In my recent email broadcast entitled “Boys at Work and Play,” I make the case that not all violence is sinful. Some violence, in fact, is obedience to God. My article stated:

From time to time, Vision Forum receives letters from well-intentioned Christians concerned that we would advocate training boys to be hunters, defenders, and protectors of the home. The opposition to hunting is usually rooted in evolutionary assumptions about the nature of animal life and its relationship to human life (for a response to this line of thinking, see my article on “Fluffy Bunnies”). The opposition to weapons and defense of others is Anabaptist in origin. This view maintains that Jesus changed the rules so that violence against evil is now morally wrong. To reach this conclusion, its proponents posit a radical disconnect between Old and New Testament which includes a God whose standards have changed. It also means that there must be a distinction between the training of men in the Old Testament and that of the New. They assume that it was fine and well for Abraham to send his household to physically battle in defense of his family, but it is a sin for New Testament believers to do the same. They believe that the manhood training of David as a young boy with actual weapons may have been fine then, but would now be unacceptable

At Vision Forum, we disagree. In our view, God’s vision for manhood in the Old Testament is the same as His vision in the New Testament. It is a vision which includes strong, self-sacrificing defenders of women and children with a manly resolve to take action when action is necessary. Not all violence is evil. It is violent to kill an animal, but such violence can be pleasing to God when it is done to provide for one’s home. It is violent to physically prevent a would-be murderer from killing an innocent, but police officers and those who appropriately use violence in defense of others should sleep well at night knowing they have acted consistent with God’s Holy Word. Of course, Jesus Himself will return to earth someday with a sword and bring great violence on all who oppose Him.

The God who “teacheth my hands to war” expects that men will learn the difference between ungodly and godly violence. There is a difference between training boys to be wrongfully violent and training them to be defenders of the home. The difference is found, not so much in the tools we set before our children, but the vision, the mission, and the supervision we give to our children, especially as they use these tools. The tools do matter, but the vision for the tools is the defining issue. To put it another way, a slingshot can be used to persecute little animals for no good reason whatsoever, or it can be used to develop precision skills which will enable a son to better take dominion over the family homestead by ridding it of pests.
In response to this we received some of the following letters:

Dear Doug and Staff,
Thank you for providing the material for us to raise our families as we believe God intended. I can’t articulate the immense pride and joy that I am feeling just knowing that there are these resources, coupled with scripture that will not only equip me but also encourage me to raise my boys to be manly men, Godly men.
Regards, The B. Family

Bless You B. Family. Thanks for your encouragement! DWP

Vision Forum, I disagree with your arguments and am surprised that “literal” interpretists of the Bible would try to convince anyone that Jesus didn’t REALLY mean “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” And it is ridiculous to assign evolutionary thinking to those who see the cruelty in hunting animals for “fun.” There’s no way Jesus would have even thrown a rock at a squirrel, let alone whipped out a slingshot and picked one off. God counts the sparrows, remember? Please don’t send me any more of this. J. W.

Dear J. W.

First, you will note from my article that I oppose torturing or abusing animals. Killing, whether with bow and arrow, slingshot or something else, does not have to be abusive or torturous. Hunting for fun is legitimate as long as there is a biblical “dominion” orieinted goal in mind. That dominion goal might be animal husbandry, training, or provision for food, clothing and shelter. Aniumals are resouces to be used by man for the glory of God.

Your statement “God counts the sparrows” is irrelevent to the issue of hunting. God also counts the sheep and the doves, but he commended their execution for temple sacrifice. You argue that Jesus would not throw a rock at a squirrel. What is your Scriptural basis for such a statement? Jesus not only called for the violent removal of thousands of fish from their natural habitat, but he ordered their execution for the simple goal of feeding a bunch of hungry Hebrews on a hillside.

Dear Vision Forum
You and I are on the same wave length regarding boys, masculinity, weapons, and manhood. However, please do not overlook the following. As an ophthalmologist, an eye surgeon, having treated the devastating consequences of ricocheting (or directly aimed) slingshot, bow and arrow, and toy gun (dart and BB) injuries, P L E A S E provide safety glasses <(PMMA) safety glasses> as part of all orders of these sight threatening weapons. These clear safety glasses can be provided for about $7.00 each and do protect the frontal and sides of the eyes. Remember the medical dictum, “Primo non nocerum”, or “First, do no harm.” If requested, I can help you obtain large quantities of these safety glasses if you do not have a source.
Sincerely, S.N, M.D.

Dear Doctor, Well said. Thank you for this wise counsel. Doug

Dear Sirs,

You have done a good job of describing reformed theology relative to Christians and war, etc. You apparently do not have an accurate understanding of our beliefs as Anabaptists. The “radical disconnect” between the Old and New Testaments was made by Jesus himself, not by us. “You have heard... but I say unto you...” Of course, Jesus will some day return with a sword but for now “vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord.”

For us to argue would not be profitable. You are defending a particular ideology and we another. The two ideologies are not reconcilable. They were incompatible from the days of the Reformation and will remain so. We appreciate your emphasis on integrity and virtue. We believe that God rewards His principles where they are honored. We agree that America is in serious spiritual decline. We want to be part of revival if God should grant it. Meanwhile we will quietly try to be a “city set on a hill” and “light” no under a bushel. We attempt to show the love of Christ to the country and the world by meeting needs in times of natural disasters. We want to thereby show that we are children of our “Father in Heaven who makes His sun to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.” It is our attempt to live Kingdom values here and now so the “world” can see what God’s Kingdom should be. For the Mennonites, Amish and Brethren among you, F. R.

Dear Frank:

While we do have a fundemantal difference in our hermeneutical view of Scripture, a difference that leads us to take very different paths on questions of the defense of the innocent, our family and our homeland, as well as our broader view of the Christian’s duty within culture and societry, I believe that the “Reformed” community has much to learn from the Anabaptists on the issues of the practical aspects of covenant living, at least in terms of the laudable community spirit of helps and one-anothering which is a strength of the Mennonites, the Amish and the Brethren. Having grown up near a Beechy Amish community, read much of the literature of the Anabaptist movement, and counted many of the members of the local community my friends, I have always found that my strong theological disagreement with your view of Scripture, in no way diminishes my appreciation for my Anabaptist friends. I will continue to preach against what I believe to be serious error. I know you and your brethren will do the same. May God help all of is in a spirit of humility to grow closer in the Truth, and to show increasingly greater love for one another in Christ, during this process.

Yours in Christ, Doug

Dear Vision Forum,
I just wanted to say how thankful I am for your views on boys and girls. My children do not hunt, but they have genuine hand-made recurve bows and arrows. We take them to a range a few times a week. My son also has a replica sword that he practices “fighting” with. We have gotten a lot of strange comments about allowing him to have “weapons”, but as mentioned, if boys are taught correctly the “weapons” are a learning process. My son would like to learn how to fence, but its almost impossible to find schools that teach this. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for your stand. My son’s plans are to enter the Air Force and go into law. L.H.