Georgia’s Sweeping Gun Law Sparks Religious Backlash

Georgia’s Sweeping Gun Law Sparks Religious Backlash

Robert Wright, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, sent an open letter last week to the 56,000 members that make up the dozens of Episcopal churches throughout north Georgia with a simple message: Don’t bring guns into the house of God. The week before, Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law one of the most sweeping gun bills in recent memory. The Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014, which goes into effect July 1, allows Georgia residents with concealed carry permits to bring guns into churches that give express permission, while lowering the fine for bringing a gun into a place of worship to $100. It permits guns in bars, school zones, government buildings and certain areas inside airports. It says the state no longer has to fingerprint law-abiding gun owners to renew their licenses, and that dealers won’t be required to keep sales records for state purposes (federal government record-keeping laws still apply). The NRA has called it “the most comprehensive pro-gun bill in state history.” Opponents have derided it as the “guns everywhere” bill.

Looks like some of the places of faith in Georgia don't like the new law and are exercising their rights to ban guns. I wonder what they will do if a person shows up wearing a gun will they make them leave or just tell them to take it off and leave it in their car?
This is the parts of the article I liked best.

“Jesus did not preach a gospel of self-protection, a gospel of live by the sword, die by the sword,” Wright says. “Quite the opposite.”

“Weapons in a place of sanctuary seem to me to be inconsistent with a God of love,” he says. “The prince of peace isn’t spelled P-I-E-C-E. It’s P-E-A-C-E.”

“I don’t know how you reconcile Jesus who says, ‘Love they neighbor, love thy enemy,’ and at the same time being armed to the teeth,” Wright says.

I support what these people are saying a Church, Synagogue or Mosque is the last place where a person should be carrying a gun.

a reply to: buster2010

The common thread that tie religion and guns together --Fear

Cultivate fear and reap what you sow.

Crazy people! I swear, this faction of right-wing nut jobs with guns is getting more scary every day! Being in public is getting scarier all the time.

Here's an interesting turn in the story.

Archbishop Gregory Promises to Restrict Guns in Catholic Churches

Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta has promised to restrict the presence of guns in Catholic institutions in response to a new Georgia law that would allow licensed gun owners to carry arms into schools, churches and other locales.
...
Writing in his column of the Georgia Bulletin, the newspaper of the Atlanta archdiocese, the archbishop said he regretted the enactment of the new law “more than I can possibly express”.

“Before this legislation takes effect in July, I will officially restrict the presence of weapons in our Catholic institutions except for those carried by the people that civic authorities have designated and trained to protect and guard us – and those who are duly authorised law and military officials,” Archbishop Gregory explained.

originally posted by: InverseLookingGlass
a reply to: buster2010

The common thread that tie religion and guns together --Fear

Cultivate fear and reap what you sow.

What I find funny is people that insult the religious, can't even get away from the wisdom of the bible to do it, especially when it hardly relates to op.

Pastors of Churches telling its members Not to fear, To NOT bring guns.

I guess confirmation bias at play?

That's funny I live in Georgia and haven't seen ANY outrage. More churches here than you can shake a stick at.

Who in the hell cares what this denomination thinks?

Remember Buster...the church is the PEOPLE.

a reply to: buster2010


THE BIG QUESTION????

I wonder if this preacher is a member of the Homeland Security "Clergy Response Teams"?

Could martial law ever become a reality in America? Some fear any nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil might trigger just that. KSLA News 12 has discovered that the clergy would help the government with potentially their biggest problem: Us.
Charleton Heston's now-famous speech before the National Rifle Association at a convention back in 2000 will forever be remembered as a stirring moment for all 2nd Amendment advocates. At the end of his remarks, Heston held up his antique rifle and told the crowd in his Moses-like voice, "over my cold, dead hands."
While Heston, then serving as the NRA President, made those remarks in response to calls for more gun control laws at the time, those words live on. Heston's declaration captured a truly American value: An over-arching desire to protect our freedoms.
But gun confiscation is exactly what happened during the state of emergency following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, along with forced relocation. U.S. Troops also arrived, something far easier to do now, thanks to last year's elimination of the 1878 Posse Comitatus act, which had forbid regular U.S. Army troops from policing on American soil.

Source

Seems like another social conditioning hit piece to attack the 2nd to me!

a reply to: buster2010

I don't see the controversy.

The church doesn't want guns in the congregation. That is pretty simple. No?

They are probably unwelcoming of slayer shirts, slingshots, and bottles of whiskey. There are no laws against those either. It is just house rules. Now down the street house rules may be different but in my opinion that law is just stating they are leaving it up to the people as to what they will tolerate.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
“Before this legislation takes effect in July, I will officially restrict the presence of weapons in our Catholic institutions except for those carried by the people that civic authorities have designated and trained to protect and guard us – and those who are duly authorised law and military officials,” Archbishop Gregory explained. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Why the exceptions? A gun is a gun no matter who is carrying it, right? I can only surmise that it's not the gun that the Archbishop has a problem with, it's the person carrying it. I guess the Archbishop feels that some people are not deserving of hearing the Good Word.

It seems to me that Christians should be the group least afraid of guns. After all, their place in Heaven is assured, is it not?

originally posted by: VictorVonDoom
Why the exceptions?

Ask the Archbishop.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Just for the record, I wasn't trying to say those were your words. I couldn't seem to get that External Quote thing to work right, it kept timing out and coming up blank. Yeah, the question should be directed at the Archbishop.

