According to the Center of Disease Control, 30,000 people die in our country from guns each year. Of these, 12,000 are homicides and 18,000 are suicides. More people die each year in America than in any of the high-income countries of the world. Of the 22 high-income countries, we have 92% of all gun deaths, 90% of all women gun deaths, 91% of all children gun deaths, and 92% of all teen gun deaths. Clearly, the United States is the death by gun capital of the world. Yet the Bible is clear that sanctity of life is extremely important to God—so important that Genesis chapter 9 tells us that God told Noah after the flood preserving life must be of the highest order of human government. God said, “I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. … And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. … For God made human beings in his own image.” Of course it is absolutely imperative that we not take the life of an innocent person. It is equally important that laws be applied impartially, giving the accused poor person access to equal counsel as the rich. We respect the sanctity of life because God holds us accountable.
