From NOLA:
Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed into law one of the more controversial bills from the recent legislative session, one allowing guns to be carried into houses of worship.
Jindal's office said Tuesday the governor acted on the bill in the past few days after receiving it June 20.
Including the "gun-in-church" bill, House Bill 1272 by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton, Jindal has signed into law 940 of the 1,067 bills the Legislature sent him, vetoed 12, and used his pen to line-item spending measures in four different budget bills.
Burns' bill would authorize persons who qualified to carry concealed weapons having passed the training and background checks to bring them to churches, mosques, synagogues or other houses of worship as part of a security force.
Ain't it grand? What a legislature! What a governor! Who knew the lot of them would align so neatly with the result that members of congregations may now be fully armed in church.
Look at the guvna up there wearing his red and white striped tie with the stars in the background - a living symbol of patriotism and what the US is all about, the 2nd Amendment, the right of every citizen to bear arms.
We like to protect the right to arm bears too
ReplyDeleteAnn, I have hunters in my family, and I have no problem with responsible hunting nor with the ownership of guns by hunters, but guns in church takes the right too far. Churches are sanctuaries, and the very thought of folks carrying their guns into church is repulsive to me. There are limits to the right to bear arms, IMHO, and the church door is one of the limits.
ReplyDeleteI agree - I was just stunned and using humor to re-center
ReplyDeleteSadly, the outcome of this is inevitable, and written in the blood of gunned-down innocents in the pews.
ReplyDeleteAnn, I'm sorry. I was stunned and embarrassed, and the humor in your comment didn't get through.
ReplyDeleteEpiscopal Bear, no good will come of this law. I only hope that no harm comes. Perhaps, the pastors won't see guns in their houses of worship as a good thing.
The gun lobby types seem so obsessed with what they see as their "right", as if any form of limits on carrying guns was a personal offence against them, even if it's merely a matter of asking for a modicum of sensitivity. They do not seem to feel other people should be permitted to have any impact on their choices at all, but they think any impact they might have on others in their turn is perfectly fine. This seems remarkably egotistical.
ReplyDeleteGuess one must be very careful with sermon topics in your State.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, all the men in my family are responsible hunters. I don't hunt, and I never would, but I feel better about eating meat from their hunts than I do about the plastic-wrapped meat in the market. At least the birds and animals fly and roam free until they are killed.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the gun nuts who want no limits on their right to possess firearms are a complete mystery to me. I suppose they're driven by fear.
Mimi, I wasn't including people who hunt in my comment, or all gun owners, just the gun lobby types. They're a mystery to me too.
ReplyDeleteCathy, my comment was not directed to you. I wanted to clarify to all readers that I am not a ban-all-the-guns person.
ReplyDeleteI think the "gun lobby" is more interested in their right to SELL guns.
ReplyDeletePack up your troubles in an old kit bag and blast 'em.
ReplyDeleteWould it be illegal for a parish or diocese to refuse communion to those who do bear arms in church?
ReplyDeleteWade, you think?
ReplyDeleteHeh, heh, Counterlight.
Fabian, the article says further:
The pastor or head of the religious institution must announce verbally or in weekly newsletters or bulletins that there will be individuals armed on the property as members of he security force.
I wouldn't think the pastor would refuse communion if he/she allowed guns in church in the first place.
When evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.
ReplyDelete*****
Forget church: can you bring guns to BP Board meetings?
JCF, I expect security for the BP board meetings is quite high.
ReplyDeleteWould it be illegal for a parish or diocese to refuse communion to those who do bear arms in church?
ReplyDeleteIt might be legal, but you might also get shot.
Wade, there's that too :-)
This caught my eye: "to carry concealed weapons having passed the training and background checks to bring them to churches, mosques, synagogues or other houses of worship as part of a security force.
ReplyDeleteWhat must the state of things be when a house of worship needs a security force?
(My verification is "frant;" and what sort of f - oops, blessed rant must have been behind this legislation!)
Marshall, what are we coming to? Or are we already in the Bizarro world? What with the oil gusher and our guvna and a good many of his supporters surrounding me, I feel pushed to the edge.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite sure our rector will not permit guns in our church, still, just the thought that we'd need armed security forces in our churches....