The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on November 19th marked the end of a trial that had dominated mainstream media and cultural conversations for weeks. Many media members on the left responded in widespread frustration, writing articles like, “There’s nothing more frightening in America today than an angry White man”, that feature images of Rittenhouse and of January 6th protestors.
Much of the Right’s response to the Rittenhouse trial was equally unsurprising and disappointing. By making Rittenhouse into a conservative folk hero, the right overlooked the fact that although Rittenhouse had a legal right to self-defense, it is still a bad idea for anyone armed to show up at a violent protest.
While it is easy to get lost in the secular narratives expressed by the political media, Proverbs 18:15 calls Christians to challenge their beliefs by having intelligent hearts that acquire knowledge and wise ears that seek knowledge. With this advice in mind, Christians must understand the scriptural support and modern applications of self-defense.
In Exodus 22:2, Old Testament support for the defense of self and property involving a thief is clearly stated: “If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him.” Verse 3 adds one stipulation: “if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him.” This protects the daytime thief from death by allowing him to be identified and punished by a judge.
However, the distinction of the night-time thief demonstrates a biblical application of self-defense. An altercation with a night-time thief implies malicious intent involving a greater threat that justifies the homeowner’s use of lethal force for self-defense.
The only direct reference of self-defense in the New Testament is in Luke 22. Jesus commands his disciples in verse 36 to carry a money bag, knapsack, and sword. While some commentaries argue that the sword is a figurative term for the importance of being armed spiritually, the literal ownership of the money bag and knapsack signify that the sword also has practical value. Put simply, Jesus was preparing his disciples to defend themselves. Not for a murderous and brutal approach to ministry, but for the potentially life-threatening task of spreading the gospel across the Roman Empire.
Today, Christians should be prepared to utilize self-defense. The bright-line pacifist Christians argue man’s fallen nature leads to self-deception that may result in the improper use of force, but this does not justify complete inaction.
Military service provides an excellent example of this. Augustine argued in the fourth century that “just wars” do exist and may benefit from Christian participation. Thomas Aquinas furthered this idea by adding several requirements: Christians may participate in military service if the war is waged by a legitimate authority, has a just cause, and if they serve with the right intentions.
This creates a gray area where Christians must personally decide what constitutes a just or unjust war and may come to varying conclusions. Nonetheless, Christians do not operate in a societal vacuum. They have obligations to uphold and protect high moral standards for their communities, even if that requires military service.
If military service is conditionally permissible for Christians, logically self-defense must be as well. Protecting one’s community is a demand worthy of Christian action, especially when that community includes the Christian’s fellow church members, neighbors, and family. Between the previously mentioned scripture and the opinions of prominent church leaders, Christians have enough grounding to justify personal self-defense or even conceal carry in public.
Therefore, the only distinction that must be made is the identity of the threat. In military conflicts, another nation’s military is often the threat, but domestically the threat occurs on a more individual level requiring the use of lethal force to innocently defend one’s own family from a thief or murderer.
While every Christian may not come to the same conclusion, it is important for everyone to contemplate self-defense situations. If a Christian determines that self-defense is supported biblically, it is their responsibility to do so in alignment with local laws and regulations regarding gun ownership and self-defense. Most importantly, Christians should not make this decision under the influence of secular media, but by turning to Scripture with intelligent hearts that acquire knowledge with wise ears that seek it.
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the values and beliefs of Cogitare Magazine, nor of Grove City College.
It’s almost like you don’t know anything about the Rittenhouse case or the circumstances surrounding his “self defense”.