Robert Wright, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, sent an open letter last week

One guy sends an open letter and this equates religious backlash? I just don't see it. Sounds more like this guy is looking for some lime light to promote his church, but that is just me.

originally posted by: buster2010
Georgia’s Sweeping Gun Law Sparks Religious Backlash

The NRA has called it “the most comprehensive pro-gun bill in state history.” Opponents have derided it as the “guns everywhere” bill.

I call it, "a victory for freedom" and most importantly, "a victory for America".

“Jesus did not preach a gospel of self-protection, a gospel of live by the sword, die by the sword,” Wright says. “Quite the opposite.”

Well then, if Christians agree with him, he shouldn't have any problem keeping guns out of the hands of Christian's in his church. Religious freedom is not being compromised here.

“Weapons in a place of sanctuary seem to me to be inconsistent with a God of love,” he says. “The prince of peace isn’t spelled P-I-E-C-E. It’s P-E-A-C-E.”

Too bad the government isn't obligated to abide by religious doctrine. It's only obligated to protect your freedom to choose to abide by religious doctrine.

“I don’t know how you reconcile Jesus who says, ‘Love they neighbor, love thy enemy,’ and at the same time being armed to the teeth,” Wright says.

Simply, choose to be the Christian that doesn't bring guns into church on his/her own free will.

I support what these people are saying a Church, Synagogue or Mosque is the last place where a person should be carrying a gun.

Then don't carry one.

I get it. You're worried about Christians leaving themselves open for attack by them adhering to their beliefs. The fact is though, if a criminal wanted to come to church and shoot it up, they are not going to be worried about gun laws. They're going to be worried about homicide laws, which still apply. You should be thankful that now, you'll have that one non-Christian in the back row who's packing that if an immoral person comes through who is adamantly anti-Christian and wants to kill everyone in the church, he/she might not get to gun down the whole congregation, and because of that one Non-Christian who believes in protecting others that's carrying, a lot of lives will be saved.

Killers don't care about laws. A man who wants to kill will be knowingly breaking the riskiest law, and its not a gun law. The only thing the freedom to carry a gun in church is going to do is protect the ones who aren't protecting themselves. And you'll be thankful for him/her if this situation ever happened. You'll be thankful for the Non-Christian.

originally posted by: SpaDe_

Robert Wright, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, sent an open letter last week

One guy sends an open letter and this equates religious backlash? I just don't see it. Sounds more like this guy is looking for some lime light to promote his church, but that is just me.

Looks to me like he's trying to promote a political agenda under the illusion of trying to promote his religious authority.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
Crazy people! I swear, this faction of right-wing nut jobs with guns is getting more scary every day! Being in public is getting scarier all the time.

I guess you better get one too then. Unless, you just don't want to be safe and you want to live in fear. That says a lot about how much you really value your own life.

Here's an interesting turn in the story.

Archbishop Gregory Promises to Restrict Guns in Catholic Churches

Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta has promised to restrict the presence of guns in Catholic institutions in response to a new Georgia law that would allow licensed gun owners to carry arms into schools, churches and other locales.
...
Writing in his column of the Georgia Bulletin, the newspaper of the Atlanta archdiocese, the archbishop said he regretted the enactment of the new law “more than I can possibly express”.

“Before this legislation takes effect in July, I will officially restrict the presence of weapons in our Catholic institutions except for those carried by the people that civic authorities have designated and trained to protect and guard us – and those who are duly authorised law and military officials,” Archbishop Gregory explained.

Good for him for exercising his freedom. Too bad, if a criminal wanted to come kill a whole church full of people, a gun law would have never stopped him in the first place. Too bad, the archbishop doesn't realize that allowing law abiding citizens to carry in church will protect the congregation. Now, the only people who will be bringing them to church are the ones that disregard laws. These are the same people you will have to worry about before gun restrictions and after gun restrictions. The danger is no less prevalent. Its actually more prevalent now that guns are going to be taken out of the hands of law abiding citizens by the archbishop.

a reply to: smithjustinb

He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors. ’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Luke 22:36-38

I guess the good bishop doesn't know his bible.

ACTUALLY,

Given the assertions made by various sources that Iran has 10,000 SLEEPER AGENTS in the USA who's sole targets are

preachers, evangelists, ministers in Christian churches . . .

I'd think that gun carrying in church would be a wise idea.

Of course, I think teachers ought to carry at Univ and other schools these days, too.

It's not wise to carry a tomato or a knife to a gun fight.

Jesus also exhorted folks without swords to go buy one.

The Bill only permits one to carry into these establishments if the individual establishment chooses to allow it. Sounds like the most reasonable law I have ever heard.

God killed his own son, but don't kill. And there is no room for hate and guns in church. Did I get that right? I don't know sometimes it all gets very confusing. / end sarcasm....

a reply to: buster2010

You know...he is right to a degree. Jesus did not preach being armed to the eye sockets. He did walk into a temple and trash the living hell out of it, while shouting at traders and money men for ruining his fathers house with their corruption and greed, and at temple leaders for allowing it.

Perhaps what this overstuffed clergyman fears is that his own table will be more easily overturned if everyone packs heat?

If he had any faith in Jesus, he would fear lead the way I fear dandelion seeds... Or lead for that matter.

hmmm
on the one hand
does jesus have the parts to protect a person in a church or anywhere?
or do christians actually need guns to do that job?
what good is jesus then..you know Daniel in the lions den
truth or fiction?
will jesus stop a drone?
will a gun stop a drone
jesus said what about guns?....thou shalt have no idol before me?, thou shalt not kill?..live by the sword die by the sword?...
render unto Cesar?

at what point when christians have to choose:
guns or jesus...
which is going to win?