In an analysis of Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine, explain if you find it ironic or contradictory that we as a Christian nation rationalize our addiction to guns and violence. Can we consider ourselves a Christian and a peaceful nation or a peaceful people?
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Filed under: Theology 4
Christian or not, our nation isn’t full of peaceful people. It is human nature for a person to like something that may harm us, whether it being fast food greasy crap or the enjoyment of violence in a movie. Humans tend to ignore signs of which they know it’s bad, however when it happens, they start to blame others for what they have done to themselves or to others. We are hypocrites thinking that we care for others, that we enjoy the good things in life, because we don’t. We don’t care for others but only ourselves. When there is someone who is being picked on, not only do we ignore the occurrence, but we sometimes join in, creating more violence and hatred in this joke we call earth a place of unity. From nations fighting each other to a classroom where kids are picking on another kid, hatred has always existed, since humans existed and will continue with Christians or Non-Christians thru out the life the human race.
I don’t think it is appropriate to call ourselves a Christian nation because we are a nation of many peoples – jews, muslims, amish, and so on. Our nation may have been found on Christian principles, but it is a place for everyone and not a “Christian” nation alone.
As Christians, we must think about our opinion and use of guns in this day and age. Many in the Church would argue that guns allow people to protect themselves in cases where self-defense in necessary. Others would argue that guns are not a necessity at all. Though the Church has restrictions and an outline of what constitutes “Just War,” there are no policies about whether or not we as civilians should own guns.
There is no reason for us to own guns unless we are using them for hunting alone. Guns seem to hurt more than they help, and I don’t see very many benefits in having guns. Maybe it’s best to remember Ghandi’s quote, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” when we think about gun ownership and restriction laws.
i think that we can still say that we are Christian nation, even though we are “addicted to violence and guns”. In the background of my family, guns are only used for hunting and protecting your family, not just killing people because you are mad at them. the only time that this is the case is when we volunteer for the Army or the Marines or something and go to fight in a war. and just because people say that we are addicted to violence, does not mean that it is the truth. also, our nation also has a significant percentage of people that are non-Christian, so i am not even sure if we truely are a Christian nation any more.
I am not sure that “Christian nation” is the correct terminology for our nation but if we are often referred to as it then our addiction to guns and violence is ridiculous. I do not think that you can take on the notion that you only have guns in your house to “take out the middle man” and shoot an invaders to your home yourself, and still call yourself Christian. The people we saw in the movie were incredibly proud of their dangerous weapons kept nearby in their home, and some even bragged about their shot and where it would land on a person.
I think having guns in your home is completely ludacrious. The only thing you would need guns for is hunting, if that is your pleasure. I think that people who want to eliminate the need for police officers and just go shoot people up themselves are ignorant. If you honestly think that raising children in a home where you proudly proclaim that you have guns and will use them if needed is a good idea then look at Columbine. Children are directly influenced by their parents and I would venture to say children who grow up in homes where gun use is acceptable will be the first to abuse gun usage. I think our nation has peaceful people but as a whole I think our views towards weapons of mass destruction and guns would classify us as a very violent nation.
I find it contradictory that we as a Christian nation agree to using guns and violence. We may say it, but we don’t show it. For example March 3, 1991, policemen beat and abused Rodney King and two other passengers. Plenty of people have joined in on riots and violent marches, and are Christian. i think we can call ourselves a Christian adn peaceful nation, but not all people of this nation are peaceful or Christian. there are some peaceful and Christian people, but there are some who choose to stand out from the rest. Also, many of our Christian citizens openly and willingly want to participate in war. These people are not being peaceful when creating war overseas. this makes our nation a Christian and peaceful nation, not a peaceful people.
We, as Christians, have a responsibility to be peaceful people. However, all Americans are not Christian. Our country was founded on Christian principles, but has developed and changes greatly over the past 200 years. The truth is that there will always be conflict, regardless of whether or not we own guns. Thousands of people live together in this country, and everyone will not always agree. These disagreements, however, do not necessarily have to lead to violence. It is disgraceful that the American people attempt to justify their addiction to violence. As humans, we have an obligation to respect one another and preserve life. Our abuse of guns and addiction to violence contradicts this obligation. We, as Americans, have the right to bear arms for protection. This right, however, is severely abused on a daily basis leading to immorality and fear. The creation of this fear makes it impossible for us to call ourselves a peaceful people.
