Why do Christians want guns?

Guns have become very prominent in Christian circles. People who claim to be pro-life also talk about the importance of carrying guns. Some congregations even advertise gun safety for their members. I find it difficult to understand. How can one believe in the ultimate importance of life on one hand and then purchase a gun for the sole purpose of harming and killing life? And, how can you be pro-life and also pro-war? The only explanation is, the Christianity that we see popularized today is not the type Jesus preached but it is a Nationalistic Christianity, or one that puts the preeminence of America right up there next to being a Christian. It gives the impression that to be a Christian today means that you will also be a strong, patriotic, gun-toting American. When there is a horrible gun massacre in America we begin hearing some say that America needs stronger gun control laws. So that guns only get into the hands of those people who are mentally stable, noncriminal, and otherwise safe to have them; if it could be safe to have a gun on your person. There are plenty of gun accidents in homes where people get shot and sometimes killed from a supposedly unloaded gun or one that is ‘safely’ kept secured. At the same time gun owners appear to say, “No, we need to go out and get more guns.” The argument I hear is, “this massacre could have been stopped or would have been less horrible if the victims had guns to defend themselves.” If you take this reasoning to its logical conclusion, then every American should have a gun and have it with them all the time. I’m sorry, but that takes us back to the Wild West days. In those days everyone took the law into their own hands. I fall on the side of those who believe we should have better gun control laws in America. And the guns should always be under lock and key when not being used. Once again, when you take the words of Jesus and you put them along side of the American Christian Nationalistic statements, it is hard to make sense of this philosophy. Jesus said in Matthew 26:52, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” The simple truth is that if you have a gun and another person has a gun you are likely to use it and somebody is going to die. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:44, “You are to love your enemies.” These statements of the Son of God should supersede all other arguments of gun-toting American Christian Nationalists. There is one fact that is hard to deny: You cannot love someone while you are killing them.