Small but growing bands of Americans are arming themselves and learning how to kill because they are convinced that the twenty-first century will bring chaos, and they will have to fend for themselves to survive. A clue to the enormity of this impending cataclysmic upheaval can be found by examining the lucrative survival supplies business. To some degree we are all survivalists. We work to provide food, clothing, and shelter for ourselves and our families. The medical profession is dedicated to the survival of human beings.
Farmers produce food to make it possible for everyone else to survive.
Even the Bible writers commanded us to labor diligently in order to survive in difficult times. Paul uses strong language to correct the idea that Christians can neglect the material needs of their families and still be in the will of God. The greatest concern expressed by born-again Christians is its preoccupation with paramilitarism. Many survivalists are armed to the teeth and are continually working on their marksmanship, fully expecting to someday use their weapons on other people. The spread of survivalism is creating a potentially volatile situation, with scores of people willing to fight for what each thinks is vital to survival.