Guns Are Not the Real Problem

The heart of America broke again on 7/20/2012. Friday morning we awoke to unfathomable tragedy. This Summer, Colorado’s endured its fair share of heartache. First, wildfires destroyed scores of homes and devoured thousands of acres of land. And now the citizens of the Centennial State reel as they learn more about the gunman who sprayed bullets through a crowded movie theater, striking 70, killing 12. Currently, families and friends of the victims, and our entire Country struggles to comprehend the senseless violence. We mourn with Aurora, Co and lift her city up in prayer….

Within hours, Mayor Bloomberg challenged President Obama and presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, to voice their plans to curb the proliferation of guns. And while the bodies of the deceased lay strewn in Theater Number 9, a debate over the Second Amendment ensued.

Though Liberals castigate gun owners and Conservatives celebrate the “right to bear arms,” both ignore the spiritual reason for mass murder and any other heinous crimes.

Guns are not the problem.  Evil exists.

Unfortunately we live in a world that propagates the ideology of moral relativism. Moral relativism teaches that absolute right and wrong only exist in the simpleminded. Simply put, moral relativism subscribes to the idea that what is right and wrong for me may not be right and wrong for you. These moral differences oftentimes stem from cultural and religious variances. However, once again, people who embrace the philosophy of moral relativism ignore the teachings of the Bible. God’s Word proclaims moral absolutes, but many ignore Scripture, claiming the book outdated and irrelevant.

Legal analysts speculate the Colorado killer plans to play the insanity card, and maybe schizophrenia or a similar mental illness plagues shooter James Holmes. But guns are not the real problem.  The real problem our Country ignores is the issue of sin. Sin effects us all. The Bible states, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” And though humanity tends to sort sins into small and big categories, God lumps all sin into the class of evil. Sadly, many in our society ignore God’s holiness and His view of the sin nature.

Today’s American society breeds a culture of immorality. Television shows champion homosexuality and shacking up. Out of fear of offending people, we soften the term adultery to “having an affair.” TV dramas and movies gracing the big screen aim for the shock factor. Gratuitous sex and graphic violence splash across the big screens and movie enthusiasts empty their wallets to support Hollywood’s landfill of immorality. Game programmers vie for the hearts of our kids and insist on creating software laden with raunchy and violent themes. With all of the entertainment industries bombarding us with immorality and violence, no wonder our society’s heart hardens and grows numb to recognizing the sanctity of the gift of life.

And therein lies the problem.

Our culture shies away from labeling anything sacred for fear of insulting those who steer clear of all things “religious.” But since nothing’s deemed sacred, no wonder those intent on abusing, raping, and killing skulk in the shadows, stalking their next victim.

No, the problem’s not guns. It’s a sin problem, and until America rights her moral ship, the spiritual holes being plugged by everything but Christ will continue to spring leaks, flooding America with calamitous consequences.

Our only recourse?

Returning to God.