Shooting Back – With a Gun
Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. Proverbs 25:26
It must have been horrific but he shot back.
The St. James Massacre
The St. James Massacre happened in a church in Cape Town, South Africa in 1993. 11 members of the congregation were killed and 58 wounded. It could have been more but there was one man in the congregation, Charl Van Wyk, who was carrying a weapon. He shot back chasing the terrorists from the scene.
The man with the gun had been trained in the military. He understood the threat as shots were fired from assault rifles and hand grenades landed in laps of innocent worshipers. He hit one of the assailants as they fled.
Some supported him and others thought it was wrong for a Christian to shoot back. Mr. Van Wyk had, and would still have, no problem defending his family or any innocent victims.
Why Carry?
It seems that most of the times we hear about someone shooting his own weapon he is the perpetrator of the crime, not the defender of the innocent. This has caused me to be skeptical of those who carry weapons. After reading “Shooting Back,” by Mr. Van Wyk, I finally get it. It is not just a right of Christians; it is our responsibility to protect the innocent, especially for a man to protect his family.
A few verses he quoted and taught in the book that convinced me are these: Exodus 22:2; Proverbs 25:26; Nehemiah 4:14; Luke 22:36; 1 Timothy 5:8.
Please read them and consider how they apply to the current citizen’s right to carry a gun to protect his/her own family and other innocent people.
Many think this is the responsibility of the government. So far, this doesn’t seem to be working out to well where it is law. Passing laws making schools and churches “gun free zones” only prohibits the law-abiding citizen from protecting themselves from the criminal mind who disregards all law. I have to wonder if the principals or teachers of Columbine High School or Sandy Hook Elementary had had a weapon, could even one life have been spared?
Many may think that because Mr. Van Wyk was in South Africa where things are much worse than they are here, that his experience does not apply to us. As Christians it would appear that we need to learn from any source we can what happens when we stand by and leave our government unchallenged in passing unbiblical laws about defending ourselves and our families (along with every other area of life that the government dismisses biblical truth).
We have to learn to “shoot back” with the Sword of the Spirit so we will have freedom to protect and be protected as we need it in day to day life.
I cannot convey his message as well as he can.
In Reading
Charl Van Wyk, the man who shot back in Cape Town in 1993 and author of “Shooting Back”, is coming to the Reading area to speak. He will be at Chef Alan’s in West Reading, PA on Tuesday April 21, 2015 for the Mid-Atlantic Reformation Society Meeting. The lecture is at 7 PM and is open to the public. Many of us gather at 6 PM and have dinner together in the restaurant.
Please come hear Mr. Van Wyk teach what he has learned since “Shooting Back.” .
It may be that you can make a good case for having a responsibility to protect others by carrying and possibly using a firearm, but I warn you- do not do so without first learning the weapon and learning the law in any jurisdiction that you may choose to carry that firearm. The gentleman mentioned above hit one of the attackers with his gun, but what if he had hit an innocent bystander? In a crowded theater, the chances of one of your bullets hitting an unintended victim are greatly increased. You need to become expertly familiar with the law, because if you ever have to use that firearm, one of the things you need to consider is that the surviving relatives will probably sue you for wrongful death. Whether or not you successfully defend yourself in court, the costs to you and your family are likely to be high.
Good point Paul! A gun on a person with no knowledge of how to handle it is very bad news. The good news is that there are training opportunities available. I don’t own or carry because I have no idea what to do with any weapon. I do, now, have some understanding of why I know so many who do carry and are trained and continue to train. For the record, Mr. Van Wyk was military trained and skilled.