Evil Is Real

 Perhaps you have wondered why I have not posted much lately.  The truth is two fold.  First, I have been busy with other things.  One realizes that continuing to read all the news sites can become an idol in itself and take a person's focus away from God.  But the other thing is that most news sites have become about the presidential race.  One side tries to scare you that Trump is evil incarnate and will become a dictator for life, while at the same time attempting to convince you that Harris has moderated or abandoned positions she has held for years in the last three weeks.  Either she really has no core positions, or she is lying.  Trump on the other hand, while I personally feel is the best candidate right now, has all too human flaws.  In the end, it is about two different world views.

But this has always been a gun blog first.  Yes, I want all the rights and privileges afforded by our Constitution.  But they depend, ultimately, on the Second Amendment.  But even here, we see the horse race intruding, as Harris has stated she wants to severely restrict our Second Amendment rights.  According to one world view, we need the Second Amendment because people are basically sinful.  According to the other, we don't because people are basically good.  Today, Tom Knighton at Bearing Arms has a piece entitled Sorry, But Evil Actually Is Real and Banning Guns Won't Make It Go Away.  You can guess which world view Knighton takes.

The idea that every person born is born into sin was one that the ancient Israelites believed. Psalm 51:5:

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin did my mother conceive me."

Saint Augustine systematized this belief as "original sin" brought about by the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Of course, people are capable of evil acts all on their own. Rarely, people may be under demonic possession, which also exists. But in any case, calling evil by its name - and murder is evil - does not in any way "dehumanize" the perpetrator.  For he invites the devil into his heart.

Too many people, including those who claim to be Christian, have the belief that people are basically good, and this despite all the evidence around them. This belief in the goodness of people affects many policy positions they take, including about guns. Such is the case with D'Anne Witowski at Pride Source* entitled Evil Isn't Real. Guns and Murder Are. Yet Republicans Do Nothing. But, we know that murders are committed with pretty much anything that can be used as a weapon including hands and feet. Are we to ban hands and feet?

I don't intend to quote any of Witowski's piece, as the entire article is specious. based as it is on false premises. You can read it if you want. But I would ask that you read Knighton's article. which closes with:

It's. The. People.

People are the problem, and until and unless we address that issue, we're just going to have more and more events like the Apalachee High School shooting. Vance at least upping school security to try and minimize the risk to our kids. The author and Kamala Harris just want to punish people who did nothing wrong.

If you ask me, that's downright evil in and of itself.

Exactly

*The fact that the publication calls itself Pride Source