The Biblical Case for Christian Nonviolence

On December 4, 2015, Jerry Falwell, Jr. — the president of Liberty University — stood in front of 10,000 Christian students and faculty members during a weekly chapel service and said, “If more good people had concealed [handgun] carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in.”

Falwell was referencing the terrorist attack that had occurred two days before in which two radicalized Muslims killed fourteen people in San Bernardino, California.

He capped off his speech by letting his audience know that Liberty University — the largest Christian college in the United States — would be offering free concealed handgun license classes to all faculty and students.

In 2014, the Barna Group conducted a research study looking at how Americans and Christians approach the subject of violence. According to their research:

60% of Americans and 57% of practicing Christians agree with the statement,
“I have the right to defend myself, even if it requires violence,”
even though only 11% of those polled thought that Jesus would agree with the statement.

While summarizing the data, the Barna Group concluded,

“Christian opinions about violence look more like that of nonbelievers than what…