WORSHIPING GUNS
Conservatives are right that we have a cultural problem; they fail to acknowledge its inextricable link to firearm access
After three highly publicized mass shootings in a 10-day period, President Trump expressed concern about the ways violence is glorified in American society, including “the gruesome and grizzly video games that are now commonplace.” Many have pointed out that these games are prevalent worldwide, whereas regular mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon.
There’s a particular blindness in the conservative worldview here: Trump and others seem to be obsessed with the role of culture in creating the conditions for gun violence, but they wantonly ignore the singular and corrosive culture surrounding guns themselves: their marketing, their aura, their worship, especially by young men.
One uniquely American phenomenon is the mixture of God and guns, of Christianity and a Colt .45. I’ve seen t-shirts with pictures of a Bible and a gun that include these words: “Two things every American should know how to use…neither of which are taught in schools.”
Christians in America hold diverse views about guns and gun culture. Some Christians have never owned or fired a gun. Others, primarily evangelicals and fundamentalists, appear to revere or at least give credence to the Second Amendment as if it were nearly on par with the Bible. They seem to think that appealing to it should settle the matter.
A proper interpretation and application of the Second Amendment would settle the matter legally. However, this would not settle the matter morally or spiritually. The mixture of faith, patriotism and the veneration of the Constitution, and in particular the Second Amendment, is worrisome.
In its more extreme forms, this veneration of the gun is a perversion of the Christian faith. To put it plainly, for many guns are idols. Across our country, religion is offensively appropriated to prop up love of firearms. The two pieces of our national identity are joined at the hip.
That’s a terrible tragedy. Because if we think hard about Christianity and its role in America, it could be a powerful force to help combat, not fuel, irresponsible gun ownership and gun violence.
A central teaching of the Christian faith is that all human beings are made in the image of God. This means that all human beings have inherent dignity and worth. The right to life and the right to bodily security are grounded in this, from the perspective of Christian ethics. Given
that nearly 40,000 people die annually from gun violence in America, surely we must do what we can to reduce such violence.
The New Testament is consistently opposed to violence. Richard Hays, a prominent New Testament scholar, observes that “from Matthew to Revelation we find a consistent witness against violence and a calling to the community to follow the example of Jesus in accepting suffering rather than inflicting it.”
Of course not all Christian scholars, nor all Christian traditions, embrace pacifism. However, there is a significant burden of proof from the biblical witness on those who would justify violent acts against any human being.
Jesus teaches that his followers are not only to love their neighbors as themselves, but their enemies as well. The apostle Paul argues that it is the role of the government to “bear the sword,” rather than individual citizens. And the writer of the book of Hebrews observed that the early Christians accepted the theft of their possessions, and eschewed defending them with violence.
Many Christian defenders of the status quo on guns in America point to a passage from the gospel of Luke, where Jesus tells his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword, if they don’t already have one. Yet it is clear from the context that the point is the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy, rather than an instruction to arm oneself for the sake of violence.
There are certainly non-religious reasons for valuing human life. Many believe human beings possess dignity and worth, without an appeal to religion. There is widespread agreement that all human beings have the right to life.
How can we protect that right, when guns and the young men who wield them are so often used to steal away the lives of many in our nation? Can we respect the Second Amendment rights of Americans while also enacting laws that would restrict access to guns for those who shouldn’t have them?
The answer is clearly yes. This doesn’t mean that laws will eradicate all gun violence. But they can reduce it, saving thousands of lives every year.
Many, and evangelical Christians especially, are skeptical about the potential for laws to make any real difference. Some point out that Chicago has very strict gun laws, but a very high rate of gun violence.
In fact, the case of Chicago shows that more widespread laws are needed. In a recent four-year period, 1,375 guns used in criminal activities were recovered by Chicago police. About 20% of those guns were traced
to a single gun store a few miles outside of Chicago. Strict gun laws in one city or one state will likely be ineffective when guns are easily accessible in nearby cities or states.
Others argue that the problem isn’t guns. It’s us. This is of course true, to a degree. But why allow easy access to guns if you really think we are so flawed? Our faith, our philosophies and our own minds tell us that human beings are flawed creatures.
But this doesn’t justify the status quo. We have a problem of the human heart, and a gun problem. We allow easy access to guns for those who should not have it.
Guns don’t kill people. But people do, and when they can access a gun they can kill more people, more easily. More restrictive gun laws won’t change the hearts of those set on violence. But they can make it much more difficult to express those violent intentions through the barrel of a gun.
Being mindful of these realities, and of the current way so many Americans worship their right to access these weapons with nearly as much fervor as they pray to God, what can we do to reduce gun violence in the United States? There are several things.
First, religious leaders, in particular evangelical ones, must do a better job applying their religious faith to these issues, and helping others do the same. In many of my own conversations with evangelical Christians, all too often they rely on talking points from the NRA, rather than well thought out positions grounded in the Bible and Christian ethics. If evangelical leaders can do a better job, this will help many to see that the following policy suggestions are quite consistent with a truly Christian view of guns and violence.
We should require universal background checks for all gun purchases. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 94% of American voters support this. This will not be foolproof, of course, but it is one part of a larger approach to reducing gun violence.
We should pass a federal Extreme Risk Protection Order law. This would allow police officers, family members, and health care professionals to make a legal request that firearms be temporarily removed from potentially dangerous individuals by the courts. Maryland has instituted such a law. In roughly half of the cases in Maryland, a final order was issued.
This means that a gun is not immediately returned to its owner, who may be banned from purchasing or owning a gun for one year. In cases where a mental health problem is involved, and the individual receives treatment or medication, the guns are returned. According to Montgomery County Maryland Sheriff Darren Popkin, “These orders are not only being issued appropriately; they are saving lives.”
We should require all gun owners to complete a mandatory federal gun-safety course. We require drivers to demonstrate competence in driving cars before we license them. The same requirement should be implemented for gun owners. A skills, storage and general safety test should be created.
The license should be renewable, so that gun owners must demonstrate their competency on a regular basis, as automobile drivers do. The justification is the same in both cases. More competent drivers and more competent gun owners mean fewer injuries and deaths. Those who can use guns responsibly will retain their right to do so.
We need more funding for research on the causes and ways of reducing gun violence. The federal government should provide significant funds for this. These funds should be directed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Justice. Incentives could also be offered to encourage more private and university funding of such research.
Finally, we should of course improve access to quality mental health care in this country. This measure is aimed primarily at reducing the number of gun suicides, which make up the largest category of gun deaths in America.
Rights and responsibilities are connected. They are a package deal. I can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater when there is no fire, as this might incite panic and injure many. I can’t practice a religion that endorses child sacrifice. Our First Amendment rights are limited by harm to others. The same is true for our Second Amendment rights. We can respect and protect those rights while doing more to protect people at concerts, school, work, worship, and in their homes. We have a right to live, work, study, and worship, without the looming specter of gun violence.
The faithful Christians who dominate American politics, who also are the chief obstacles to real progress on gun laws, have a burden to do more than resort to talking about thoughts and prayers and evil in the human heart.
It’s hard not to be cynical, given our track record. But if we truly value human life, we’ll do what we can to more adequately protect it from the growing scourge of gun violence in America.