BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian
Beliefs
- Buddhist
- Catholic
- Contemplative
- Evangelical
- General Christian
- Hindu
- Jewish
- Latter-day Saint
- More Voices
- Muslim
- New Visions
- Pagan
- Progressive Christian
Topics
- Religion News
- Food and Religion
- Sports and Religion
- Religious Art
- Religious Music and Entertainment
- Religious Events
- History and Religion
- Style and Religion
- Politics and Religion
- Women in Religion
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion
- Business Finance and Religion
- Careers Workplace and Religion
- Education and Religion
- Family Parenting and Religion
- Health Fitness and Religion
- Home and Religion
- Relationships and Religion
- Technology and Religion
- Travel and Religion
Columnists
- Buddhist Columnists
- Business Finance and Religion Columnists
- Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists
- Catholic Columnists
- Contemplative Columnists
- Education and Religion Columnists
- Evangelists Columnists
- Family Parenting and Religion Columnists
- General Christian Columnists
- Health Fitness and Religion Columnists
- Hindu Columnists
- History and Religion Columnists
- Home and Religion Columnists
- Jewish Columnists
- More Voices Columnists
- Latter Day Columnists
- Muslim Columnists
- New Visions Columnists
- Nonreligious Columnists
- Pagan Columnists
- Politics and Religion Columnists
- Progressive Columnists
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists
- Relationships and Religion Columnists
- Religion News Columnists
- Religious Art Columnists
- Religious Events Columnists
- Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists
- Sports and Religion Columnists
- Style and Religion Columnists
- Technology and Religion Columnists
- Travel and Religion Columnists
- Women in Religion Columnists
Resource Library
- 2026 Calendar
- Library of World Religions
- The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth
- Patheos Answers
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Faith Leaders Database
- Anglican Episcopalian
- Bahai
- Baptist
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Confucianism
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Hinduism
- Holiness and Pentecostal
- ISKCON
- Islam
- Judaism
- Lutheran
- Methodist
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- New Age
- Paganism
- Presbytarian and Reformed
- Protestantism
- Religion Behind the Scenes
- Roman Catholic
- Scientology
- Shia Islam
- Sikhism
- Sufism
- Sunni Islam
- Taoism
- Zen
- See all religions
Research Tools
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- Trending:
- Forgiveness
- |
- Marriage
- |
- Consciousness
- |
- Death Penalty
- |
- Election
- |
- Halloween
Voices of RAWtools: Forging Peace in a World of Violence
- Home
- Progressive Christian
- You Said its a Heart Problem On Ash Wednesday
You Said its a Heart Problem On Ash Wednesday
Last updated on: February 15, 2018 at 7:31 pm by Michael Martin
You Said its a Heart Problem On Ash Wednesday 2018-02-15T19:31:14-06:00 Michael Martin
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
To those who say its a heart problem….
You take a complex issue and simplify it.
You turn gun “control” into the inability to own a gun at the expense of having the ability to own any type of gun and its variations. As much as you can modify your AR-15 with accessories and still have an AR-15, you can modify the responsibility of gun ownership and still own a gun. Background checks do nothing to hurt responsible gun owners. 3-7 day holds do nothing to ruin your already planned hunting trip. Using an FFL to sell your gun to another person does nothing to your inability to sell your gun. In fact, it takes liability away from you.
When you say its a heart issue and not a gun issue, you assume the triggers in our hearts know nothing of the access to guns that is so easily had. You say “this pile of guns” can’t hurt anyone. Well they can’t hunt either, so what’s their use if not to be in your hand? Stop deflecting.
You say its a heart issue. Okay, then we need your help to work to heal our hearts.
If its a heart issue, you need to demand better training for gun owners, with yearly renewals, because we need to train the triggers in our hearts to not be pulled when there is a trigger behind our finger. Tell me why not?
Last week we “celebrated” RAWtools being around for 5 years. It just means we still have gun violence. It means we started because of a school shooting in Connecticut and we’re still here because there was a school shooting in Florida on Valentine’s day. If there is a celebration, its only because there are people supporting action against gun violence between the voting cycles. Like a man who stopped by and said, “I’m former military, and still target shoot, but I love what you all are doing. We need some common sense in this country.” Common sense moves beyond legislation. (His pictures are below.)

When you say its a heart problem, you validate vengeance. When you say its a heart problem you say, “Only a good heart with a gun can stop a bad heart with a gun.” I say a good heart can embrace a “bad” heart with open arms. Because a good heart knows at any moment it can become a bad heart bearing arms. Like when their children are shot and killed in their school cafeteria, library, hallway, or classroom. Who wouldn’t want vengeance? No one can be faulted for that feeling. But when we do unto others as they have done unto us, we look more like mass violence.
So when you say its a heart problem, I’m going to hold you accountable to healing our hearts. We should all hold each other accountable to this.
I happen to think its a gun problem AND a heart problem. I am convinced that Micah (4:3-6) and Isaiah (2:4-6) knew this, too. Turning our swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, and guns into garden tools requires the action from our head, our heart, our soul, and our feet. It requires a new way of life. A way of life that trains for war no more. A way of life that moves us toward a vine and a fig tree. Its a way of life that lays down our guns so we can deal with our hearts.
You said its a heart problem on Ash Wednesday. We’ve had too many Fat Tuesdays and I’m weary of the gluttony of the gun. Its time to give up our guns. And its Lent…’tis the season. And if you really believe its a heart problem, you won’t really care if you own guns or not. If that’s the case, we’d love to turn your gun into a garden tool, for free.
If its a heart problem, the problem is “the good hearts” still want guns. Disarm your heart, it will tell you to lay down your guns.
One earth, as it is in heaven.
Previous Post

December 20, 2017
#HonorWithAction
Next Post

March 28, 2018 Jesus said #Enough on Maundy Thursday
Browse Our Archives
Select a Category Uncategorized
Select a Month December 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 January 2017 November 2016 April 2016 October 2015 April 2015 September 2014 March 2014 January 2014 December 2013
Follow Us!
TAKE THE
Religious Wisdom Quiz
What was Paul’s profession before becoming an apostle?
Select your answer to see how you score.
Fisherman Carpenter Tentmaker Tax Collector
Related posts from Voices of RAWtools: Forging Peace in a World of Violence
Voices of RAWtools: Forging Peace in a World of Violence
The Importance of Self Care - from a...
Voices of RAWtools: Forging Peace in a World of Violence
Voices of RAWtools: Forging Peace in a World of Violence
Voices of RAWtools: Forging Peace in a World of Violence
TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian
Prayer for the Earth, to the Earth
What if we asked the Earth to pray for us? This lyrical...
An Insightful Look at Age-Gap Relationships in Scripture
If you've paid any attention to social media over the past 20...
Was God Silent for 400 Years, or Just...
God’s Global Footprints Across the Ages: How the Creator Has Always Been on...
Brandy Anderson, Team Weird, and Transcending Church
I met author Brandy Anderson on Heretic Happy Hour, when podcaster Keith...
Why Christians Have a Sacred Duty to Vote:...
The Bible offers strong support for the sacred duty to vote. Here...
What Being a Modern-Day Apostle Means to Me
In my last column, I discussed the ins and outs of modern-day...
view all Progressive Christian blogs
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- About Us
- 2026 Calendar
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Library of World Religions
- Faith In Media Tracker
- Advertise With Us
- Write for Us
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Do Not Sell My Data
- Contact Us
- Radiant Digital
- Manage Newsletter Subscriptions
- Unsubscribe From Notifications
- Sitemap
Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.
Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In










