Posted on 03/04/2011 4:02:35 AM PST by marktwain
(ABP) -- “It is no longer illegal to carry a gun to church.” Scott Lewis, a Texas community college student, made that point recently as a rationale for his support of pending legislation to allow college faculty, staff and students (above 21 years of age) to carry concealed weapons on campus. He apparently believes that if Texans can bring guns to Sunday school, they can surely take them to them to psych class.
While Texans debate the presence of guns at college (and well they should), the possibility of concealed weapons in church is a sharp reminder that many religious communities still have not confronted the pastoral, theological and spiritual realities of life in a country with the world’s highest concentration of personal firearms.
The recent shooting in Tucson that left six dead and 13 wounded including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords highlights the vulnerability of all Americans in public settings, church included. During the last few years a variety of congregations across a wide theological spectrum -- Mennonite, Lutheran, Baptist, Unitarian-Universalist and non-denominational -- have experienced shootings that brought death of persons gathered for worship.
Guns in church are certainly nothing new. Ross Phares’ 1971 text, Bible in Pocket, Gun in Hand, detailed life on the American frontier where “rowdies” would get “likkered up” and harass camp meeting preachers mercilessly, sometimes in life-threatening ways.
Where no formal “law and order” was present, frontier preachers sometimes toted weapons, more to discourage attacks than to actually return fire. Peter Cartwright, the 19th century Methodist circuit rider in Indiana, was known to carry a knife, and supposedly a gun, from revival to revival.
Baptists recall the 1926 murder trial of the “Texas Tornado,” J. Frank Norris, pastor of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, who used the gun kept in his desk to shoot to death D. E. Chipps, a longtime (and unarmed) critic. Norris was acquitted in a change of venue trial in Austin.
Today, wherever religious individuals may stand on questions of “gun control,” “gun rights,” or related legislation, the fact remains that the United States is a firearm-oriented culture where, according to the Center for Disease Control, some 30,000 persons die annually as a direct result of firearm-related incidents. For every person killed, two are wounded.
Thus religious communities can no longer act as if firearm attacks are a cultural anomaly. Rather, they must pursue new strategies that respond to the presence of gun-related violence throughout American society.
Persons of faith are clearly divided over “Second Amendment issues,” a volatile debate that continues unabated.
Many denominations, local congregations and religious coalitions are on record in support of firearm regulations.
One United Methodist resolution, for example, urges development of “advocacy groups … for the eventual reduction of the availability of guns in society with particular emphasis upon handguns, handgun ammunition, assault weapons,” and other automatic firearms.
Various urban alliances, some involving Christians, Jews and representatives of other religions, have united in response to particular “epidemics” of firearm violence in their respective communities.
Other religious individuals and communities firmly support gun rights as a necessary response to evil, insisting that concealed weapons, even in church, may protect against deranged shooters who wreak havoc on unprotected crowds.
Still others contend that the prospect of a gun battle in the house of God reflects a culture broken at its roots. What then to do?
Churches should be intentional about congregational security, whether formal or informal. In a firearm nation, safety, even in church, cannot be taken for granted. Many congregations already utilize security guards, cameras and other protection devices. Some keep medical professionals and trauma counselors on call. Every faith community should have a plan.
Congregations should seek legal counsel regarding insurance coverage and liability, another reality of the times.
Theological schools must intensify training in pastoral care and specialized ministry to individuals and families that experience firearm-related violence. Clinical Pastoral Education programs should give increased attention to grief therapy for persons in these peculiar circumstances.
Congregations should decide how best to deal with legislation that permits worshippers to carry concealed weapons. Will they accept the unseen presence of handguns at worship or recommend a “weapon free” worshipping environment? (A friend suggests that some services could be “concealed weapon friendly” while others would encourage checking guns in the narthex, but this is no laughing matter.)
Most importantly, what specific spiritual resources should communities of faith muster for life in a country with the world’s largest firearm concentration? In such an environment is it time for “a theology of firearms”?
There is no time to waste. If a 9 year old can be gunned down at a “democracy moment” held at “Safeway,” then everyone is in danger. Faith must strengthen persons to live with that reality, awaiting a day when Glocks are beaten into plowshares, and AK47s into pruning hooks.
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Bill J. Leonard is a professor of church history at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity.
No, I have not done that. But I have this old, almost Catholic desire to lay down my arms when going into a church.
When I ushered Protestant Chapel at West Point, those of us with ceremonial swords would lay them at the altar before distributing the elements for Communion.
About 40,000 die in thier bathtubs every year. Should we get rid of those too? Does that make us a "bathtub" culture?
the possibility of concealed weapons in church is a sharp reminder that many religious communities still have not confronted the pastoral, theological and spiritual realities of life in a country with the world’s highest concentration of personal firearms
The reality is that if you can defend yourself and others you can survive. If you depend on someone else to defend you then you are likely dead.
Many Churches understand this and many are filled with Veterans that understand our Nation is at war and under attack on many fronts and there is NEVER a good time to not be prepared.
As Christ admonished buying a sword for defense, even at the expense of your cloak, he never said anything about not taking it to worship. I act accordingly.
For every person killed, two are wounded.
By the way, there are several at my church of 450 people who carry. I carry every Sunday. No way is some evildoer going to kill innocent worshipers on my watch.
IIRC, of those 30,000, the majority are suicides, and a substantial part of the rest are scum killing scum with no net loss to society.
The actual number of innocent folks murdered are far, far less than many other causes, cars, bathtubs, etc.
When the numbers are actually analyzed, it becomes pretty obvious that “gun control” is about control, not about crime prevention.
The bad guy is already going to have a gun; its not like he cares about the law.
Wouldn’t be nice if one of the good guys had one, too?
LUKE 22
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[b]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That’s enough!” he replied.
Yeah, now there's a perfect analogy.
Most people focus on arms possession at location X. They ignore the trip there, back, and locations Y and Z along the way.
I’ve been in churches which have been shot at. You might be safe inside, but being armed going to/from your car was a good idea.
At that time, it was a requirement by law, that all men had to take their firearms to church. Afterward they did Militia drills.
When did men cow down?
Most importantly, what specific spiritual resources should communities of faith muster for life in a country with the world’s largest firearm concentration ___________? In such an environment is it time for “a theology of firearms___________”?
Not really; he wants EVERYONE to be disarmed.
How he is going to keep the NON-lawabiding disarmed is NEVER addressed.
Matthew 10:34
"I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword"
Luke 22:38
The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords."
"That is enough," he replied.
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