The Duty to Defend

 This week, The Armed Lutheran has a very important podcast on the The Duty To Defend. First, Lloyd points out that the duty of men primarily, but women secodarily, to defend not only themselves but especially their children is firmly grounded in Scripture. To fail to do so is to spit on God's great gift. Indeed, when people are denied the right to arms by laws and policies that disarm people at, for example, airports outside of the security zones, or even whole cities or states, governments run counter to God's purpose and plan.

But then Lloyd offers what I think is the best take on the recent implosion of the submarine Titan at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Lloyd is not concerned that these men had great wealth, nor is God. What concerns Lloyd is that one of the passengers took his 19 year old son along with him, despite the fact that the trip required him to sign off that he understood the great risk of death it represented. He selfishly took that risk that was not justified by the potential reward, and also convinced his son to go as well, thus failing in both the duty to defend his own life and that of his son.  It is a tragedy, 

We, who carry, must pray each day that we will not ever have to use our weapons in anger.  To take a life is a terrible thing to contemplate.  But we must nevertheless be prepared.  Actually, the world would be safer if more people carried, even though they also pray never to have to use it.  One has a fire extinguisher, though one doesn't hope for a fire.  One has life insurance though one doesn't hope to die.  So it is with a gun.  One more thing one carries until Christ comes again.