Stand Your Ground

I agree with the right to own guns and even carry them. I see problems with carrying guns for many people. People who are too impulsive or don't do well under stress should probably not be allowed to carry a gun since they are so deadly. However I know there is no good way to monitor that. And I know that gun fanatics would say that maybe people who are impulsive shouldn't drive cars or use other deadly things as well and to a point, they are right. So the chaos continues.

What I don't agree with are "stand your ground" laws. How can it possibly be moral or humane to shoot someone and kill them when you could have ran away or gotten out of the situation? Especially, as is the case with Zimmerman, since the shooter actually started the altercation. As a counselor, I always think about children and their upbringing since this is what I do day in and out at my job. So much of my work is helping parents improve the quality of their discipline. So to me, this would mean that if you live in a state with a "stand your ground" law, you better teach your children while they are young that if they get bullied, they better run away because if they fight back, even with their fists, they might get shot and killed. In these states, there is no more teaching to not take it when someone harasses you or intimidates you because then they could shoot you. Obviously I don't mean kids will be shot but it starts when they are young. If you teach them to fight back and not take crap now, they could end up like Trayvon Martin when they are 17. Dead.

And I am embarrassed to call myself a Christian when so many Christians I know seem to think that this is an okay decision. I believe that the most important thing about being a Christian is trying to live your life like Christ. It is what I have been taught and what the bible says. 1 John 2:6 "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

I am not one to get on verse citing kicks because I am sure the other side can always come up with their own verses that say it is okay to kill others. Although theirs will probably come from the Old Testament and I believe that when I accepted Christ, I decided to live by the New Testament, not the Old. Although I want to mention one more verse that I try to live by the most. I am not perfect and can admit that I fail on a daily basis when it comes to the Fruits of the Spirit but I believe that when I try my best to live by these principles that I am working towards being like my Saviour.
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Christians should see no reason for a "stand your ground" law because they would be willing to turn the other cheek when there is no weapon involved or they know their life is not in danger OR there is a way to escape the situation. Christians following the fruits of the spirit would GLADLY flee the situation. So I can't judge Zimmerman because I don't know if he runs around calling himself a Christian or not and besides, it is not my place to judge. That is for God and he will have his judgement when his day comes.

So if you publicly claim to be a Christian and also publicly claim to support laws such as this, you may want to ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"