Very well said, and very important. And yet, government does have a role to play here:PeterG wrote:It's hard to argue with this. Gun control is a superficial measure at best, and can't address the root of gun violence.
It's funny how conservative arguments against gun control and liberal arguments in favor of marijuana legalization are basically the same. And they're both sort of right. No government's attempts to control guns, drugs, pornography, abortion, sexual immorality, etc. can be successful on a deep level. It's strange how some believe that greed can be controlled through taxation, while criminalization of drug use is futile; or that gun control won't stop violence, but outlawing gay marriage will promote morality.
Not that a libertarian utopia would truly be any better. That individualistic vision is deceptive in its own way, and still predicated on the lie that a proper political structure is the foundation of the good society.
Government can never be more than government. But that's not nothing.Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.