I don’t think that we do or should define ourselves as a Christian nation, because we define ourselves as a mixing pot of cultures and religions. We have removed certain Christian practices like prayer from our public schools and only retain some of them like the Pledge of Allegiance’s phrase “one nation under God” because the country was founded with Christian values.
However, I do believe that we are a country that is entertained by violence and drama. I believe this is so because unlike other countries, we do not see violence everyday in the open. Violence is restricted to behind closed doors or in isolated and devastating incidents. In countries with corruption in the task force that is supposed to be protecting them, violence is unchecked. Therefore, people of other countries are sickened by the idea of further violence as entertainment.
I believe that it is very contradictory of us to say that we live in a Christian nation because we have many different religions present in our nation. We have the freedom as an American to practice what ever religion we please to practice. I also think that it is contradictory to say that we are a Christian nation because our nation is addicted to violence. In America the addiction to violence starts at a very young age. For example look at the video game that people are creating to sell to young kids. The games are all about killing people in order to win, or think about the toys that are manufactured to sell to young children, toy guns. If you took these things off the market you would start a conflict, but we say that we are a Christian nation. I believe that if we were a Christian nation then we would not be promoting violence at such a young age we would be telling young children that you can have fun without playing violent games. Allowing our children to do that creates the violent nation that we live in because knowing only one thing and one kind of fun and that is violence. Because of all the violence we can not call ourselves a peaceful nation. Therefore I do not believe that we can consider ourselves a Christian or peaceful nation.
It is my opinion that the term “Christian Nation” is only used by certain Christians and that America is not truly based upon any deep form of Christianity. However, in terms of America’s very real addiction to guns there appears to be an alarming and contradictory connection between those living in a “Christian Nation” and those who are proud gun owners. I do think any Christian who truly believed in peace would willingly give up their gun but I wouldn’t be surprised those who believe in a “Christian Nation” would be hesitant to give up their hunting rifles.
The argument seems to be based around people losing guns on a protected or recreational level in the name of a decrease in overall gun use for criminal activities or otherwise. I don’t see much harm in losing your gun in the name of an overall increase in safety. The fact is, we are not and have never been a completely peaceful nation and guns being in the hands of civilians have almost always had a role to play. I am not saying guns are a useless invention but if you want peace, they have to go.
Since the beginning of America our forefathers have been interested in guns and the actions they produce. Ironically they were also Christians who were supposed to live by the golden rule: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). When our forefathers used guns they used them to hunt and to protect themselves during times of war. Could they have foreseen the effects guns would have on the population today? Today, however; we use guns to protect ourselves from burglars who may threaten to us, or when we just feel like killing someone because they were mean to us. So, if we use guns for harm, how can we saw that we are Christians? I believe that using guns to hunt over populated animals like deer is justifiable – after all the first humans were hunters and gathers. But if one uses it for the slaughter of other humans there is no way that one can be called a Christian because they are breaking the one rule that Jesus told us to follow. There is no way that we can consider ourselves a peaceful people with the building of arms going on all around our society and the world.
One of the most important parts of Christianity is the fact that we are supposed to see God in all people. Yet guns are still around and are constantly being improved in order to make them more effective. While in the ideal world guns and violence should not be necessary, it is impractical. Until the second coming, sin will be the greatest fault of man. Greed and lust over other people’s possessions will inevitably lead to conflict.
It is easy to say that as Christians we should abstain from violent behavior, but when you look back in history it is obviously not so. One of the greatest conflicts caused by the Catholic Church, the Crusades, caused the lives of thousands of people. It was believed that God wanted us to have the holy land and we had to take it. Also when you look at Jewish history, from which Christian sprouted from, the Jews were constantly at war with other people.
It is seen over and over again that sometimes violence is needed to protect oneself from hostile acts. In modern times this power is only needed by governments though. The government provides the needed protection for each individual. Privately owned guns (outside of hunting guns) are unnecessary. They only create opportunities for things like columbine to happen. I believe that it is not contradictory for the nation to have weapons, since violence has been apart of church history, and the church condones “just wars.” This does not however spread to individual citizens, that would only lead to violence out of impulse anger.
