Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz gave actress and political activist Alyssa Milano a quick Bible study and lesson in self-defense Monday.
After Milano asked where the Bible justifies gun ownership, Cruz provided a direct response from the Scriptures while also reaching to the United States Constitution and American history to demonstrate why self-defense is both morally and biblically sound.

Actress Alyssa Milano attends a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals from serving in any capacity in the U.S. military, in Times Square, in New York City, New York, U.S., July 26, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Milano reached out on Twitter, after responding to a tweet from Texas State Republican Rep. Matt Schaefer. Milano asked, “Can someone cite which passage of the Bible God states it is a god-given right to own a gun. This guy [Schaefer] is clearly owned by the gun lobby.” (RELATED: Alyssa Milano Tweets Photos Of VP Pence, Nazi SS Chief Himmler)
Can someone cite which passage of the Bible God states it is a god-given right to own a gun? This guy is unbelievable and is clearly owned by the gun lobby. #NoRA https://t.co/PxVV1RoV2Z
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 1, 2019
Cruz responded by clarifying the debate to one of the right to self-defense, since firearms did not exist when the Bible was recorded. Cruz noted, It is of course not the right to a modern-day firearm that is God-give but rather the right to Life & the right to Liberty.”
An excellent Q, worth considering carefully w/o the snark of Twitter. It is of course not the right to a modern-day firearm that is God-give but rather the right to Life & the right to Liberty. Essential to that right to life is the right to DEFEND your life & your family. 1/x https://t.co/8pjstMGrGB
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 1, 2019
Cruz then quoted Exodus 22:2 as just one example of Scripture promoting the right to self-defense: “If a thief is caught breaking in at night & is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed.”
2/x The right to self-defense is recognized repeatedly in the Bible, eg Exodus 22:2: “If a thief is caught breaking in at night & is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed.” (Note, though, verse 3 says it IS murder if during daylight (ie, not self-defense).
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 1, 2019
After arguing that the Constitution proclaims the right to bear arms as a prerequisite to preserving liberty of the person, Cruz notes that movements to deprive Americans of their guns have usually been driven by a desire to impede individual freedom. The senator notes that “post Civil War, disarming Black Americans was a critical objective of the KKK, and was memorialized in countless Jim Crow laws … ” (RELATED: Bette Midler Calls Ted Cruz “Spineless,” He Responds With Compliments — And Facts)

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 17: US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) talks with SiriusXM host Julie Mason at The National Air and Space Museum on July 17, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
8/x That’s also why, post Civil War, disarming Black Americans was a critical objective of the KKK, and was memorialized in countless Jim Crow laws—to strip African-Americans of their God-given right to self-defense from violence.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 2, 2019
After delivering his 10-tweet dissertation, Milano said she would like to discuss the gun control debate with Cruz in person. The senator agreed to “to sit down & visit next week … [and] have a civil & positive conversation … ”
I’d be happy to sit down & visit next week about uniting to stop gun violence & about the Constitution. If we can have a civil & positive conversation—in the spirit of 1 Peter 4:8 as you suggest—despite our political differences, that might help resolve the discord in our Nation. https://t.co/YfkB97wAA0
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2019