Hello Mr. Latimer, I noticed your response to M.E.’s question regarding Christianity and Self Defense on Friday, November 21st; while I thought you provided good information, I noticed that there was another article on Survivalblog called “The Survivalist Mindset: A Biblical Case for Preparedness and Self-Defense” by Brian D. that may also be helpful to readers.
Hello Mr. Latimer, I have been engaged in a lot of discussions lately about gun rights, and I have noticed that many of my more liberal friends who still identify as Christian always bring up the “turn the other cheek” verse from Scripture to defend their anti-gun stance. Instinctively I know I have a moral obligation to defend my children against attackers with whatever force necessary, but I’d love to have cogent scriptural exegesis on this issue at my fingertips. Do you know of a good resource for me to study? I appreciate your help! – M.E. Hugh Responds: Perhaps …
Hello, my name is J, and I’m a recovering feminist. Sure, that may sound like a joke, but I am being completely honest and forthright when making that statement. In this article, I will explain my background and rational for this topic of choice as well as clearly spell out seven survival tips for the die-hard feminist. These tips can be put into action right now. It is my hope that at least one die-hard feminist will read this article and consider prudently preparing for the unexpected now. You may ask yourself, what the heck does feminism have to do …
Hugh,First, I believe the statement is false. Conservatives have been in the forefront of the efforts to stop ObamaCare, gun control, confiscatory taxes, Common Core, federal government growth, et cetera. Conservatives have been the leaders in the efforts to promote home schooling, protect the right to work, and organize Tea Party events. On what planet do these efforts to protect liberty by conservatives constitute allowing the “government to do anything it wants, even if its conduct is violent.”? Second, I believe most of SurvivalBlog.com readers are conservatives, not libertarian-anarchists like Hornberger. Don’t believe me? Just start running articles as to …
One of the many great lessons I have read over and over in this blog is that practice makes perfect. This can apply to any skill set one wishes to consider. I would like to stress the word “read” in the last sentence; reading does not equate to learning, and often in our human hubris we decide that if we think about it, we know it. I think one of the most potent sins the father of lies enjoys tempting us with is the sin of pride. Without going on a diatribe of theological concepts on pride (and I’ve heard …
You have a biblical right to self-defense. In a life and death situation, you should know that God says it’s okay. This can prove extremely difficult for Christian believers that respect life so much that they don’t want to take it, even when it means it’s necessary to preserve it. The Natural Right to Self Defense Boiled down to its simplest level, every creature on the planet has the natural right to use whatever means necessary to defend itself. Life feeds on life. Nature is brutal and doesn’t show mercy. Wolves eat their larger prey hind end first while the …
Hugh, I am a pastor in eastern Washington. I spent most of the early evening calling every Christian I know to relate an urgent e-mail request I received for prayer originating from northern Iraq, where a team of volunteers were reporting the taking of their city by ISIS. They were witnessing the systematic beheading of children and known Christians. They were asking for God’s help and strength not to run. After exhausting my address book and spending time on my face, I felt that I should go to SurvivalBlog, as I have done daily for some time. When I saw …
Dear HJL, I read your response about felons and their ability, or lack thereof, to have firearms. I am surprised by your response. Personally, I think there are some crimes that are beyond the pale of civil society. For me this would be sexual predators, murderers, and traitors. They have not only attacked and destroyed, but they have also shown a total disregard for people and citizenship. So we want them to have a gun legally to protect themselves? You mean to protect themselves from other felons like themselves? Let’s be honest here. They are going to have a gun …
Infants and Toddlers Obtaining sleep is critical, and one wailing baby in the night can have devastating effects on everyone’s ability to make sound judgments and work cohesively the next day. We eventually learned (the hard way) the value of training babies to sleep in many conditions, whether alone in a bed or sharing bed or tent space, in an atmosphere of quiet, or in an atmosphere of chaos. We often used a sound machine that had several different sounds on it, and made sure there were some nights without it, so they would not become dependent on the noise …
The very first writing prize on this blog was awarded to an article titled “Preparing Your Children”, which explored the mindset and general principles of nurturing our children to become responsible adults who can survive and thrive in a post-collapse setting. This article will guide readers away from the general to the specific, exploring, in detail, easy-to-implement principles and activities that parents can begin to apply now, regardless of their children’s ages and stages, to the nitty-gritty details of raising our children day to day. As a homeschooling family with several children, we aimed to raise our kids to love …
This is the final portion of the three-part article, outlining ways to embark on a prepping journey with a prepping-adverse spouse. The list of suggestions continues below: Use Current Events as a Springboard for Purchases Many non-preppers don’t give much thought to the future, and they only see the need to prepare while they are in the eye of the storm. Use mini-emergencies or news stories to support purchases and advanced preparation. That latest tornado warning is a reason to get a weather radio. The cell tower outage is a reason to develop a family communication plan. The energy tax …
Today, we continue the second portion of this three part article. Yesterday, we read that the purpose of prepping is to take care of your closest loved ones with wisdom and protection, not to hurt them and drive them away. Prepping should make your life better in the long run, not worse. If you are hitched to a spouse, here are my continued suggestions for embarking on your prepping journey: Don’t Play Tug-of-War Over Prepping or Anything Else; Instead, Negotiate This is human nature at its most counter-productive, but it is hard to identify when the tug-of-war begins to happen. …
Could there be a greater, more important survival topic than building a stronger marital union, which is the bedrock of civilization? This topic reminds me of a young man I once spoke with. He noticed a young lady and heard the Lord telling him that she was to marry him. Even though he barely knew her, he intended to declare God’s will to her, go to the altar, check off the wife box on his bucket list, and move on, clueless to the reality that winning her is a journey. I counseled him that he was trying to barge in, …
Our faith influences our actions and course in life; our understanding of that faith can change the course of both action and life. If we are not careful, we will passionately study one rail on our train track, with lesser attention to the other rail; the result is not only fighting within our self, wasted energies, and veering off course but also a potentially significant train wreck, instead of efficient stewardship. It is not my intention here to sway you to one prophetic view or another, and I won’t even mention here what mine is, other than to say that …
Hugh, I appreciate this discussion, but it also frustrates me, because the head of my household thinks preparing beyond a few day’s worth is all hype and hysteria. I have put up a number of provisions but am unable to make many of the prudent improvements to our home for physical and energy security. I take my vows seriously, but this tears at me because I know we will likely suffer needlessly when, not if, it all comes apart. (Money is not an issue for us.) I would truly appreciate your wisdom on this “opposite” issue that I’ve never seen …
