Can Christians Kill in Self-Defense?

There has been a lot of debate lately over the question of whether Christians are permitted to arm themselves and to use lethal force in defense of themselves and their love ones.  As most of you already know, this discussion reached the attention of the media when Jerry Falwell announced that he would like for all the students at Liberty University to carry concealed weapons on campus.  Falwell’s announcement produced a flurry of responses, and eventually another nationally recognized figure rose to take the opposite position when John Piper publicly criticized Falwell’s request for being contrary to Scripture.  The Christian blogosphere was already flooded with discussion of Falwell’s position, but it literally exploded after Piper’s response.  Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that most of those on either side of the issue, including Falwell and Piper, have failed to adequately address the most important question of the debate.

Read More