Praise the Lord -- and Pass the Ammunition

Yet another church shooting, this time at a Unitarian congregation in Knoxville, and yet another chance to ask: Where is the religious community's voice on gun control? The numbers are staggering: 30,000 Americans die each year from gun violence, but gun control has not emerged as a significant agenda item for faith-based organizations, even though the massacres seem to get worse--look at the Valentine's Day shooting at Northern Illinois University and the April 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 people dead in the worst case of gun violence in U.S. history.

Moreover, religious organizations, specifically churches, seem increasingly vulnerable. This WorldNetDaily piece lists the number of church shootings in the last couple of years, most notably the December 2007 shootings at a missionary training center near Denver and a well-known megachurch, New Life Church in Colorado Springs, which left four people dead. (The gunman was stopped by an armed guard.)

The problem, of course, is that many view the Second Amendment with reverence that surpasses even the First Amendment, or their reverence for Holy Writ, and polls show that while the public is still supportive of some gun control laws, Americans are increasingly against further restrictions. (Check out this ReligionLink edition for other facts about the issue, and links to pro-gun Christian groups--among them my favorite, as a Catholic, the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, a group that promotes self-defense through gun ownership and is named after a Catholic seminarian in Italy whose "marksmanship and proficiency with handguns single-handedly saved" a village from a band of nationalist soldiers in 1860.)

Most faith groups have statements endorsing some form of gun control, but insiders will tell you that liberal religious groups don't see the issue as a winner, while conservatives don't want it to distract attention from their pro-life campaigns. One of the best initiatives out there is the God Not Guns Coalition, a project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The coalition held its first nationwide "God Not Guns Sabbath" in September 2007.

Some will accuse advocates of gun control of "playing politics" with tragedies like the one in Knoxville, much as was done after Virginia Tech. As if such episodes should cause us to keep quiet rather than speak out. Trying to draw conclusions from actors and their targets is perilous; the Knoxville shooter was apparently a down and out fellow who was angry at liberals--odd, as liberal policies may have been his best chance--but in all these cases we are dealing with psychologically unstable people. Access to guns is the problem. (I wonder how many will highlight the Knoxville case as an example of anti-religious bias in the U.S., as was done with the Colorado shootings.)

Barack Obama is of course "gun shy" after his comments about "bitter" working class types and guns and religion--and his moderated reaction to the landmark US Supreme Court gun ruling last June (The District of Columbia v. Heller) shows he is, probably wisely, not about to make gun control a campaign issue.

But that doesn't mean religious organizations shouldn't be more vocal, or give him cover (so to speak). Instead, religious leaders--generally with the exception of inner-city congregations--would rather ignore the issue. Others, like the leadership of New Life Church in Colorado, say the shootings show why churches should have armed guards and congregants should pack heat. Not what Jesus would do, I think.

Comments

[muffinman2]

Another shooting in a 'Gun Free Zone'. Imagine that.

Gun free zones are only gun free until somebody brings a gun. A cardboard sign never kept a gun out of anywhere.

And let's not forget what happened when this was tried at a church in Colorado last year, that turned out not to be a 'gun free zone. Armed parishiner , Ms. Jeanne Assam, shot the murder-bent miscreant to death before he had a chance to murder more than 3 people.

[montestruc]

For what it is worth, though none of the congregation was armed, they did have courageous members who did not shrink from taking direct violent action to defend themselves and their children.

One man took nearly all the first blast of the shotgun and others took on that man who was armed with a shotgun barehanded, and took it away from him and held him down till the police came.

That is how violent people intent on murder must be dealt with, you do not stop people intent on the murder of the innocent with sweetness and light, nor should people shrink from taking violent action to protect the innocent. That is part of the heritage of the Unitarian church which, as you noted in the website you linked, always stood for the rights of the underdog, such as the rights of blacks during the '50s and '60s and in more recent times for the rights of gays and lesbians. That has included getting into altercations and being arrested.

My opinion is that if human beings have any rights at all they have the right to defend themselves against unprovoked attacks such as this was, and consequently have the right to the means to defend themselves, which includes a right to bear arms.

I am well aware that not all Unitarians agree on this matter, but most will respect the right of others to disagree peacefully.

[KRob]

"Others, like the leadership of New Life Church in Colorado, say the shootings show why churches should have armed guards and congregants should pack heat. Not what Jesus would do, I think."

Really, you think? So, what scriptures do have to back that claim? Any? Have you actually read the Bible to know what Jesus expects of his followers? How about Luke 22:36? Jesus, at the Last Supper, flat out commands His followers "¦if you don"t have a sword, sell your coat and buy one."

Oh, and His apostles replied "Lord, look, here are two swords." At least two of the apostles were armed at the Last Supper.

[WalterHiggins]

"...Not what Jesus would do, I think."

.Luke 22:36 Jesus: "...whoever does not have one should sell his cloak and buy a sword."

Back then, the sword was the "assault weapon" of it's day.

[montestruc]

I am and was raised Unitarian. I think your use of this tragedy for political purposes stinks.

[Caddisfly]

Guns and religion....so how's that working itself out in the middle east?