War is common throughout history, despite how peacefl we may try to mae our lives with power comes conflictions. The United States is the most powerful nation throughout the world and we have well earned our title. We are also a Christian nation, embodied by the beleif that there is a supior being who guides our thoughts, actions, and morals. To portray our nation as both one of Christian standards and gun promotion, is difficult to balance. Like many countries, we do ha our flaws. I think it is a little ironic to encourage good morals on the basis of religion and the use of guns in warfare, however with every good aspect there is a negative. If we did not have the great use of weapons as we currently do, I am not suer that we would have our powerful status and would not be able to enjoy some of the many freedoms that coms with power and succuss. So it really comes down to what you want to give up-power of moral standards? Balancing the two would be perfect, and maybe we are in the making of that very act.
I don’t think we can call ourselves a Christian nation because we are a nation made up of different cultures, race, and religions. We are a nation founded on Christian morals but since the foundation of the nation we have allowed different religions in the country besides Christianity. I find it ironic that the Christian founders used guns and violence for protection. And many Christians today still use guns for the same reason. Calling oneself a Christian means a person who finds God in everyone and wouldn’t want to hurt any of Gods people, but today we still have thousands of deaths from guns. I don’t think guns should be invollved in killing people in a nation the calls itself Christian.
It’s extremely contradictory that we attempt to rationalize our addiction to guns and violence. The basic tenants of our faith teach peace and love, above all else. To be wildly fascinated and drawn to guns and violence goes completely against these basic teachings. “You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war”-Albert Einstein.
In addition, we as Americans cannot live under the guise of peacemakers or a peaceful people if we are willing to continually put gun support and tolerance for violence above the love of ourselves and our neighbors. To live a Christian life is to live the teachings of Christianity, which even at its most simple forms teach peace. This does not mean we must roll over when threats come our way, however, it’s should be a change in the way we think. Instead of viewing every hostile action as a direct threat, we should instead view this hostility as a chance to negotiate and work out an agreement, rather than just drop bombs and flex our superpower as a superpower.
In my opinion, it is wrong to call ourselves either a Christian or Peaceful Nation. Merely because we are not one.
I would call it a “Free Nation.” I think we are somewhat too free. Things like Columbine seem to always happen because of way too much freedom. Kids have the freedom of humiliating others to the point of where they go “crazy.” These “crazy” people have way too much freedom to where they can go to a local gun store to buy a gun/ammunition…Columbine.
This is a problem, this American idea of freedom is gone way too far, and without further limitations, people will exercise this right even further.
This is why we do not have the right to call ourselves a Christian or Peaceful Nation, because these actions are not peaceful, or christian.
Should American really be considered a Christian nation? This is a hard question to answer, but looking at the definition of Christian, many people get it confused and think Christian means “believing in Christ.” However, it truly means being a follower of Christ. ” We should do as Christ would do, and we know that Christ would not use or own a gun. Yet in our country, more and more guns are made and purchased daily. Everybody wants us to have a peaceful nation, and we definitely do not have a peaceful nation now, mostly because we have the highest rate of gun related murders in the world, and until that goes down, and less guns are used, purchased or made we are not going to be a peaceful or truly Christian nation.
I don’t think that we can consider ourselves a Christian nation, because not everyone in America is Christian. We have many other religions in America. However, I do find it ironic that Christians rationalized their addiction to guns and violence. Christians are supposed to follow in Jesus’ example and be peaceful. Some may say it is for self defense, but in my opinion, keeping a loaded gun in your house isn’t necessary. That’s why there are police officers, locks, and alarms. Keeping a loaded gun in your house isn’t considered peaceful at all.
I do not believe that we can consider ourselves a peaceful nation. There are some peaceful people in the nation, but that doesn’t mean we are a peaceful nation. There’s too much violence going on now. Everyday you can turn on the news and there will be a new murder, kidnapping, suicide, etc. We are a very violent and destructive nation, and I do not think that we can rationalize our behavior at all.