.
Who, exactly, do you think you’re lying to? Yes, you have succeeded in getting half the population of this not so civilized country to buy into your lies.
But, do you, as self-proclaimed Christians, even for one fraction of a second, believe God buys into your lies?
If you don’t care about us, the people you promised to serve in your role as a member of the U.S. Federal Government, what about God? Do you care about your promise to Him?
Every single senator on that list who accepted money from the NRA claims to be Christian. But, who gets your allegiance?
Certainly not the children who just died in Texas, the folks who just died in Buffalo, and so many other places. Certainly not the victims of the tragedies that will continue to accumulate, as you try to tell us that guns don’t kill people. So let’s just write off any idea that you care about the promise to take care of the people you allegedly lead.
Certainly not to God either. You claim to be pro-life. But that only lasts until the child is born. Once born, it’s their fault if they’re from a poor family and can’t afford food, medical care, a decent education, or the various other things your children most certainly did get, are getting, and will continue to get.
And if they happen to die in a mass shooting, well, that’s not your fault is it? Because guns don’t kill people. One more time – guns do kill people. Why? Because people use guns to kill people.
Conclusion – Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. That’s a lie.
Conclusion – Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. Therefore, everyone who has the ability to put an end to this gun culture crisis in America, but doesn’t do it, is failing. But today, I especially address our self-proclaimed Christian leaders in Congress.
You think this doesn’t affect you. Your children won’t be shot by an assault rifle, because they don’t associate with “that kind of person”. You and your family won’t be shot in a market, because you don’t go to “those kind of markets”. You and your family won’t be shot in church, because we, the people you are supposed to be representing, pay for plenty of security to keep you safe.
But guess what? In the end, it’s not us who will judge you. It’s not us you have to answer to. No. You must, and will, answer to God for what you’ve done to His children. Are you ready for that?
Because I have to tell you – That infinitely powerful God you claim to believe in has power that will just blow your mind. And if He tells you, I never knew you. Get away from me you evildoers, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.
And for anyone who is, or thinks they are, Christian – take note of this. If we start acting like Christians, reaching out to God instead of self-proclaimed Christians who are only interested in themselves, things can change. Just think about the times when God’s people turned away from Him. The things that happened to them.
But also think about the times when God’s people turned back to Him. And how God rescued them. Of all the people on the face of the earth, we are the ones who can change this. However, we must turn to the right power. Not political power. God’s power. He is the only solution.
But if we turn to leaders who think the solution is to arm teachers, church staff, and others so they can take down an assailant, what do we think we’re doing?
Our leaders, like those in the list, have sold out to the god of money.
Do we, as Christians, want to sell out to the god of guns, giving them even more money?
Or do we want to turn to God?
Remember:
Treasures in Heaven
6:22, 23 pp — Lk 11:34-36
Mt 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mt 6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Mt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Image by Dennis Trevisan from Pixabay