The Idolatry of the NRA
“Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me….The ox knows its owner…but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Isaiah 1:2-3
Gun violence prevention (GVP) is primarily a theological issue. Why? Because our actions in life flow out of our core beliefs, our priorities, whatever we yield authority. As Christians we yield authority to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit. We are captive to the Word. Therefore, our actions towards GVP are directed by God’s Word.
We can conclude the NRA is not directed by God’s Word, but by an ideology, “idolatry” contrary to the Word. In his book, GUN CRUSADER: THE NRA’S CULTURE WAR, sociologist Scott Melzer writes: “The NRA has cranked up the fear meter to 11….The NRA stresses one existential threat after another.” Masculinity is threatened by women’s and minority rights. Men are victims. Men need to stand up to anything that threatens. If the government threatens their civil rights, be prepared to resist with guns. “If there aren’t threats, the NRA is likely to lose members.” One NRA member says: “Whenever I get pissed off at the government, I go out and buy a gun.” The NRA are the “freedom fighters” to guarantee that America can be great.
The NRA has made guns its idol, its guarantor of freedom, its fear eliminator, its justifier of violence, its life source. The NRA has rebelled against God and do not understand God’s will. The NRA has become an idol to itself.
(To read Scott Melzer’s full comments, go to: www.thetrace.org)