[MajorKong]

So why hasn't this politically motivated crime being treated as a case of domestic terrorism? I suspect it would be if a muslim had shot up a synagogue.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

Because the "domestic terrist" boogyman is only taken out when the government feels like terrorizing the general public into accepting fascist, unconstitutional laws.

[Tao21Zen]

"yet another chance to ask: Where is the religious community's voice on gun control?"

how about we start by asking the congregation whose lives were saved by Jeannie Assam at New Life Church in Colorado.

This really isn't a hard concept to grasp. Gun control laws do not stop those seeking to harm others who are unwilling to obey the law. What these laws do is prevent innocent prey from having the means to defend themselves.

Studies have show far more uses of firearms each year to save lives than to take lives, yet anti-gunners want to cling to the idea that all of society's violence will end with more gun control laws. News flash: There was violence before crime and there would still be violence without guns.

[Thirdpower]

Yes Mr. Gibson, let's talk about the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, which left four people dead. (The gunman was stopped by an armed guard.)

That "Armed Guard" was a private member of the congregation that had developed it's own security force. , not a hired outside agency.

Let's talk about VT. The school banned CCW holders to let others "feel safe". The state FAILED in its duty to report the shooters condition.

Let's talk about NIU. The shooter took advantage of another Brady Endorsed "gun free zone" and the failure of the authorities to investigate his background as is the law.

Let's talk about the "Gods not Guns" agenda. They intentionally try to demean firearm owners and present false information to sway people to their side. Would you like evidence for this? I can provide it from their own site.

I know of several churches that are quietly creating their own security force. I guess they are real Christians to you , eh?

[HeevenSteven]

I understand this guy used a shotgun. I don't know of any gun laws proposed that would take shotguns away from citizens, and even if he'd bought it at Walmart instead of a pawn shop, and registered his name and address, what would that change?

[mikeb302000]

I wrote about this yesterday: "The problem seems to be when these lethal weapons get into the wrong hands, whether those are the hands of a ghetto drug addict or an unhinged right wing bigot, we've got trouble. I say the fewer guns the better."
http://mikeb302000.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/domestic-terrorism/

[molonlabe]

Wanna show us, you know, with actual statistics, where gun control has REDUCED instances of violent crime?

DC? Nope.
Chicago? Nope.
The UK? Nope. (actually considering banning kitchen knives).
NJ? Nope.
"Gun free zones" (Columbine, NIU, Lancaster, Utah mall, etc...)? Nope.

Being able to prove your point is key to credibility.

Oh yeah, nice ad hominem attack too. Typical.

[BlackJAC]

What's funny is that there are blue laws in both Massachusetts and South Carolina mandating that one attend church armed. Also, in Corsica it's common to discharge shotguns during Mass.

[BigRube]

I tell you what Mr. Gibson. If you can get rid of violent crime ( witch you don't have a gun to do) I might give up my guns. Until that happens don't even think about taking my guns.

[lisakaz2]

What happened to the notion that gun violence in a house of God is sacrilege or blasphemy? I though it desacreded a church? Why is no clergyman talking about THAT???

[muffinman2]

Because the lunatic who would bring a gun to church in order to murder a bunch of people, wouldn't care.

[MrJoyboy]

Gun advocates want all guns legal, even automatic weapons. They say that criminals and kooks would kill even if they had no access to guns. But could these criminals and kooks take out 40 to 50 people in a crowd in seconds with just a few bursts from an AK-47? Their logic is absurd.

[Dfwwalker]

Timothy McVeigh -- 168 people died

World Trade Center/Pentagon Attacks 9-11-2001 - 2,974 dead

World Trade Center Attack 1993 - 6 dead, 1042 injuried.

[djkrlsn]

And not a single firearm used in any of them.

[Poli]

Well, taking out 40 to 50 people is much easier when there is gun control in place to deny lawful citizens the right to be able to protect themselves and the kooks of course will never obey any kind of laws.

Most criminals are not willing to risk their lives to commit their crimes, and for those that are only lethal force such as armed self defense will save and protect innocent life.

[Thirdpower]

And what "gun advocates" would those be? Can you provide evidence?

[gdogs]

As usual an anti-gun individual showing their ignorance. You might want to know that automatic weapons are legal, providing you go through the proper procedures and buy a weapon manufactured prior to 1986. It's expensive and a major hassle, but not impossible or illegal.

And to answer Thirdpower's question... ME. Although I don't have a problem with thorough and even excessive requirements for ownership, I do believe that the average law abiding citizen has the right to own a fully automatic weapon, and should be able to purchase one on a modest income, rather than having to be a millionaire.

[muffinman2]

"Their logic is absurd."

Our logic comes from greater knowledge than your own.

As has been pointed out, fully automatic weapons are legal, in most states (not NJ, of course). One must apply for a Class 3 weapons license, undergo major scrutiny (not the usual background check), and purchase a Federal Tax Stamp. He then has the privilege of paying 10x what the weapon is actually worth. A $1500 semi-automatic AR15, becomes a $15,000 M16. And, ammo is quite expensive.

Criminals can't withstand the background check, and they don't pay retail, so I wouldn't sweat the machine guns.

[MrJoyboy]

Look, if Jesus had a gun when the Romans came for him, or if his disciples had guns, things might've turned out different. He was just lucky that he could come back to life.